Completed the first Spyro remaster yesterday (120% and a platinum trophy for my troubles in less than eight hours, but loved every single adorable minute? My kinda game).
Not sure when I'll play the other two but, based on the strength of this first third of the Reignited Trilogy, I think I had a lot more fun with this than with Crash. And maybe that's okay, because it's always down to what people personally bring to the experience.
For me, Crash had very little nostalgia and was an exercise in precision mastery, something I'm rarely in the mood for (or when I am, I prefer something a little more tactical than timing-based). On the other hand, Spyro has a few cool childhood memories attached and is a lot more accessible in terms of gameplay, plus I think Spyro himself is a much better protagonist and the game's concept holds together a little better.
Still not happy about setting fire to all those sheep, mind.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
I've never been a huge fan of the Bandicoot. Part of the fun of platformers is engaging with the level design, and levels in Crash games are excessively linear to the point where most of them feel like running down long hallways.
Spyro the Dragon is like Mario 64, but with a better camera, voice acting, and platforming physics that don't make me feel like my character is covered in oil.
I really need to get the remastered trilogy collection. Sooner rather than later.
@Ralizah I agree with you about Crash. They were the last echo of an older breed of platformer, and whilst they do remain excellent examples of linear, challenge-based gameplay in that regard, last year's remaster felt like a historical curiosity, a novelty rather than an actual game... which, hey, is absolutely fine and I still enjoyed them, but it's definitely different.
You won't be disappointed with Spyro, at least from what I've seen thusfar, and you're spot-on about his games. At one point, in a snow-themed level, I expected to be sliding all over the place on large blocks of ice, but the controls remained crisp and precise. The presentation was great throughout, there's a genuinely charming sense of humour (with one laugh-out-loud moment I'd either forgotten about, or was added in new for us PlayStation fans) and it was all very playable and doable, without ever feeling like I was detached or just "going through the motions".
Hope you enjoy when you do get to pick it up and play.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger I don't think the Crash games are good representatives of the linear, skill-challenge style platformer to begin with. Older games in that style, going back to Mario Bros. 3 on the NES, usually still had more exploration and vertical elements to them. Even the often mediocre NSMB games have more engaging level design.
I went back to Crash Bandicoot: Warped a few years ago on my PS1 and was shocked by how... well... terribly designed the game was. Crash Bandicoot 2 is better in the sense that it's at least not replete with gimmicky vehicle levels and focuses on the platforming. The first game just feels clunky and ancient.
The only thing about Spyro that has aged terribly is the controls. Controlling the camera with shoulder bumpers is pure misery for me these days. The actual game design still holds up really well, though. So yeah, I'm definitely looking forward to nabbing this collection at some point.
@Ralizah Having camera control mapped to the right analogue stick in Reignited is a godsend. I still have all the PSone Classics on my PS3 and am curious to return to them, even moreso now that I've played this shiny new version. Even without that comparative historical element, however, Reignited just felt like a really great, enjoyable game all by itself. Finding all the glide routes to the hidden areas was really satisfying.
That's a fair assessment of Crash; I can certainly see where you're coming from, and would agree that the gimmick-based levels of the third game detract from the overall point of the franchise. I think I'm calling them "excellent examples" more for the challenge because they really are quite frustratingly impossible in some parts, which many players seem to love (and I don't, but I still recognise the appeal). I'd certainly say that the idea of Crash, the brand recognition and his place in PlayStation history, is far more appealing than actually playing the games themselves.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger I imagine it is a godsend. Sometimes, when people talk about camera controls or angles in older games being antiquated, I think they're missing some of the benefits those older design choices provided. For example, there's a level of artistry and scene-setting with Resident Evil's fixed camera angles that just isn't possible with the newer games, which all seem to feature dynamic camera movement. But there's no benefit to Spyro's camera controls: they're antiquated and an artifact of the Playstation controller's original, dual stick-less design.
Like Portal, Spyro is another game that can comfortably be completed in an evening. I miss when the value of a game wasn't judged purely on how many hours of one's life it claims.
As to Crash: I think my issue with the difficulty is that a lot of it seems... needless. For example, in normal platforming levels, I've found that the angle the camera tends to sit at makes judging how far I should jump to bounce off something more difficult than it really should be. The boulder chase levels are difficult for the obvious reason that the fixation on what's behind you instead of what's in front of you gives the player precious little time to actually react to obstacles or pits in the environment.
But, as you've said, he's an icon in the gaming world. One of the few non-Nintendo platforming mascots to really make it big instead of quickly falling into obscurity, like Gex or Croc. And I really do like the charming character designs themselves...
@Ralizah Oh, I agree; whilst I'm not a fan of Resident Evil, I can appreciate how its camera angles were an artistic choice (kinda like Metal Gear Solid, actually, although to a much more stylised degree). Spyro needs the modernisation, though, I think, or at least benefits from it (because I don't recall it being too much trouble back in the day... although that's the same with all older games I now find tough, I guess).
I also cannot agree with you enough about quality vs. quantity in games nowadays. I completed and platinumed Spyro over the same two days my best friend finally struggled to the end of Assassin's Creed Odyssey. She was messaging me things like "I want this to be over now" and "this side quest is just dragging on far too long" as I was gliding around, collecting gems. It was quite the juxtaposition. She said that she loved Odyssey overall, but I can say the same about Spyro without having to say "...but there was too much to do and had to take a break halfway through because I wasn't in the mood".
Perhaps that's part of the same problem we have with Crash, a game that padded itself with needless difficulty rather than needless content, but padded itself all the same. Different times and technology and whatnot, but it's kinda the same tune, just being played on a different instrument. That isn't to offend anybody who plays games for the challenge, but comparatively speaking Spyro is far more my kinda mascot-based platforming adventure. He seems to have struck a nice middle-ground of exposure, slightly beneath Sonic, Mario and Crash but above Croc and Gex. And that's fine with me!
