Reviews

Spyro Reignited Trilogy review for Nintendo Switch

Platform: Switch
Also on: PC, Xbox One, PS4
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Toys for Bob
Medium: Digital/Disc/Cartridge
Players: 1
Online: No
ESRB: E10+

I went into Spyro Reignited Trilogy with no small amount of skepticism. Sure, it got rave reviews on its initial release on PS4 and Xbox One — including from our own Tyler Nethers — but it feels like a lot of the time those raves are fueled by a heavy dose of nostalgia. As someone who never played any of the Spyro games the first time around (I was strictly a Mario Kart + sports gamer back then), I was fully prepared to find myself underwhelmed.

Turns out, I should stop being so cynical, because Spyro Reignited Trilogy is utterly delightful.

I know I?m probably preaching to the choir, since I may be the last person in the world to learn that the three Spyro games here — Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage! and Spyro: Year of the Dragon — are really, really good. But I?ll still go ahead and say it again, since it bears repeating for any newcomers to the series. If you only know Spyro from his recent incarnation as the mascot for a toy-collecting game, all three titles here will be eye-openers for you.

I mean, they were for me. There aren?t many 3D platformers out there today that play like this, with smooth controls, an easy-to-operate camera, and worlds that are fun to explore. All of those things sound like they should be simple to pull off, and yet all kinds of modern takes on the genre fail (or at least fall a little short) on delivering the kind of fun that the Spyro Reignited Trilogy delivers with ease.

Now, it?s entirely possible that the ?Reignited” part of the game?s name is doing a lot of heavy lifting. As I said, I didn?t play these games the first time around, so for all I know, the versions on here are entirely reimagined and rebuilt from the ground up, and bear no similarity to the original games.

But even if they did, so what? Spyro Reignited Trilogy is still a blast. If you?ve been pining for the chance to replay these games for decades, I suspect it?ll live up to your most cherished memories — and if, like me, you?re new to the series, you?ll easily understand why these games were so beloved in the first place.

Activision provided us with a Spyro Reignited Trilogy Switch code for review purposes.

Grade: A
Matthew Pollesel

Recent Posts

Tetris Forever review for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch

If you’re a fan of Tetris consider giving this title a look, we're certain you’ll…

1 hour ago

Mortal Kombat 1 posits “Do You like Scary Movies?” as they show more of Ghostface in Kombat Pack 2

Good lord there is a lot of perforations in this trailer.

2 hours ago

Nintendo eShop Update: LEGO Horizon Adventures, DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D

Aloy arrives on the Switch in this week's eShop update.

3 hours ago

PS Plus Game Catalog for November 2024: Grand Theft Auto V, Dying Light 2, Like a Dragon: Ishin, Resistance 1 & 2

Check out the latest titles to be included in the Extra/Premium library for PlayStation Plus…

20 hours ago

Hands on with Ara: History Untold’s 1.1 Update

This first major update for Ara: History Untold drops on November 14th. Check out our…

1 day ago

UNO Legacy and Ultimate Edition review for Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, PC

The beloved card game gets a fresh digital release courtesy of Ubisoft.

1 day ago

This website uses cookies.