We can finally close the doors to the rumour mill, as Activision has officially unveiled the curtain on the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, confirming a release date of September 21, 2018 for PS4 and Xbox One.
The Reignited Trilogy is developed by Skylanders' creators Toys for Bob, and includes remastered versions of all three of Insomniac's original PlayStation platformers; Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage, and Spyro: Year of the Dragon.
The trilogy's "scaled up" paint job will feature "improved environments, updated controls, brand-new lighting, and recreated cinematics", with many of the original voice cast returning to reprise their roles in-game, including Spyro's actor from Ripto's Rage and Year of the Dragon, Tom Kenny. Even Stewart Copeland's beloved soundtrack has been remastered for the purple dragon's comeback.
In an interview with IGN, Toys for Bob's Studio Head Paul Yan emphasised how important it was for the team to maintain the essence and detail of all three games while still updating them for a modern audience, and the trilogy's full reveal trailer, which you can watch below, suggests the developer has done a fine job in replenishing Spyro's timeless aesthetic for current gen consoles.
Hide your sheep. Your favorite purple dragon makes his fiery return on September 21,2018 with the Spyro Reignited Trilogy for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. #UnleashTheDragon pic.twitter.com/ba4gWh0VLwApril 5, 2018
"We're deeply passionate about staying true to the legacy of the original three Spyro games with the Spyro Reignited Trilogy,” said Yan in a press release.
“We've poured a lot of love into making the personalities and worlds feel just like fans remember them, while also keeping the game collection surprisingly fresh with lush, high definition detail. We're bringing back the Spyro we all fell in love with 20 years ago."
In a brilliant homage to the way in which the first Spyro game was announced back in 1998, North American PS4 owners of the Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy will be able to input the code '↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → square' while in the title screen of Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped to watch the above trailer while in-game.
The Spyro Reignited Trilogy will include over 100 levels, alongside "enhanced reward sequences" that will add new spins on classic challenges. There's been no mention of a PC or Nintendo Switch release as of yet, but the possibility of the latter is certainly on the cards, given that the Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy is on its way to Nintendo's new console later this year.
You can pre-order the Spyro Reignited Trilogy now for £34.99 in the UK and $49.99 in the US, with full physical editions available come launch day.
