Uploaded January 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
A critique of the Spyro Trilogy. Using the Reignited Trilogy as a basis for lore analysis, and an overall review of the world design and mechanics.
SOCIAL MEDIA: twitter.com/MontyZander
PATREON: patreon.com/montyzander
Spyro was my first ever mascot platformer. And still – I would argue – it’s the best of that era, because it took everything that worked in those past games, tightened up the screws, and blew some fairy-dust over the package to make it feel such a full and invigorating experience to play.
We’ll be walking through each game in the trilogy, but the core focus is to rate each game on its own right, whilst examining each of the components which make an effective mascot platformer. If you want my overall opinion it’s very simple, I am a Reignited Trilogy fan. Whilst it’s not perfect, I do think it’s superior to the original games as a package, so therefore I believe it’s a suitable scope to examine the Spyro games through. If you want an analysis which concentrates purely on comparing the OG to the remakes, I’ve linked a couple below which I’ve personally enjoyed.
TIMESTAMPS
0:00:00 - Introduction
SPYRO THE DRAGON
0:03:54 - Welcome to Spyro (Aesthetics & Design)
0:23:18 - Collect-A-Thing (Movement, Combat, Collectables)
0:40:42 - Designing The World (Level Design & Spyro 1's Ending)
SPYRO 2: RIPTO'S RAGE
0:51:39 - Giving Spyro Meaning (Story & Aesthetics)
01:06:38 - Insomniac's Ingenious Ingenuity (Power-Ups, Combat, Collectables)
01:21:22 - More Than A Level (World & Level Design & Spyro 2's Ending)
SPYRO: YEAR OF THE DRAGON
01:33:48 - The Bottom of the Barrel - (Story, Aesthetics, Side-Missions)
01:54:00 - The Art of Overcompensating - (Mechanics, Side-Characters, Spyro 3's Ending)
MAJOR RECOMMENDATION
ExoParadigmGamer - ROR: Spyro the Dragon (PS1 Vs PC & PS4)
youtube.com/watch?v=8FToei9dT3s&t=1228s
A critique of the Spyro Trilogy. Using the Reignited Trilogy as a basis for lore analysis, and an overall review of the world design and mechanics.
SOCIAL MEDIA: twitter.com/MontyZander
PATREON: patreon.com/montyzander
Spyro was my first ever mascot platformer. And still – I would argue – it’s the best of that era, because it took everything that worked in those past games, tightened up the screws, and blew some fairy-dust over the package to make it feel such a full and invigorating experience to play.
We’ll be walking through each game in the trilogy, but the core focus is to rate each game on its own right, whilst examining each of the components which make an effective mascot platformer. If you want my overall opinion it’s very simple, I am a Reignited Trilogy fan. Whilst it’s not perfect, I do think it’s superior to the original games as a package, so therefore I believe it’s a suitable scope to examine the Spyro games through. If you want an analysis which concentrates purely on comparing the OG to the remakes, I’ve linked a couple below which I’ve personally enjoyed.
TIMESTAMPS
0:00:00 - Introduction
SPYRO THE DRAGON
0:03:54 - Welcome to Spyro (Aesthetics & Design)
0:23:18 - Collect-A-Thing (Movement, Combat, Collectables)
0:40:42 - Designing The World (Level Design & Spyro 1's Ending)
SPYRO 2: RIPTO'S RAGE
0:51:39 - Giving Spyro Meaning (Story & Aesthetics)
01:06:38 - Insomniac's Ingenious Ingenuity (Power-Ups, Combat, Collectables)
01:21:22 - More Than A Level (World & Level Design & Spyro 2's Ending)
SPYRO: YEAR OF THE DRAGON
01:33:48 - The Bottom of the Barrel - (Story, Aesthetics, Side-Missions)
01:54:00 - The Art of Overcompensating - (Mechanics, Side-Characters, Spyro 3's Ending)
MAJOR RECOMMENDATION
ExoParadigmGamer - ROR: Spyro the Dragon (PS1 Vs PC & PS4)
youtube.com/watch?v=8FToei9dT3s&t=1228s



![Resident Evil 2 Retrospective - Mutate or Die
Just like the monsters at the centre of it, Resident Evil 2 has mutated and evolved in ways that brought fear, catharsis - and surprisingly - heart.
It grew new locations, vomited new puzzles, bled new kinds of tension… and the bones of its beloved zapping system snapped under all of that weight.
As a remake, it’s not as faithful as Resident Evil 1’s, or as disjointed as Resident Evil 3’s. It sits snugly in the middle, elevating sections while slicing beloved moments.
Nitpicks by fans of the original might bring death by a thousand cuts, but it captures the spirit of the original while rewriting its DNA. It’s more than just nostalgia reanimated – it’s a game that feels alive, even as it drags us through the RPD’s rotting corpse. The familiar beats are there, but with new angles, deeper shadows, and a revised understanding of fear.
