Spyro Reignited Trilogy Discussion

[rallymorten]

Seeing that there's quite a bit of positivity going around in here right now, time for the downer of the week:

We all know the game is getting a physical release. A physical release required being printed on discs. That takes time. In the time between printing and release, new bugs may be discovered. That has lead to the concept of the Day One Patch, which is basically all the things they didn't quite get to finish before sending it off to the printworks.

You may have heard it by now, but Spyro is also getting a Day One Patch. The short story is that the second and third games, while apparently on the disc in some capacity, are locked. Initially, this reeks of business as usual from ActiBliz, and, if we're being honest, what statements they've made on it thus far plus their history of being - emphasise sarcasm here - "consumer minded" haven't really helped it. It's worth noting, however, that nobody knows exactly what this patch contains - is it basically the entirety of Spyro 2 and 3? Is it one half of them? Is it a few things here and there? No one knows, and really, until we *do*, I feel it's a bit early to pass off judgment. If it's a matter of some things not being finalised in time (again, consider the time between printing and release day. I believe the numbers floating around are somewhere along the lines of a month and a half, which puts it at, oh look at this, right around now), that's more understandable. Not as understandable as it being "just bug fixes", but more understandable than, say, it being an actual sort of DRM or anything of the like, in which case, save your thunder for that reveal.

They are, however, not locked behind a paywall - even though, again, that would be a *very* ActiBliz thing to do - so while it is a bit a downer, it's not complete and utter 🤬.

Let's also do everyone a favor here and, while we can blame ActiBliz as much as we want because it's ActiBliz, give TfB the benefit of doubt on this one. It's not uncommon to see the publisher being the 🤬 and the developer being the wronged party, and given their work thus far, I have no reason to believe TfB is "in on it".

But hey, there's a compensation for anyone doing the physical preorder.. if you live in France. It's an artbook detailing the entire history of Spyro. Which, if anyone gets their hands on it, it's 2018. Pictures. That's possible on everything. There is no excuse.

 

[HuskyGT]

Hopefully this gets proper PC release on Steam, like the Crash trilogy. Not just consoles or a crappy "play everywhere" Win 10 version.

 

[rallymorten]

..right, let's dial back the negativity and writing-is-very-much-on-the-wall-because-whatever-happens-to-Crash-happens-to-Spyro for just a moment and admire the fantastic job TfB is doing in the now:



..so, the real question, rather than the download thing and the writings-on-walls stuff, is..

..will we also see the resurgence of the Gulp's Overlook theme in digital media?

 

[rallymorten]

Time to bring out those pitchforks again and cancel the remaining preorders, keyboard warriors: It's been delayed to November 13.

Sure, it's a bummer, especially since the new date isn't a Friday I'm off anyway, but there's a solid enough reason behind it. And frankly, given how they've handled the year 'till now, I believe those two months *will* be worth it.

 

[Northstar]

I wasn’t planning on getting it until Christmas time anyways due to all the other games releasing this fall. Hopefully the delay means it will be mostly big-free by that point.

 

[SPhilli911]

Very disappointing news, since I was looking forward to this very much (although it was too close to Shadow of the Tomb Raider for my liking to begin with ), but I hope that gives them time to perfect the game.

Think this delay has to do with the backlash of the physical copy thing?

 

[rallymorten]

Think this delay has to do with the backlash of the physical copy thing?

Activision have apparently confirmed to the usual source for Spyro stuff (i.e. not one of the "YouTube personalities") that there'll still be a download, so I'm not sure. Mind you, nobody knows the specifics of that situation either.

Also, for anyone who really needs to "cool their thoughts" and "not let their fire control them" (and yes, those are references to exactly what you think it is, and no, I'm not getting involved in *that* debate with you in particular. That's right, I see you), I'll say three words:

1. Enter
2. The
3. Dragonfly

That was released way before it was ready to do so.

And yes, Captain Obvious, I see you as well, I know that this is 2018 and updates are a thing, but have you seen the outrage at the confirmation of a day-one-download? How'd you think those people would react if the game was ETD'd as well?

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

Darn, I just pre-ordered a hard copy this week too. Oh well, I'm not in a big hurry to play it, I'm too focused on other things to care about a delay anyway.

 

[rallymorten]

What this video serves as a gateway to:

• A little bit of Dark Passage
• Sheila's Alp
• And, by extension, Sheila, whom *those* purists will have a field day with
• Sunrise Spring
• Cloud Spires
• Sunny Villa (+ skateboard, but - Hunter. He's here instead)
• Glimmer (and yes, I'm proud of that one)

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

Hehe, I like the Viking helmets on the rhynocs. The animal characters look adorable.

