Here's my review (PS3 version), now that I got 100%. >.>
Graphics: Always nice to start out with the pluses, right? The graphics were definitely good in this game. The PS3 version had some really good "eye candy." Personally, I liked Warfang, the Burned Lands and the Floating Islands stages. It's nice to play a game with great graphics.
Camera: Tell me, why did the developers waste time with utilizing the controller for camera control, when it hardly did anything? The only good I found I could get out of it was locating a couple of chests, Blue XP Crystals, Red Crystals and Green Crystals that were in some tight spaces. The camera often turned directions you didn't really like. I personally didn't like how it didn't stay behind you the entire time like in the previous two titles.
Handling: This game got way too confusing. There were way too many types of moves in this game (weak attacks, strong attacks, grabbing, aerial attacks). It got very confusing trying to remember which button did which at first. As for the flying, thumbs down. It didn't control very well. Generally when you have flying, tilting the analog stick up makes you go down whereas tilting the analog stick down lets you go up. Yet I could never really get down/up freely in this game. I even thought the old PSX Spyro games controlled better with flying then they did here. Heck, ANB controlled better. As for trying to combat in the air, forget it. And did I mention the game NEVER LETS YOU LAND WHEN YOU WANT TO. Seriously, I had to fly around in circles so I could land on top of that precariously perched platform.
Difficulty: Any game where I can go through it death-less is probably not that difficult. But lets just sum a few things up: enemies rarely attacked/stunned way more easily than before, there were only two REAL boss battles (one Golem fight and Malefor) and one level with a boss meter (Destroyer). The puzzles were rather easy. I didn't really find any trouble with levers, Conduits or Adamant Orbs. The game was also very generous in dispatching you gems from enemies. It's also insanely easy to build up your combos. And lets not forget, final fury armor is like a one way ticket to unhitability! No you can't touch this, can't touch this! *poses* Did like the Tornado attack. Accidentally using the infinite mana cheat with the tornado is the best way to build up a 250 hit combo and unlock a gallery in the process! But apparently, you died if you missed those action commands at certain points. Who'd thunk it? *brick'd* x.x
Music: Too much repetition, but some of the track choices were very good to repeat (Cynder Action is my favorite Legend track EVAH!!!). And let's top that off with the fact that Activision wants to make it's OWN music store so the selfish folks at the company will not be releasing a soundtrack onto all of our favorite music places like iTunes and Raphsody. WHY DO YOU HATE ME, MANGON?! ;~;
Plot: DotD gets the blue ribbon for actually throwing plot twists in their, something the two titles before it failed to do. I also liked turning the main trio into teenagers (Cynder's new personality is also more reminiscent of her old, evil self and the rivalry she has with Sparx is hilarious). If I really had to complain about anything, I'd complain about the lack of Sparx. Needs more Sparx, ppl! <.>
Replay value: Lacking. I got 100% on the first go ahead (the combo gallery I accidentally unlocked because of fiddling around with cheats, however). If you've got a buddy, feel free to go through the game again with them (as long as it's not the Wii version) because that could actually be fun. But to me, this is a one-and-done game. Not much to see or replay. The level map is a nice touch. Why have to play through the entire game when I want to simply replay my favorite level?
SCORE: 5.1/10
Reason: I don't think I'm going out on a limb with this score. Since October of 2007, there have been a surge of awesome video games (Halo 3, Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Mega Man 9, Brawl, Devil May Cry 4, BioShock, etc.) and there are still plenty of great ones coming (Gears of War II, Sonic Unleashed). This game simply isn't going to stand up to some of these major titles. If I were Sierra/Activision, I would stop pumping out Spyro games once a year and take 2 or 3 years to put together a really good game. It's worked hell-a good for a bunch of games (including some in the above list) so I don't see why it can't work for Spyro.
(end rant) <.<;
*Agrees* Totally agree on the camera and flying. The flying was a let down for me so was the bad camera. *Nods*