As the old saying goes, "Change is good," and in the case of Spyro the Dragon, it's certainly fitting. VU Games and Australian developer Krome Studios have taken the purple dragon out of his candy-colored platform-centric world and reinvented the character in The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning. If you're a fan of those older games, forget about the flaming sheep and collecting a hundred thingamabobs for an extra life. This all-new take on the character is an all-out action-based adventure with a more serious tone and some big production values behind it all. It's Krome's best work to date and, based on this game, I'm hoping they're around for a few more Spryo titles if this is any indication of quality. The game not only looks and plays great but Elijah Wood, Gary Oldman and David Spade are onboard, lending some nice star power to the project.

Legend of Spyro goes for a more dramatic edge than the previous entries such as Enter the Dragonfly, a nice way of cutting ties to that alternate past. However, don't worry, there's still a ton of humorous touches throughout that keep things from getting too grim. Things kick off as a dragon egg is saved from destruction and sent floating down a river where it's picked up by a firefly family that names the hatchling Spyro and raises him as a dragonfly. Spyro learns of his ties to the past after he uses his flames for the first time in the opening tutorial, which segues nicely into gameplay sequences that also teach you basic movement, combat, jumping and gliding controls. Spyro and Sparx, his firefly sibling, come across a red dragon named Ignitus, who's surprised to see the purple dragon alive. From here you're tasked with rescuing three other elder dragons, each the master of a different elemental power you can use.

One issue I had with the game at this point was after some dynamic battles using the basic flame attack - there's an inescapable combat tutorial that shows you more combo and flame based moves. It is rather fun at first, but it would have been cooler had Krome implemented this into the subsequent level, perhaps with Ignitus providing voiceover assistance as you encounter enemies. Each of the four dragons you rescue escort you back to the ruins for a new tutorial, so you'd better be a fast learner or you'll never get back to the game proper. Granted, this is aimed at a wide age range of players, but I'd prefer more on the job training as opposed to having to go back to school after a fun map full of enemies to dispatch. Then again, the levels here can be really tough if fools rush forth, so that training is a blessing after all - you're surrounded and bombarded in each stage, so keeping still means a quick demise.

While you can save anywhere and have unlimited lives, it's a badge of pride to make it through some areas unscathed, particularly during the early stages when you're facing off against what amounts to sub-boss after sub-boss, or what seems an endless swarm of flying and ground troops. You gather red, blue, green and purple orbs from defeated enemies and crystals scattered about levels. Red orbs restore health, blue restores magic, purple restores fury power and green crystals allow you to upgrade Spyro's elemental powers. The striking difference between your first ranged fire shot and a fully upgraded one makes for some astonishing effects and highly explosive damage, particularly when used on packs of enemies.

Additionally, the ability to chain elemental attacks can make short work of some really tough enemies; hitting them with a ranged earth shot to send them spinning in a vortex and then zapping them with a ranged lightning bolt to finish them off is satisfying and quite fun to watch. You need to play through the game twice before all your powers are leveled up but it's worth it just for some of the more spectacular (and amusing) effects. Interestingly, the game riffs a bit on the last couple of Legend of Zelda games, using a similar sound effect in some areas where creatures need to be defeated before a door opens. It's less sacrilege than homage, so don't go having a hissy fit if you're a diehard Link fan. I am, but the sound made me smile each time I heard it. [My brother, who like me is a massive Zelda fan, has the annoying habit of saying that every game is a Zelda rip-off. Just the other week I was playing Just Cause and off he goes, "It's a bit of a Zelda rip-off, that parachute gliding is just like being a Deku Scrub…" It drives me crazy!! Ed].

