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Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon |
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By
Activision Inc.
Average Customer Rating:   
List Price: $39.99
Our Price: $13.00
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- Fly at anytime - Players can now fly at any time with Spyro and Cynder
- Co-op Play - Players have the option of completing the game as either Spyro or Cynder, giving them more freedom to explore Spyro¿s world in completely new ways
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Product Description
Three long years have passed since Spyro and Cynder were trapped in the crystal, since then Malefor has unleashed his evil onto the world. In this third chapter of the epic Legend of Spyro trilogy, Spyro must fulfill his destiny and face the Dark Master. As evil spreads over the world, Spyro and Cynder must discover new abilities and unlock their true powers to defeat Malefor and stop him from destroying the world.
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Horrible, 2010-01-27
Probably one of the worst games I've ever played. The controls are horrible, and the camera is out-of-control bad. I played the original Spyro and Spyro 2 for PS1, and couldn't wait to play this one. Found it for 16.98 on this site and ordered immediately. Turns out I would have rather burned that money than buy this game.
Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon, 2010-04-11
Got it right away. purchased it for my son and he enjoys it very much
Very fun and beautiful!, 2010-07-12
This is my second Spyro game and I really like this one. Here's why:
-The graphics are absolutely beautiful. In Avalar Valley, when Spyro and Cynder are free-flying around, you can see individual blades of grass, each leaf on the trees, and there is so much color! The environments are very passionate and have a mood that relates very closely to the storyline.
-The breaths are powerful and vivid. Spyro's fire breath lights up the whole screen! They have an instant effect on enemies and are very gratifying to use.
-Medium difficulty level. I am currently playing this with my seven-year-old sister and we both have no problem getting through puzzles and fighting enemies. I have definitely played easier games, but this was not the hardest. I've only died twice and I am halfway through the game. Contrary to earlier reviews, jumps don't have to be perfect; there is some margin for error.
-Runs smoothly. This game never gets choppy and I have yet to see a glitch (and I'm halfway through!). When Spyro and Cynder are flying and one wheels about, the camera moves without any hiccups. This makes the experience feel more lifelike and immersive.
The problems I have with this game include the following:
-The camera constantly drives me insane! Pushing really hard on the right analog stick makes the camera drift only a very small amount. This seems confining, especially in a game with such rich environments, puzzles, and intense combat.
-May be hard for some players. Some parts can be a bit confusing, and combat can drain life quickly, but this isn't a problem if you have some time and patience! Finding all the health and magic upgrades is constantly irking me as I can't seem to find any! The armor is a nice touch, and looks pretty cool, but finding all of it could be difficult.
OVERALL, this is a wonderfully made game with few hiccups and many hours of deep, bright, colorful gameplay that involves puzzle, platforming, and fighting elements. I would definitely recommend this game to anyone who has some money to spend and a few hours to play!
So close but yet so far, 2010-04-07
Spyro Dawn of the Dragon is the third of the legend of spyro trilogy. In an effort to give players more freedom Activision thought it would be a good idea to introduce free-flight (ability to fly at any time), and a co-op mode. However in the midst of adding detail in the game they failed to realize that they were making this game for kids. The story and the over all feel of this game is certainly not meant for kids. The game feels very dark, especially the original creators of this franchise (Insomniac) wanted to make him into a small dragon with a ginat ego. However I will not compare this game with its roots, instead I will simply go over what this game has to offer.
Co-Op: Nothing is quite as fun in a video game as battling along side (or against) your friends and family. When playing this game you feel very restricted when playing co-op. The first reason for this is that you are held together by an invisible green chain (strange isn't it), which severly limits your 'free' flight. Even if you go about 2 feet away, you suddenly get pulled back together with your partner which makes for a frstrating experience. Another thing is that, if one of you activates a feature called "dragon fury" you both activate it, which makes little room for strategy. Which another thing is that if one of you dies, you both die, which is very agrivating. It also seems that when someone's playing with you it seems like you die much quicker. The main reason for this is that the cpu stays back and let you do all the fighting, and when the dragon you play as is hurt, you just switch to the completely un-harmed dragon, which is definitely not the case with co-operation, where you and your partner want to switch to an all out attack. That's all I have to say about co-op mode.
Gameplay: This game is not for the people who want to jump into the game without knowing any of the controls. There are limited tutorials, which is good if you want to jump into the action right away (like me). However the manual is very confusing, with limited explanations on how to do certain stunts. In one part of the game it told me to swing from the other dragon's chain. However it did not give me any controls, and the manual didn't say anything about it, so I spent an hour flying around untill I figured it out, and on with the show. With 'free' flight you would think you would have complete freedom on where you fly when you fly and how high you fly, then you would be wrong. There are invisible walls everywhere, offering virtually no freedom, which makes this a very linear game. And if you want to fly in a section where you have to climb up to the top there is a hard wind that stops you from flying high in the sky, like you always wanted to do with a beast that has giant wings and can breath fire. I will not be talking much about the breath controls, except there's not variety, one button throws a continuous stream while another button throws one powerful blast that either knocks them out or take a lot of life away. Leveling up power-ups is the ONLY way to survive in this game. Onslaughts of enemies appear at every part of the game which requires you to pick your favorite power and use it to its fullest advantage. The combat controls are atrocious. One button throws a quick, weak attack while the other button throws a slow, more powerful attack. The game allows you a few combat moves to choose from, but they feel broken and very poorly used. Now on to the summary.
