Locking all the orbs behind minigames also gives Spyro 2 the smallest number of core collectibles across the series. I feel like this squanders the potential for the platforming and level design applications of these settings. There's a few areas in the game that don't have any purpose outside of minigames, like the Village in Skelos badlands. This also caused the level design to be more focused on accommodating mini games than about exploration. Orbs are only given out by NPC's, which meant that all of the significant collectibles were locked behind minigames, and pure exploration is not rewarded with something more significant like a dragon or an egg like in the other 2 games. You need them as the big mcGuffin, but then suddenly after the second world, they're useless, and it's the orbs, the side collectible, that bail you out in the final fight. That is until you get to that one door in Autumn Plains, and Ripto's Arena at the end of the game.Īdditionally, having no Talismans in world 3 made them feel like they had less impact. Meanwhile the orbs, which are the meat of the game's actual gameplay are kind of said by most of the NPC's to be a side thing that you should still be getting.

The Talismans are the big narrative thing and main goal stated by the NPCs for most of the game, but they're just a reward for getting through the level. Having the Main Collectible be split between orbs and talismans made both feel insignificant. It’s been a while since I’ve played it because I just can’t force myself to play through it again after my first play through of reignited but that game is a chore, not a fun game Swimming sucks, but it sucked in 3 too (why did they introduce underwater play lol) You have to run back and forth through every fucking level to complete it, usually having to advance further in the game and then backtrack through it to 100% each one. The story is dumb as fuck, it’s “oh, you’re here now, save us all please” in worlds that don’t correlate to each other at all. The platforming is a joke compared to 1 & 3, the levels just require you to run around. Or it just doesn’t work well at all making it difficult (trolley among others) Spyro 3 had some actually difficult ones to do. That isn’t good game design, that’s lazy. Half of the mini games are hard because there is an unpredictable gimmick at the end which once you know (dinosaurs burning people/wizard to free hunter, etc), it’s easy, but isn’t intellectually or mechanically difficult. Its mini games are so much better, I’m not a fan of the mini games in general but dam Spyro 2 has like 4 that are fun. Spyro 3 is a good adaptation in combining 1 & 2.

Spyro ripto's rage 120