A lengthy hands-on shows that the game has a lot of promise. The contﷺrol scheme is a hair complicated, but not unnecessarily so, and since S♔pyro responds pretty smoothly you quickly get into the rhythm. Overall, the gameplay doesn't seem terribly groundbreaking, but it's executed well and brings the series up to date. The jumping puzzles don't quite shake the edge of frustration that's typical of jumping puzzles, for example, but many of the larger enemies and mini-bosses are fairly clever. Plus, the voices of Elijah Wood and (especially) Gary Oldman add a lot to the game’s atmosphere.

While the original Spyro the Dragon wasn't exactly a classic, it certainly had its charms and is still fondly remembered eight years later. Hopefully, A New Beginning's high production values and Hollywood talent can recapture that charm for n♌ostalgic older players, and snare in excited new young pl🍸ayers at the same time.