@KratosMD Glad you ended up loving RiME, really, and grinned from ear to ear when you called it a "beautiful work of art" because I completely agree. I've been wanting to replay it for a while, but need to make sure I'm in the right emotional place to do so, I think.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@KratosMD We had a conversation around that particular point when you were just about to get underway with it, I seem to recall. I didn't want to say anything, both because of spoilers and because it's not my place to comment on your personal life, but I did wonder how you'd react and hoped you'd find it a somewhat positive, maybe even helpful, experience rather than a painful one.
It hit me real hard, too. I'll remember that ending for a very, very long time.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@KratosMD Yeah i thought the ending might had that effect on you after what happened, didnt wanna say too much as it took me by surprise too, and did wanna ruin it for you.
Life is more fun when you help people succeed, instead of wishing them to fail.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
Last night I played through all twelve variations in Burly Men at Sea.
Whilst I'm real grateful for everybody's recommendations over the past couple days, I have to be honest; this game and I simply didn't get along. I could see the charm for others, but personally I felt that it barely qualified as a "game" and the whole Pratchett-esque script and improv-style approach to the sound design, both SFX and music, made me recoil. It's everything I can't stand about indie games, and I consider myself pretty lucky that I've lasted this long sampling the occasional indie without running into an experience like this.
It's why I stuck with it and grabbed the platinum in one sitting, rather than doing a playthrough every other day as others suggested; I knew from the beginning that I would never return to it if I quit, and my OCD demanded an even-numbered platinum tally before I could sleep.
But this is all highly subjective, of course. I've seen others give it a six, and that's probably a fair score for an objective analysis. Personally speaking, however? I'd give it a two.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger Yeah, as far as gaming innovation is concerned Burly Men is hardly groundbreaking, but it did feel a little bit like a bedtime story and the quaintness helped cover up for the lack of gameplay. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a lot of the narration did actually change and respond to subsequent replays, which gave me a little smirk at least while I powered through the alternate story paths again and again. Nevertheless the best part of the game was its overall brevity which kept things tolerable for me. But in addition to the the quaintness, the platinum ended up being one of its most redeeming traits. đ
Not sure if youâve played The Unfinished Swan, but I got a similar vibe from that (which doesnât have a platinum, unfortunately- although Iâm still short that one blasted gold trophy for reaching the tower with using only 3 ink balls. I kept trying but it wasnât fun enough to push on for that trophy given the lack of a platinum for getting 100%). I give these games a little credit also for supplying me with some whimsical subject matter to counter the usual grim worlds and gameplay that make up most of the gaming library. Congrats on #30!
@RogerRoger Fair enough. Too bad it didn't click with you and failed to provide the fun, short experience that I got from it. But that's the nature of art and entertainment I guess, different people like different things.
At least you got a shiny new platinum in your cabinet so it wasn't a complete waste of precious game time. I bet there's a little purple dragon and a bald guy in a suit that will get you back in the mood .
@Th3solution I haven't played The Unfinished Swan, no, but I likely won't now that you've mentioned it in such close proximity to Burly Men at Sea. You're absolutely right, though; sometimes it's nice to stick your head out from behind a pile of Triple-A action-adventure sandbox collectathon games and see what else is out there. Those elements of BMaS (wasn't he the robot from that Disney film?) which you noted as positives were quite quaint, to borrow your word, and usually I'd champion little touches like that but there was just something about the overall feel of the thing which just made me hit the gas and accelerate towards my shiny platinum as quickly as possible. Oh well.
@JJ-firl Even the worst games aren't a waste of time, at least I don't think so; it was free, after all, so I can't complain! And I'm still grateful for the recommendation. Like I said, it's nice to shake things up and try new things. Sometimes it just doesn't pan out.
Purple dragons and suited bald guys always get me in the mood. And then afterwards, sure, I guess I could play some Spyro and Hitman.
@Kidfried I've been very selective about my indie gaming thusfar, but the fact that BMaS was both free and a quick platinum (plus the nudges from fellow PushSquarians) overrode my usual caution. I know you're a big fan of indies and I agree; some of my most memorable gaming moments have come from things like RiME, Life is Strange and Submerged, so I definitely won't write them off for good. I think I just need to be more careful about which ones I play.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger Well, I should clarify what I said when I compared BMaS to TUS â The Unfinished Swan has actual gameplay, to be fair. It has a âbedtime storyâ feel to it, and is charming in that regard. The narrative is stronger as well than BMaS. It is basically a first person shooter where you shoot ink balls to uncover the environment while it tells this childâs story. Itâs a better game overall for sure, but lacks a platinum, even though it is probably even a little bit longer game to finish. For me if BMaS is a 4/10 (I liked it a little better) then TUS is a strong 6/10.
âWe cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.â
Just finished Call of Cthulhu. And thank Cthulhu it was a gift so I haven't spent a cent for that mess. A bad looking walk simulator, with a mediocre story and awful mechanics: 4 or 5 stupid puzzles, few minutes of stealth and a dozen of zombie-like enemies you can kill without even aiming with your gun. A blasphemy, as all that stupid merchandising around the lovecraftian mythology. đ¤Ź
It's... uh... cute. I beat the game four or five times and cleared the majority of obvious choices I saw.
There's bearded men. They sail around in a little adventure game, and stuff randomly happens to them. Then they go back home. Wash, rinse, and repeat.
Not really my sort of game. This seems like one of those indies that's quirky for the sake of being quirky. But it has decent sound design, and it doesn't outstay its welcome like Abzu or Journey, so I can't complain much. I didn't like the control scheme, which was obviously designed with touchscreens in mind, but that's about it.
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