 

[TJ13]

All the flashbacks of trying to collect every gem comes back.
I just hope there isn't a trophy for that or I will go

 

[SPhilli911]

All the flashbacks of trying to collect every gem comes back.
I just hope there isn't a trophy for that or I will go

Haha, I'm sure there will be a trophy for 100% completion, but I agree with your frustrations. I have memories as a kid spending too long on a level trying to find that ONE LAST GEM! It was frustrating when you finally found it and it was in such an obvious place. But still fun.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

I never really had trouble finding gems as a kid. Finding them for me came easy, getting to some of them of course was hard. I.E. that one platform of gems at Lofty Castle or the platform at the end of Metalhead. Spyro 1 really did require some out-of-box thinking to get to some of those areas.

 

[rallymorten]

The thing about the first three games in particular is that, more often than not, the placement of the gems actually make sense. If a platform looks you-can-get-to-there-able, that's probably where those pesky few remaining gems are. And even if it doesn't look get-there-able, they're probably there anyway. Now all you have to do is find a way to do it. I'm looking at you, Tree Tops.

..you do have to notice said "platforms" first, however, hence why Cliff Town had me baffled for a few hours as to where the remaining ten-or-so gems were - you'll probably know the ones. Once I got them, though, the logic behind it was fairly clear.

Edit: Also, full playthrough of the Gamescom demo, straight from Acti McVision themselves:



Inb4 "how much do u wanna bet dey m8 kevin do taht ahahah" comments.

And yes, each game has it's own unique gem counter.

And yes, speaking of gem-finding trouble, the gem finder ability has seemingly made its way to Spyro 1. I'm guessing they've made a thing where completing one game unlocks one ability and so on and so forth.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

Hey, the stone hill theme sounds more lively now. I like it! 👍

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

Full Walkthrough of Sunny Villa.
It's great seeing the giant chicken again.


EDIT: Thoughts on some redesigns.
I like the designs on most of the inhabitants I've seen in Spyro 2 & 3 along with Hunter and the fairies. The dragons in Stone Hill look more inline with the original designs model wise. My only gripes are still with the gnorcs, they just don't look silly enough imo. Well them and the egg thieves.

 

[rallymorten]

My only gripes are still with the gnorcs, they just don't look silly enough imo. Well them and the egg thieves.

There are definitely points to be had for both of those (particularly the laugh of the thieves, which I would say is 100 times more iconic than the Colossus chanting (get triggered) and most of what Ubisoft throws the tag on), but I'd still say they're not really significant *enough* in the grander picture. At the end of the day, Reignited is as much of a creative interpretation as it is a remaster, and every other aspect is jaw-droppingly fantastic.

Also, how many jimmies are rustled when I say Hunter seemingly isn't voiced by Gregg Berger anyway, but rather a Robbie Daymond? Personally, if his Sunny Villa performance is any indication, I'm absolutely 100% fine with it. Plus it sort-of continues the trend the early games in particular set of the Spyro cast basically being a who's-who of all things cartoon-y.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

At the end of the day, Reignited is as much of a creative interpretation as it is a remaster, and every other aspect is jaw-droppingly fantastic.

I agree, it really is checking a lot of the boxes that I was hoping for in a Spyro trilogy remake. I'm glad they even brought the Spyro 1 roll moves over to the 2nd and 3rd game. That roll might even come in handy for when I go up against the Spike boss fight.

Also, how many jimmies are rustled when I say Hunter seemingly isn't voiced by Gregg Berger anyway, but rather a Robbie Daymond? Personally, if his Sunny Villa performance is any indication, I'm absolutely 100% fine with it. Plus it sort-of continues the trend the early games in particular set of the Spyro cast basically being a who's-who of all things cartoon-y.

I did notice people complaining about the voice or saying it's awful. Though I don't think it's a bad voice for hunter, it still has the similar tone that the original hunter voice had. Being the surfer, "totally radical" kind of voice. As long as they have the tone, then I don't mind the voice change.

 

[Dylan]

Elora looks adorable!

 

[rallymorten]

..and again, I have no problems with any of that whatsoever. Are people still in doubt as to whether or not TfB were the right ones for the job?

I mean, polarising Spyro design and exploitative, riddled-with-lifetime-problems-business model aside, they *do* have a few years worth of practice in getting this sort of game right. And yes, that's a comparison people who've actually played both make. Surely, if nothing else, *that*'s a good thing?

Also it might just be the case that this recent delay means no download will be required to play 2 and 3 if you're getting a physical copy. Would kind-of make sense, considering the timing and all.

 

[GTvsForza]

Full Walkthrough of Sunny Villa.
It's great seeing the giant chicken again.


EDIT: Thoughts on some redesigns.
I like the designs on most of the inhabitants I've seen in Spyro 2 & 3 along with Hunter and the fairies. The dragons in Stone Hill look more inline with the original designs model wise. My only gripes are still with the gnorcs, they just don't look silly enough imo. Well them and the egg thieves.

I definitely played that skateboard level in a secret demo before. I think it was Crash Bash that had it.

