Spyro is a game deceptively unlike the other mascot/collectathon platformers of this era that I’ve played. It looks basically the same as any of those at a glance, but when I really got into it I found something decidedly more relaxed than I was expecting.
The hub worlds are really open, with very little to gate your progression and a lot of nooks and crannies if you care to explore them. It’s not functionally any different than, say, Mario or DK64, but there’s a chillness that permeates the experience in a way that feels singular to me.
This extends to the gameplay itself. You get all of spyro’s really limited moveset immediately, and the entire game is built around these four-ish verbs, which makes for a streamlined, simple approach to level design without necessarily sacrificing challenge in platforming. It’s a gentle curve but a rewarding one.
Enemies are simple to deal with and, for the most part, fairly sparsely placed, which I approve of given how limited the toolset for dealing with them is. That coupled with the way the game continues uninterrupted when you complete objectives creates a really nice, gentle atmosphere; the game feels like it emphasizes exploring these spaces and vibing to the cool music and colors. The feel is distinct and unexpected in the era of punchy platformer mascots doing the Dreamworks Face and taking out offensive advertisements in magazines.
Spyro himself reflects this, with his weird little dweeb voice and wide eyed respect for his elders, who seem like they should be doing this work once he frees them from their magical prisons? Oh well, they’re funny guys it’s fine.
This was all a surprise to me. Given insomniac’s whole vibe with early ratchet and clank and sunset overdrive before they got subsumed into the Hyper Generic AAA “Cinematic” Sony grinder, I did expect more 90s edge, more chaotic level design, more frantic beats. But I’m glad I got this instead. Spyro carves out a really chill space in the 90s mascot platformer market and I’m sincerely curious to see whether its two follow ups keep that energy going.
The hub worlds are really open, with very little to gate your progression and a lot of nooks and crannies if you care to explore them. It’s not functionally any different than, say, Mario or DK64, but there’s a chillness that permeates the experience in a way that feels singular to me.
This extends to the gameplay itself. You get all of spyro’s really limited moveset immediately, and the entire game is built around these four-ish verbs, which makes for a streamlined, simple approach to level design without necessarily sacrificing challenge in platforming. It’s a gentle curve but a rewarding one.
Enemies are simple to deal with and, for the most part, fairly sparsely placed, which I approve of given how limited the toolset for dealing with them is. That coupled with the way the game continues uninterrupted when you complete objectives creates a really nice, gentle atmosphere; the game feels like it emphasizes exploring these spaces and vibing to the cool music and colors. The feel is distinct and unexpected in the era of punchy platformer mascots doing the Dreamworks Face and taking out offensive advertisements in magazines.
Spyro himself reflects this, with his weird little dweeb voice and wide eyed respect for his elders, who seem like they should be doing this work once he frees them from their magical prisons? Oh well, they’re funny guys it’s fine.
This was all a surprise to me. Given insomniac’s whole vibe with early ratchet and clank and sunset overdrive before they got subsumed into the Hyper Generic AAA “Cinematic” Sony grinder, I did expect more 90s edge, more chaotic level design, more frantic beats. But I’m glad I got this instead. Spyro carves out a really chill space in the 90s mascot platformer market and I’m sincerely curious to see whether its two follow ups keep that energy going.