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/montyzander.bsky.social
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/montyzander
Lore Dump: @LoreDump
Thumbnail by: @hotcyder
Quote Readings by: @eurothug4000 and @ThatBoyAqua
Specimen Art by: @SamanthaSaunderz
The City Sounds by: @marinaryan : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvsA7i2wD3k
TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:04:04 - Drip Drip Drip
00:12:46 - Beauty is Terror
00:27:53 - A/B Goosebumps
00:40:25 - Riddles in the Dark
00:50:10 - Infect and Serve
00:58:33 - T-103
01:06:40 - The Orphan and the Spy
01:20:40 - Adapt and Survive
01:42:52 - Watch Your Step
01:53:08 - Mutate or Die
RESIDENT EVIL: REQUIEM CRITIQUE - DAYS GONE BY
https://youtu.be/ddCeDUdP4Ow
RESIDENT EVIL: VILLAGE RETROSPECTIVE - SEASON OF THE WITCH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_hRkF26N34
RESIDENT EVIL 7: BIOHAZARD RETROSPECTIVE - BLOOD IS THICKER
https://youtu.be/TDB_qp1M2go
RESIDENT EVIL 6 CRITIQUE - PANDORAS BOX
https://youtu.be/tPtPK2Vgmyo
RESIDENT EVIL 5 CRITIQUE - FUTURE WITHOUT FEAR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6T59SCafYE
RESIDENT EVIL 4 CRITIQUE - STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND
https://youtu.be/VBVXT1sb1m0
RESIDENT EVIL 3 CRITIQUE - SEEING STARS
https://youtu.be/TNdWDbsZcD8?si=T-rjLdkEg4wOQEW4
RESIDENT EVIL CRITIQUE - HELL IS EMPTY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr-XJUMs6SE
SPIDER-MAN 2 CRITIQUE - HERO COMPLEX
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5UxlLEqDlw
ALAN WAKE CRITIQUE - BEYOND INSPIRATION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7WasN_BNfU
ALAN WAKE 2 CRITIQUE - BEYOND THE LAKE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtpmAwSTJeo&t=4326s
I MADE MY WIFE PLAY RESIDENT EVIL
https://youtu.be/aUyP9tGWer4?si=aL5rPiSIQ529yF7w
REFERENCES
1 - S.D Perry: City of the Dead
2 - Alex Aniel: Itchy Tasty
3 - OkeijiDragon: V-Jump Festival 96 Video [VHS / October 9, 1996]
4 - Weiss Network TV: Resident Evil 1.5 Full Gameplay
5 - Eurogamer: The 15-Year hunt for Resident Evil 1.5
6 - Polygon: How Capcom updated Resident Evil 2 for 2019
7 - VG 247: Resident Evil 2 Remake interview
8 - Capcom USA: E3 Day 2 2018 - Developer Playthrough
9 - Playstation Magazine: Resident Evil 2 Developer Interview 1998
10 - IFL Science: Why do we get goosebumps?
11 - Osmosis: Vestigial Reflex
12 - Residence of Evil: Resident Evil 2 Remake Interview with Ada Wong Actor Jolene Andersen
13 - The Daily Star: Claire Redfield Gameplay shown off in 30 minutes of new footage
14 - Rely on Horror: E3 2018 Interview: Resident Evil 2 Producers Yoshiaki Hirabayashi and Tsuyoshi Kanda Explain How They Do It
MUSIC
INTRO
1 - Marina Ryan: The City Sounds (Piano Instrumental)
PART 1
1 - Just for Kicks: Just Candy
PART 2
1 - Resident Evil 2 Remake OST: RPD Main Hall
2 - Resident Evil 2 Remake OST: Save Room Theme
3 - Resident Evil 2 OST: Save Room Theme (1998)
4 - Alon Ohana: Objective
PART 3
1 - Downtown Binary: Other Worlds
2 - Gal Levin: Jasmin
PART 4
1 - Kevin Graham: Visualize
2 - Gruber: The Uprising
PART 5
1 - Oran Loyfer: No Reason Why
PART 6
1 - Resident Evil 2 Remake OST: Mr X (T-103)
2 - Theatre of Delays: Aurora Waves
PART 7
1 - Salt of the Sound: Coventry Carol
2 - Yehezkel Raz: Afternoon Mist
PART 8
1 - Yehezkel Raz: Landing on the Ground
2 - Out of Flux: darklouds
3 - Stanley Gurvich: Subdivide
4 - sero: First Morning
5 - Michael Vignola: Dancing on Fire
6 - Borrtex: There is Always a Reason
7 - Theatre of Delays: Spacing Out
PART 9
1 - The Bows: Looking for My Home
2 - AM Beef: Takama No Hara
PART 10
1 - Yehezkel Raz: The Wanderer
2 - Marina Ryan: The City Sounds
#residentevil2 #residentevil2critique #residentevil2019remake Resident Evil 2 Retrospective - Mutate or Die](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cpCok-XgRh0/mqdefault.jpg)






