Play-mag: "When Spyro The Dragon debuted back on the original PlayStation way back in 1998, the Sony-published game was indicative of the manufacturer's search for an iconic character for its console. Along with the likes of Crash Bandicoot, the purple fire-breather offered a fun platform experience to rival veteran hardware figureheads Mario and Sonic, and Insomniac's efforts were praised. Fast-forward ten years, though, and the licence has changed hands a number of times, with numerous developers putting their own twist on the franchise's sequels – these days Spyro is a very different beast indeed.
Dawn Of The Dragon is the final entry into The Legend Of Spyro trilogy, but Krome Studios, the developer behind PS2 prequels A New Beginning and The Eternal Night, is gone, so French outfit Etranges Libellules has been drafted in to end the series. As well as retaining the roaming platform action that Spyro's reputation is built on, Dawn Of The Dragon unfortunately suffers many of the same shortcomings, especially the awkward combat and unimaginative puzzles of its two predecessors.
The title is obviously designed with younger gamers in mind, and the first thing you'll notice about Dawn Of The Dragon is its crisp, colourful graphics. However, while the character designs have experienced a minor revision, as events unfold in the dungeon-like Mountain of Malefor, the visuals are initially underwhelming for a next-generation game."
