The Legend of Spyro : Dawn of the Dragon

The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon for PlayStation 2 is a 2008 action-adventure platformer from Étranges Libellules and Sierra. It closes The Legend of Spyro trilogy, continuing the darker, story-led continuity that began with A New Beginning and followed The Eternal Night. Spyro and Cynder awaken after their long imprisonment to find that Malefor, the Dark Master, has spread his influence across the realm. Their mission carries them from hostile ruins to the besieged dragon city of Warfang and beyond as they try to prevent the destruction of their world.

Unlike the earlier Legend of Spyro games, Dawn of the Dragon gives its two dragon heroes the ability to take to the air freely. Flight is both a way to explore larger spaces and a useful part of navigating the adventure’s environments, while ground travel centers on platforming, combat encounters, and environmental obstacles. Progress takes Spyro and Cynder through a sequence of themed areas populated by Malefor’s forces, with story scenes and boss confrontations pushing the campaign forward. The PlayStation 2 game retains the trilogy’s focus on elemental powers, but presents them through a more expansive level design than its immediate predecessors.

Players can control either Spyro or Cynder, and the game supports cooperative play with one player guiding each dragon. The pair remain bound together for much of the story, a condition that shapes both the narrative and the action. Spyro uses fire, electricity, ice, and earth attacks, while Cynder has poison, fear, wind, and shadow abilities. Their differing sets of powers give combat a practical choice between elements, and their movement traits distinguish the two playable dragons: Spyro emphasizes strength, while Cynder is the quicker character.

Combat combines close-range attacks with magic, and repeated hits build combos that earn additional gems. Collected blue gems are used to improve moves, while other gem types restore health or magic. Dragon Armor pieces can also be found and equipped. Some tougher enemies wear colored masks that resist ordinary attacks; using the matching elemental power removes the protection and opens them to conventional damage. Dark crystals serve as another battlefield hazard, draining magic until the player destroys them, while a Fury meter rewards sustained offensive play.

Dawn of the Dragon brings back familiar allies including Sparx, Hunter, and the Dragon Guardians, with Elijah Wood again voicing Spyro and Gary Oldman returning as Ignitus. Christina Ricci voices Cynder, and Mark Hamill plays Malefor. Released in North America for PlayStation 2 on October 21, 2008, it arrived alongside versions for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii; the Nintendo DS edition was a separate production by Tantalus. As the final chapter of The Legend of Spyro, the PS2 game resolves the trilogy’s conflict with Malefor while making free flight and two-player cooperation central to its take on Spyro’s fantasy adventure.