Defeated enemies are not the only source of gemmy goodness. There are also large magenta crystals, called Spirit Gems, scattered around the game world. Charging these with Spyro's basic Melee Attack move (a single press of the circle button) shatters them into a scattering of gems. These are often placed in large numbers in the arena of a particularly difficult engagement enabling you to re-charge your energy during the battle.
If you are killed during battle, the gems do not regenerate... which could be a problem, if not for the fact that neither do your enemies... So, if you half defeat an enemy and then get killed, you'll come back bright-eyed and scaly-tailed, but he'll still be battle weakened. At first, this may be seen as a weakness in the game's design, but on closer inspection, and consideration of the target market, it's actually a strength. It gives an honourable path to victory for more advanced players, and still enables weaker players to bludgeon their way through.
Whether to take and use these gems when you find them is sometimes a difficult decision to make. If you have a full energy meters, there's no reason to smash them, and leaving them intact means you can come back and refuel if a nasty appears around the next corner. But often, moving along closes a barrier that prevents you back tracking, and any crystals you leave intact are lost.
Blue gems give you the ability to upgrade your breath weapon. Spyro can breathe fire as a natural ability of all Dragonkind, but as he progresses through the game via a combination of magic and collectables he gains the ability to breath other energy forces, such as electricity. When he first gains a power, it is quite weak, and only by collecting blue gems can he upgrade his power. This is done by pressing Start to access the menu, and going to the Power Up screen. This whole gameplay mechanism introduces a rudimentary strategic aspect to the game. Of course it's not like equipping and upgrading a weapon with elemental forces in Final Fantasy, but it is still a vital aspect of the game. Your power-up meter only has a limited capacity to record blue gems collected, so if you keep collecting gems after it is full, they are effectively wasted. Therefore, it’s important to check and take the opportunity to power-up once your meter is full.
One annoying thing about the game though, is that occasionally a "cut scene" interrupts the game. These scenes use the game engine, rather than 3D rendered full-motion video. They either advance the storyline or warn you of what kind of attack you are about to face by showing you the enemy forces assuming their attack positions. Often, if you have just finished a difficult section of battle and your energy is depleted, these cut scenes occur just as you are edging towards a Sprit Gem, which would yield much needed energy. When the cut scene finishes you are often in the throng of battle but no longer near the Sprit Gem. This can result in a death that you could otherwise have avoided. But Spyro has infinite lives, and deaths don’t seem to count against you in any way. So, while it is annoying, it is hardly serious. The worst thing is that sometimes, dying can set you back a small distance in the game - but never too far because the game is aimed at the impatient, ADHD-inflicted MTV generation, after all.
SPOnG Score: B+
Spyro 4 may not be as bright and shiny as the previous games, it may not be as open and free-roaming, but it is strangely addictive, more involved and more challenging. For older players it is simply too easy to be a serious challenge. But for younger gamers - at whom it is aimed - and those not so familiar with gaming, Spyro is just the ticket.
angela meade 17 Jun 2007 09:50