Spyro PS4 Info Dump

It’s (almost) to revisit a former flame.

We are, of course, referring to Spyro Reignited Trilogy, the three-game revival which follows in the footsteps of Crash Bandicoot in bringing that spirited little dragon onto PlayStation 4.

It’s been a long time coming, too, given Activision spent years clutching onto the rights for both Spyro and Crash Bandicoot. But now, they’re free, and two of PlayStation’s most famous ever platforming heroes are home. Well, almost.

Spyro Reignited Trilogy is currently slated for release on November 13—six weeks later than initially expected, but we’ll get to that in a little bit—and to ensure you’re fully up to speed, we’ve combed through the Internet (and the PSLS archives!) to present to you everything you could possibly need to know about Spyro Reignited Trilogy in anticipation of launch day.

Let’s get to it, shall we?

Spyro Reignited Trilogy has been cleared for take-off. Its ETA? Tuesday, November 13. The question, really, is whether you’ll spend the next few days basking in nostalgia, or hold fire until a later date. Do let us know.

Essential Reading:

Spyro Reignited Trilogy – EYNTK

To fan the flames of excitement, let's recap everything you need to know.
What is Spyro Reignited Trilogy?

It's a PS4 bundle that brings together all three mainline Spyro games, including Ripto's Rage! and Year of the Dragon.

PS4 and Xbox One are the current platforms, though we wouldn't be too surprised if Spyro made a beeline for Nintendo Switch soon after release.
What's the Story?

The same one you remember from '98, only this time, you're getting three titles for the price of one. Yes, as the name suggests, Spyro Reignited Trilogy contains the original classic as well as Ripto's Rage and Year of the Dragon.

Gnasty Gnorc has returned from exile and has unleashed evil magic on the Dragon Realms, trapping the Dragons in crystal and raising an army of Gnorcs. Spyro, with his friend Sparx the Dragonfly, is the only Dragon left who can traverse the six Homeworlds, free the Dragons and save the day!

Which brings us to...
A Bundle of Nostalgic Joy

Three games. Three adventures. And a whole lotta nostalgia.

The fact that Activision's re-release bundled all three games led to some confusion with regards to additional content and day one updates, but we'll get into the weeds a little later in the slideshow.
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!

First released in '99, Ripto's Rage ships Spyro off to the land of Avalar, where he must overthrow the titular, evil sorcerer.

Here's the official word from Activision:

Spyro has been brought to the land of Avalar to defeat the evil sorcerer Ripto who has brought war to Avalar’s Homeworlds. Each Homeworld is being held captive by Ripto and his minions, and it's up to Spyro to defeat them and bring peace to Avalar’s realms.
Spyro: Year of the Dragon

Year of the Dragon marked the triumphant hat-trick for Insomniac Games in 2000, though this time around, Spyro 3 is being handled by developer Toys for Bob.

Here's the 411 on what to expect:

The Dragon Realms are celebrating the ‘Year of the Dragon’ when a mysterious cloaked figure emerges to steal all the Dragon Eggs. Under the spell of the evil Sorceress, an army of Rhynocs is now guarding the helpless eggs in the Forgotten Realms. With new and old friends, Spyro is on a quest to recover the lost eggs, defeat the Rhynoc army and stop the evil Sorceress.
A True Upscaling Effort

Much like the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy before it, Spyro Reignited Trilogy marks a revolutionary makeover for the platforming hero, and this side-by-side comparison video from the good folk at PlayStation Access really brings the upscaling into sharp focus.
Mixed to Perfection

Over on PlayStation Blog, music remixer Stephan Vankov explained how he crafted the soundtrack to Spyro Reignited Trilogy. And it's a pretty interesting read.

Oh, and as an added bonus, you'll be able to switch between soundtracks at the drop of a hat.

"To create the 'reignited' music, we reconstructed all 120+ themes from the original trilogy, transcribing each piece note-by-note. This gave us the flexibility to update some of the instrumentation and also gave us access to individual instrument parts for use in our dynamic music system, which allowed us to add a whole new dimension to the music experience."
A Huge Day One Update

So, there you have it: Spyro Reignited Trilogy requires a sizeable day one update in order to open up all three titles.

Activision released the following statement:

The global launch date of Spyro Reignited Trilogy is Sept. 21; and we’re excited for fans to play all three reignited games on that day. As with most games today, downloading an update after purchase is quite common. The language on packaging and on the web is to let players know the requirements for Spyro Reignited Trilogy.”
Clearing Up the Confusion

Despite claims to the contrary, only the first Spyro game will be included on the disc—barring some additional levels and the like —with a separate download required from both Ripto's Rage! and Year of the Dragon.
Built From Scratch

What makes Spyro Reignited Trilogy all the more impressive is that developer Toys for Bob built all three games from scratch—no source code, no assets, nada.

The result? A truly incredible feat, and one which ought to be applauded.
Honoring the Past

For Russell Vaccaro, a Senior UI Artist at developer Toys for Bob, Spyro Reignited Trilogy is all about honoring the past through carefully crafted game design and other "little touches."

I hope people feel like we were honoring the original games, because we loved these games, too. I got to work on a game that inspired me when I was younger and hope we did its justice for today’s audience. If I had to boil it down, the details that we wanted to fold in, like the minimap across the three games or the different color theming between the titles, that you can see on the game select screen… little touches like that were our way of adding life. It felt like we got to restore a treasure of the past.
Fan Title Shut Down By Activision

Spyro: Myths Awaken, a spinoff sequel dreamed up by a bunch of impassioned fans, was formally shut down by Activision late last month.

But don't worry; Sebastian Chapman and the team had been preparing for the inevitable, and will now continue on with their own, unique endeavour.
Delayed to November

Had things panned out differently, Spyro Reignited Trilogy would've launched on September 21, though Toys for Bob felt the PS4 re-release could do with a little more "love and care."

Tuesday, November 13 was chosen as a more suitable target.
Official Merch
If you fancy wearing your ~~Spyro~~ heart on your sleeve, you may be interested in the official merch range from Numskull Designs.

Products include:
- Scaled T-shirt
- Scaled Peak Snapback and Black
- Snapback
- Scaled Beanie
- 3D Keychain and Metal Keychain
- Wallet, Purse, and Coin Purse
- Magnetic Bottle Opener
- Watch
- A5 Notebook
- Pin Badge Set
- 3D Mug
- Incense Burner Statue
Gameplay Footage

Curious to see what Spyro Reignited Trilogy looks like in motion? We have footage from all three HD titles.
A Ton of Trophies to Unlock

As reported by powerpyx, Spyro Reignited Trilogy has a total of 108 trophies to unlock, including three all-important Platinums.

The full list can be viewed here.
Launch Trailer

Spyro's all fired up in the official launch trailer for Activision's re-release.

Not long to go now!
Our Final Verdict

Our own EIC Chandler Wood will be handling the review of Spyro Reignited Trilogy. It's come in a little hot!