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Radioactive IT Review: The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon
Radioactive IT Review: The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon | Review: The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon |
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| by Mike Bantick | |
| Saturday, 27 December 2008 | |
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The game – as mentioned earlier – plays very much like the mechanics of God of War. The added twist is that both Spyro and Cynder are tethered together with a magical (bright green of course) linked collar. The result is a game of cooperation that is best enjoyed with two human controllers rather than relying on the backward AI.  The dragons, unleash combo melee attacks, along with a choice of four (each for a total of eight) different types of elemental magical attacks. Life is replenished at red crystal outbreaks, Mana at green, with a tedious mechanic of breaking the crystals apart to harness the jewelled goodness inside. It will be no surprise that the dragons can fly, or rather glide, and it is spectacular to float over a valley or similar open expanse, but then reality crunching when invisible walls block obvious routes, or unseen wind currents dictate height levels to enforce puzzle processes. Puzzles are mediocre for the most part and then bewildering complex at others. A consistency of design would have helped nail down a demographic for the title. When the pair are happily bounding through a platform puzzle to be frustrated by a difficult wall climb and jump, or when a seemingly simple story connection is overblown in its design elements, the result is as garish as the colour palette. For example, a task given to the small fire breathers relatively early in the game is to go and get a raft to safely ferry the village leader back to town after his rescue. Okay, so time to get the raft. To do this we must find the hidden cave entrance, identified by a certain runic carving, this will lead us to the Hermit’s home. The Hermit has the key to the shed, once we have the key, find the shed and grab the weights inside. Get the weights to the pressure pads that will enable the release of the raft at the other end of the valley. Haul the raft to the village leader for rescue. This mission design feels like so much padding on an already relatively short chapter in the Spyro franchise. Like God of War, the dragons can spend experience to upgrade armour which gives added abilities, and then there is a fury meter, that once full, can be expended in a whirlwind and beam attack that relentlessly cuts through foes. There is no multiplayer, apart from the co-op mode were Dawn of the dragon shines. If you are a unswayed Spyro fan, and you have a mate to team up with, then pick up this release for a bit-o-co-op fun, otherwise I would glide clear of this one, you might get burnt. 4.5 fire breathing paint spatters out of 10 |
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