Some levels have puzzle elements to them or objects that need to be pushed in order to operate a door or other object. Other levels have you defeating enemies in order to unlock the means to advance to a new part of a stage. This lends a nice action/RPG aspect, something I'm hoping might be considered for the next installment. The plot moves along at a decent pace, as each dragon is rescued, leading up to a final confrontation and boss battle in a pretty bizarre alternate dimension. When I first got a look at the level, I imagined someone at Krome really enjoyed the end of Half-Life and thought "Hmmmm..." [Half-Life is such a Zelda rip off! Ed's brother]. [Curse him! Ed]. Expect a bit of platforming action including a few leaps of faith in this visually striking area, followed by the conclusion of the boss battle against the evil dragon, Cynder. The fight itself isn't too tough if you're properly leveled up, but dying before you take down one of her life bars means starting over until you get that timing down.

The difficulty level might be pretty challenging for the younger players out there, but that goes back to those tutorials mentioned above. If you combine what you've learned there with a little impulsiveness then the rough parts can be a lot less bumpy. As for the boss battles, the game doles out onscreen hints for a few of them, but it's up to you to bring these bad guys down hard. All the bosses have multiple forms, so just when you whittle down a life bar and pump that fist you'll be in for a surprise. The first time through only two of these brutes gave me any real grief, but coming back for a second play they all went down fairly quickly. I thought Cynder was tougher in her castle than in the bizarre final stage, since there's less room to maneuver and she's got a few sweeping strikes that can do massive damage. You don't have to use the elemental attacks assigned for each stage, so mixing them up as mentioned above is more than welcome. One quirk here is the occasional camera freak-out in tight spaces, but as long as you're not under attack, you can center the view behind Spyro by pressing in the right analog stick.

On the presentation side, levels include a chilled-out ice world, a lush forest temple area, some fiery caves and a lovely but deadly crystal-lined stage that includes a black castle packed with trouble. There's also a few flying sequences and a mine cart chase that are on rails but look pretty stunning in motion. In one you need to make it to an island safely, while another has you escaping from a boss you can't come anywhere near beating at that point. Although the worlds are gorgeous and nicely sized, the game is pretty linear and you can't go back to a level once it's cleared. In addition, if you're low on health you'll want to watch out for crystals near certain locations, as there's usually a big battle ahead. Depending on when you buy the farm you're either revived mid-battle with you and any living enemies at full health, or back at the start of a battle with the same conditions. You never see a Game Over screen, which helps in keeping things flowing forward. There's only one area where some people may get confused, a section in the lava stage where you need to backtrack, but above on some active railway tracks.

Krome has smartly kept the simplified character design of Spyro from the older games and rendered the other dragons and enemies in a similarly cartoon style, while the combinations of lightning fast animation and stunning special effects work beautifully. I wish there were a few more stages here, as Krome has introduced a few new characters you'll wish you could see more of. Then again, the door is wide open for a sequel (you'll need to complete the game and watch the credits to see) so I'm sure we'll be revisiting some of these worlds again soon.

The audio here is amazing overall, with a great score that flows through the game perfectly. All the voice talent does well, but if David Spade annoys you then he's definitely going to do overtime in your ears as Sparx. Actually, some of his one-liners keep parts of the game from getting too deathly serious and, hell, I'd rather listen to him than Rob Schneider in a game any day of the week. Elijah Wood is great as Spyro, as is Gary Oldman as Ignitus - I'm wondering how a top-notch talent like Oldman got involved in the game project, though. Does he have young kids at home and happens to be a closet Spyro fan? Did someone send him the script as a joke, only to have him read it and say "What the heck… let's do it." That's going to be a mystery, particularly as the only bonus unlockable is a brief interview with Wood where he says he got involved after hearing Oldman was attached. That's a bit disappointing, particularly since the end result is so well done.

You can finish the game in about ten or so hours the first time through and about four or five the second time when you restart with your beefed up powers. It's definitely worth it as mentioned above, but I do wish there were more completion bonuses, such as an art gallery, music tracks or even an interview with the folks at Krome on the development process. For all the hard work they put into The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning, they really deserve some decent airtime. Then again, I'm sure any next generation projects will really show off this developer's talents even more. Meanwhile, this new Legend is one you'll enjoy immensely while it lasts and crave once it's over.

Reviewed by Greg Wilcox for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).