 

[rallymorten]

..november 13 y u so far in the future

 

[rallymorten]

..they've done it again..


rip Gateway to Glimmer

Also this has kind of set the precedent that the YotD "cover" gets revealed tomorrow, in which case, Agent 9, Sgt. Byrd and Bentley reveals as well.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

Cover Art Comparisons!

Ah, it's nice to see what the animal pals look like altogether now in reignited. Um, about Bentley's design though. Between his design and the dragons at Beast Makers; I'm starting to wonder if ToysforBob were actually looking at "Spyro: A Hero's Tail" aswell when remaking these designs. Bentley looks quite similar to his design in that game. Of course, it's an improvement over his design from that entry. I just observed a similarity is all.

 

[rallymorten]

I'm starting to wonder if ToysforBob were actually looking at "Spyro: A Hero's Tail" aswell when remaking these designs.

I did note some similarities in character design decisions between AHT and Reignited quite some time ago, and Bentley's design certainly isn't unlike what he looked like last time we saw him. There's a point to be made about how, really, there's little they could do to make him a graphically improved yeti, not look like his AHT design and still be distinctly Bentley. The counter argument, of course, is that the dragons in the first game didn't need to feel as AHT-y as they do, hence why I'm thinking it's not entirely coincidental across the board.

Besides - trigger warning for any purists out there - let's not kid ourselves, AHT is a good game once you get over the purist argument of the different voice cast and the soundtrack being composed by someone other than Copeland. It has its issues, yes (cough Moneybags cough), but it plays with some interesting ideas I'd like to see TfB revisit for a theoretical new Spyro game. Just.. maybe not the turret sections. Less of those, more of the elemental breaths actually having different uses. And yes, I do believe even the Reignited universe will go down that path too. Get triggered.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

AHT is a good game once you get over the purist argument of the different voice cast and the soundtrack being composed by someone other than Copeland. It has its issues, yes (cough Moneybags cough), but it plays with some interesting ideas I'd like to see TfB revisit for a theoretical new Spyro game.

Another thing I have issue with on A Hero's tail aside from Moneybags are elements such as Blink's missions. They felt quite frustrating to play imo. The other issue I have of course is how they laid out the levels. I found it tedious that I had to now do some traveling to enter a new level versus going through portals to get to that level. This gives the game more backtracking that I would have like. Insomniac's games had backtrack of course, but not to this extent. Plus, I love the whimsy of watching Spyro fly to another place.

Less of those, more of the elemental breaths actually having different uses. And yes, I do believe even the Reignited universe will go down that path too.

It could, I personally would like to see them remake Enter the Dragonfly next. Honestly, I liked some of the ideas and levels in Enter the Dragonfly; the main problem with it was how rushed it was. This would be a great opportunity for TFB to remake it, but add some new elements to make the game longer. They could also replace Ripto with a new villain if they want even.

Get triggered.

No, you!

 

[rallymorten]

Another thing I have issue with on A Hero's tail aside from Moneybags are elements such as Blink's missions. They felt quite frustrating to play imo. The other issue I have of course is how they laid out the levels. I found it tedious that I had to now do some traveling to enter a new level versus going through portals to get to that level. This gives the game more backtracking that I would have like. Insomniac's games had backtrack of course, but not to this extent. Plus, I love the whimsy of watching Spyro fly to another place.

Those are all very valid points of criticism, and.. yeah, I would actually agree with most of it. I'd say that the levels actually being connected helped make the worlds feel bigger than they actually were. It's one of those ideas it played with that might not be brilliant, but I'd say were worth trying out nonetheless. Maybe with less backtracking, it'd have worked better.

Or maybe get rid of Moneybags' shop and replace the pads with a portal at the beginning of the level. The levels do loop anyway, and it'd kind of cater to both play styles. It wouldn't really be fit in the context of the original trilogy or the like, but for a future, original Spyro game? I'd say it's an interesting proposition.

I personally would like to see them remake Enter the Dragonfly next.

..as much as I too would kind of like to see what TfB could do with EtD - because it too had a few interesting ideas in there - I wouldn't expect it to be a direct remaster. Or reigniting, if you will. EtD is forever associated with.. well, EtD. As you say, rushed beyond belief. Poor management. The list goes on. There are bits here and there that would be worth keeping in mind for a future game - levels, soundtrack and enemies, mostly - but I don't see them making a proper remaster of EtD.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

Bianca! She's just as I imagined she would look like if remade with modern graphics!

 

[GTvsForza]

I'd like to see a remaster of Season of Fire and Season of Ice. I know they were GBA games, but seeing them in 3D would be cool. And I would like to see the Sparx levels remastered.

 

[EngieDiesel]

I hope someone does full side-by-side comparisons of the original games and the remakes. It's pretty neat to see how things have been updated, but still try to stay close to the source...
(many gif files under the spoiler)

Spoiler: I'm a faun, you dork!