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Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage
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Graphics & Sound:
Spyro is a truly beautiful game, but in a 'cartoony' way. The characters in general do not have a very large polygon count, but their exaggerated features make great use of the polygons that are used. The environments are very colorful, and are consistent enough to maintain a 'suspension of disbelief' pretty well. The Spyro character itself is utterly way too cute. From his determined charge to his gleeful glide, to his little snaggletooth (visible when he plunges to the ground in a race level), he's just too cute for words. At the beginning of each level, there is an intro video which gives you a glimpse into the 'feel' of the level - and is also usually pretty funny. Be prepared for beautiful skies and horizons, quirky, interesting characters, and more cuteness than you would want the guys at work to know about. The music is very nice as well, having an excellent soundtrack which fits the game, and enhances the feel of 'being there' in the various themed environments.
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Gameplay:
Spyro 2 is a blast to play. You control this extremely cute little purple dragon who was trying (in vain) to take a vacation when he was pressed into service as hero (once again). Hey, what's a little dragon to do? So, you're off on a mission to rid the world you've traveled to (in search of a beach) through a series of nonlinear tasks that will have you running, flaming, jumping, gliding, flying, Powerflaming, swimming, freezing, hovering, shooting, hockey playing, cannon firing, rock spitting, beast herding, leaf catching, racing, and more! Some of your skills are available from the beginning, some have to be bought with gems collected as you adventure around, and some are only available on certain (parts of) missions. Is it a lot to take in? Yes, it would be, although it's best just to take it in as you go. It's pretty obvious when it's time to buy a new skill, and the special internal games that have you doing some strange task will explain what you need to do when you reach them. The best approach is to (grab a memory card and then) jump right in! Spyro 2 is an excellent 3D platformer with lots of variety and extra goals in each level. The more you play, the harder it is to put down!
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Difficulty:
Most of the game is not all that difficult. The main thing to do is to learn to control your various moves well. Once you have mastered your basic moves (and other moves as you gain them), then all that will be required is discovering good strategies for the various tasks, and implementing them. Some parts are harder than others, of course, and may require staying within a short time limit or pulling off some very accurate moves. But for the most part, Spyro 2 is fairly forgiving. Spyro 2 can hold the interest of players with various skill levels. Those who are less skilled can enjoy flaming sheep and collecting gems and treasure (which will also serves as practice), while more experienced players can work their way through the game, trying to get their best times on the timed levels, and trying to find all of the secrets.
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Game Mechanics:
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage is not the most graphically intense game out there by a long shot. Spyro 2 does what few games do these days, and makes a game with the right amount of detail and graphic quality. By taking the 'cartoony' approach and using lower count polygon models than most, Spyro 2 has managed to present a nice looking game with a fast pace and no visible lag... ever. This game is an excellent example of a game that has high 'production' value. Unfortunately, while the industry has gone from a single game programmer to a huge team of programmers, artists, musicians, producers, designers, etc. - the overall 'production' rarely has the increased professionalism that these human resources would allow for. Spyro 2 shows how much can be accomplished by a team of focused individuals with their sights on excellence.
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-Geck0, GameVortex Communications AKA Robert Perkins |
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