I have taken time off from my homework to present you the next game to be reviewed, critisized and rated: Legend of Spyro:Dawn of The Dragon
Yes, the awesome game from where I take many of my ideas from: [SGA]DarkCynder, my own fanfic series and stuff.
Being the last game in the reboot series, it had to end off with a bang, much like the Halo franchise. It is interesting to note that the first 2 games, A New Beginning and The Eternal Night were both developed by Krome Studios, but the final game, DotD, was developed by Etranges Libellules(Console) and Tantalus Media(DS). This, to me, is an awesome thing.
DotD is the most advanced Spyro game there is. Launched in Late 2008 for the XBox 360, PS3, Wii and PS2, this is, as its predecessors, a console-only game. It has been engineered to take advantage of the raw processing power offered by both the 360 and the PS3, while being downsized for the less-powerful consoles like the Wii and the PS2.
PS2 PS3
8-unit, 64-bit 'Emotion Engine' ~ 300MHz 8-core 'Cell' at 3.2GHz
Already here we can see that just by the CPU, the PS3 in more than 10x as fast as the PS2. The Cell CPU is so powerful that it is used in Supercomputers like the IBM Roadrunner, which is the 2nd fastest supercomputer, I think.
On to the PLOT!
Back in TEN, Spyro had encased them all in a crystal to protect them from the collapsing Mountain of Malefor. Now, a group of enemies have entered the ruins. They find the odd, golden crystal and smash it open. This is the first point in time where you can hear their voice acting, or in fact, real, understandable English. The enemies speak gibberish and Troll. If you think Spyro's voice sounds familiar, he is voiced by Elijah Wood, or 'Frodo' from Lord of the Rings to most people. They wake up in some weird arena, fight and I have never seen what comes after this in any game. A boss fight comes 5 minutes into the game. Come on! When you just start playing it, getting used to the controls, a boss comes up, and there is no way to get past him unless you beat him. For noobs, it is kind of a turn off, getting owned when you just started.
When you defeat that boss, which happens to be a golem, you meet a leopard named Hunter, and your dragonfly buddy Sparx. Now you have to escape the Catacombs, where another cutscene pops up, featuring the Chronicler. Cynder is awesome, she looks cute! Well, at least better than she was in TEN. She looked too loli. Cynder in ANB, in her huge, evil dragoness form is, according to some people, sexy. I think she's just your perfect evil villian.
I will not spoil the game for you, though it is noted that the game has not been officially released in Singapore yet. I only saw one copy, and that was a parallel import from the US.
Graphically, for the PS3 and X360, you view everything in HD, if your TV has HD-support. If not, it looks like the PS2 version, which looks like crap. Gameplay wise, it has the most features. In ANB and TEN, Spyro could only glide, but now, he can fly! Must be due to his growth. It has been 3 years since TEN, and since we (those who like the series) joke that they are 10 in TEN, that will make them 13 in DotD. Growth spurt a.k.a puberty I guess.
For awesome ownage, please use Cynder. She is a little bit hard to use and master, but her skills are far beyond what Spyro can do. She can defeat Malefor in 10 hits with a fully upgraded Fear, IIRC. Her Shadow is not to be underestimated as well. For her Fear, take Spyro's Fire, buff it up, add homing abilities, and you have one heck of a beating. Her Poison and Wind do seem a bit weak though.
Yes, I do sound like some crazy fanboy nerd.
Pictures:
What Cynder looks like in DotD. Cute.
Spyro in DotD. I can't decide wether his teenager or young dragon form is better......
US Cover for the Wii. I saw this at Challenger, for awhile, then someone bought it.
A bit of footage, Cynder in the lead, showcasing the free-fly ability.
Box Art for DotD, PS3?
I give this 4.5/5, because of the boss battle, and button-mashing style of gameplay. Difficult for people who don't play console games.
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Neither my Name or Age is important, Guy, Into computers, chemistry the Legend of Spyro, Bowling, Living in Sunny Singapore, A Student, Likes Computers, but Cynder pwns all, Dislikes racists and retards (Oh, and onions too!), Anything more I forgot?.
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