One of the greatest challenges in making a sequel lies in keeping
things fresh while still retaining the base qualities of previous
entries. Oftentimes the answer to this little quandary is to add a
couple of new characters and toss in some more minigames. You know -- to
add variety, spice things up a bit. Spryro: Year of the Dragon follows
this logic line to a T. In an attempt to mix up the already fantastic
formula of the second game, Year of the Dragon adds in a few new
playable characters and fleshed out minigames to prevent the game from
being branded a rehash (as if it ever had to worry to begin with). The
result delivers a strong finish to the PlayStation trilogy of the Spyro
series.
The story this time around sees Spyro on a rescue mission. A huge batch
of dragons eggs have just been lain, everyone in the dragon worlds
coming together to celebrate. However, an evil sorceress has been
plotting to steal the eggs and use them for her own nefarious purposes.
She succeeds, sending in her army while the dragons rest after a
presumed busy night of festivities. The thieves are spotted just as they
make off with the last egg, exiting through the holes they borrowed to
get there. Spyro, being the only one who can fit through the holes,
immediately gives chase, thus setting the game into motion.
Year of the Dragon tries to play up its story more by including more
cutscenes than its predecessor did. The game goes light on the
exposition, its cutscenes doing little to develop the story past its
set-up. Lighthearted slapstick and other hijinks. New playable
characters are introduced throughout, though their relevance to the tale
is ancillary at best. They sink back behind certain after their initial
introductory scene, relegating themselves to brief one-off side-levels,
contributing nothing of note to how the tale plays out. The story moves
along at a steady pace, it picking up a tad around the latter half
before dieing down again. It's hardly riveting, but it's serviceable
stuff nonetheless.
Gameplay remains virtually unchanged. Like before, you're heading into
worlds searching every nook and cranny for gems and, in this case, eggs.
It's collect-athon gameplay at its finest, minus the boredom that
usually accompanies it. The drudgery of the task is removed because the
game keeps the hunt simple. Normally you'd be desperately searching
every inch of every level looking for one tiny, well-hid collectible
that you missed for hours on end. Not here. The items you look for --
gems and dragon eggs -- don't take hours of running about to discover.
They're hidden well enough that you have to put some measure of effort
into finding them, but not so well that you need to rely on
walkthroughs.
It helps that levels are small and easy to navigate and the items
designed to be eye-catching. Eggs are large enough to been easily from a
distance, while gems sparkle brilliantly. (Helps too that Spyro's
dragonfly partner Sparx can eventually learn to point you toward gems.)
Gems doesn't serve as crucial a purpose as eggs, which open up new
levels upon reaching certain milestones and are of course important by
default. Their only use coming when the suit-wearing bear Moneybags asks
for fee tp open up doors, restore bridges, and such, the toll always
remains small, never exceeding 1,000 gems, a sum that you regularly
carry. Gems are basically around for decoration.
Spyro isn't one for challenge. I mean, it exists, sure -- a couple of
boss fights and minigames are particularly vexing -- but not in spades.
Spyro's more about a relaxed approach to platforming, as apparent by the
leisurely flights you enjoy as means of traversal. Rather than jump
around the fantastical worlds you visit, Spyro puts those wings of his
to use by gliding about. Levels are designed to make full use of his
meager flight prowess, crossing gaps just long enough for jumps to fall
short. The thrill of flight doesn't manifest itself during such
effortless crossings, the mechanics feeling little more than a cheap
replacement for the average jump. Then you soar over a vast, seemingly
bottomless chasm, at which point you realize the worth of gliding versus
jumping.
Moving over such vast voids doesn't happen often in platformers, and
when it does, it's often through some spring-board that safely takes you
to your destination, no input required. Though the flights are
disappointingly uneventful, they're still pleasant, and the view, though
hampered by technology of the time with the constant texture-popping,
is grand.
Levels aren't just playgrounds to glide about in. Spyro's skillset also
lets him climb ladders and swim underwater, granting an extra touch of
variety to the level dynamics. Most of the variety comes from the
minigames dispersed throughout the game's many side-missions. Whereas
the majority of the levels see Spyro moving about freely in search of
eggs, the side-missions mix things up a tad. In one instance you're
participating in a duel on sea against a shark shaped submarine, the
next competing in a game of hockey or skateboarding contest. The reward
for completing them is always an egg. The activities here are much more
varied than those from the last game. There's a greater number of things
to do, further staving off any threat of repetition from setting in.
These side-missions also sometimes swap to another character. As stated
earlier, this third installment introduces a few new playable
characters: Sheila, a kangaroo; Sgt. Byrd, a penguin who, remarkably,
can fly; Bentley, a yeti with an especially sophisticated vocabulary;
and Agent 9, a hyperactive monkey carrying a laser pistol. They appear
frequently throughout, taking the reins for brief spell to take care of
some errands and grab an egg while their at it. The gameplay doesn't
change much between them. The way they interact with the environment
differs from one another; Bentley's levels, for instance, don't involve
any sort of jumping. His build is too big for that sort of physical
prowess. Sgt. Byrd, conversely, has no limits when it comes to aerial
movement. Therefore, his levels are always vast domes. Sheila's the only
one to focus on old fashioned platforming, able to climb to great
heights. Agent 9's the odd one of the bunch, focusing squarely on
combat. His levels are all wave-based, your task being to gun down
hoards of Rynoc forces. One of his levels actually play like a
first-person shooter, in a cool little twist.
Spyro's companion Sparx also gets some time in the spotlight. His levels
are the biggest departure of the bunch, taking on the form of an
isometric shooter. The mechanics feel a touch clumsy, though. They feel
like the type of levels that would benefit a dual-stick shooter style of
control. The levels are solid, delivering action in spades with enemies
charging forward relentlessly. Power-ups lend some assistance,
modifying Sparx's standard barrage of bullets by giving them more
spread. These levels are few in number, but the change in gameplay they
provide is most welcome.
This being a PlayStation game, you can definitely see its age. Character
models are blocky and lack refinement, their facial features appearing
to have been plastered on and their proportions bloated. Spyro and the
rest of the playable characters being the exception, their character
models having clearly received the most attention. The worlds are
colorful and exquisitely detailed, their thematic nature coming across
well, enemies dressing themselves appropriately to match the
architecture. One of the early levels, which sports a roman-esque theme,
sees stone and marble decor litter the surroundings, its inhabitants
sporting togas and roman solider armor. Music primarily consists of a
lot of cheery, active tunes to match the bright, vibrant look of the
environments.
As the final entry in the original trilogy, Spyro: Year of the Dragon
closes the trilogy out on a high note. All the superb elements from the
last game have resurfaced and, though they haven't evolved much, the
game delivers more, which is really all anyone wanted. The game is now
also available on Sony's PlayStation Network, making it easily
obtainable for anyone looking for some light thrills on the cheap or
even just relive Spyro's glory days.