Pros:
Great graphics
Easy to use controls (once you learn them)
Great story
Offers wide ranged of enemies
Cons:
Way too short
Broken controls
Invisible Walls??!!
Enemies at every corner
Co-op is worse than playing by yourself
Aggravating enemies
Almost no re-play value
All in all I honestly don't think it would be worth it to pick it up yourself. However if you think you might like this game, then rent it or purchase it for yourself for about $15-$20. All in all I give this game a 3 out of 5.
Dragon of War, 2010-03-16
After a couple of disappointments in the series, I bought this Spyro game for my daughter in the hopes that it would get a new look on the PS3. It most definitely does, with not only gorgeous visuals and breathtaking locations, but a surprisingly different take on the interface: this game has the same mechanics as the God of War series. You have light and heavy attacks, combos that involve simple button-press sequences, and a "level-up" capability that involves collecting special crystals and then choosing which abilities to funnel them into. The buttons even map exactly the same. I played this for a bit with my daughter, then out of curiosity I switched over to God of War when she was out of the room, and it felt pretty much the same--the flight mechanic even resembles God of War's "Icarus Wings".
Unfortunately, this new interface won't resonate with everyone who is a fan of the Spyro games. For example, camera control isn't always 100%--sometimes it's taken out of your hands. I'm used to the God of War series having none at all, so I don't find this as jarring in this title as others might. Not every special ability or chaining action is simple to pull off--but believe me, any 10-year-old will pick this up fairly quickly. The new "grab" mechanic that lets you seize hold of your opponents is surprisingly easy to do, but requires you to make some decisions in the middle of a pitched battle--there's a time when grabbing is a good idea, and a time when it's a bad idea. Flying is extremely fun, but not always perfect: there are times when the wind direction (which you can see) will limit your actions. You have to follow the lines that show you the direction of the air flow, so this won't be easy for the under-10 set. In fact, I almost think the "ages 10 and up" rating is more for a child's capability of understanding the game than it may be about the content.
Here's what makes Dawn of the Dragon tons of fun, though: it has sharing loosely coupled to the story. Gameplay is like a "prison escape" movie cliche--you have two heroes, and they're tied together. They have to work together to get through the story (often referred to in gamer circles as "two-player co-op"). Thankfully the magical "tether" tying Spyro to Cinder is a pretty long one, letting you rather freely move about. The game sticks two dragons together and not only lets a single player jump on-the-fly from one to the other, it also lets you switch in and out of two-player mode with a couple of button-taps. If a sibling wants to join in on the fun, they can take the reins of one of the two dragons. If they get bored and want to stop playing, just pause the game and select "one player" again and the game will resume exactly where it left off. Kids can share together without having to start over, reload, or commit to both of them finishing the level. Dawn of the Dragon also adds some fun for girls: while the previous Spyro entries have been boy-oriented, my daughter was thrilled at the chance to play Cinder, the girl dragon. Her abilities are different (and just as important) and she even seems to be a bit better at flying.
That said, the Spyro series doesn't just have kids in its fan base--there are "elite bosses" and hidden secrets that are more for an adult player looking to get the most out of their gaming experience. There are character cutscenes with a longer story and dialogue, and you may be surprised to know that some top-drawer talent lend their voices to the series: Elijah Wood (as Spyro) and Gary Oldman (as Ignitus). The elite bosses and secrets are optional parts of the game, and it may take some explaining to younger players that certain bad guys don't have to be defeated: they can be skipped. I'd recommend skipping them the first time through because the two that we've uncovered so far have turned out to be impossibly hard to battle. If you want to cut down on frustration, don't try to level every skill to the top, and definitely steer clear of the Elites.
If you have children who enjoy the Spyro series, chances are they will find this one fun, but they'll need to understand that it's not exactly the same as the rest of the series. They should also play it all the way through once before trying to master it all and beat the Elites. Consider it more for ages 8 and older, with 10 and up getting the most out of it. If you're an adult who likes the Spyro series and also enjoys God of War style games (like Heavenly Sword and Dante's Inferno), then there's a good chance you'll enjoy this makeover just as much as the younger fans will.
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Binding: Video Game
Brand: ACTIVISION
EAN: 0020626727839
ESRB Age Rating: Everyone 10+
Format: CD
Label: Activision Inc.
Manufacturer: Activision Inc.
Model: 72783
Number Of Items: 1
Platform: PlayStation 3
Publication Date: 2008-10
Publisher: Activision Inc.
Release Date: 2008-10-21
Special Features: TiltController, Vibration
Studio: Activision Inc. |
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2-Year Replacement Service Plan - Covers Electronic Items $0–$49.99
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