The underrated Spyro: A Hero's Tail for the PS2 is, to me, the best example of a mixed bag in video gaming ever. There are equal amounts of annoying, acceptable and awesome aspects of this game. It's a game which tries to do everything, and thankfully, most of it is good enough, and worth checking out.
Annoying: One of the weakest aspects of this game is the level design. Don't get me wrong, the levels are beautiful, and I'll talk about that in the "awesome" paragraph, but they're also rather clumsily constructed. Some levels will leave you clueless as to what to do and where to go, forcing you to run around like a headless chicken, and the game's clunky map barely helps. Another aspect that doesn't work well is the storyline. It's totally bland, with a villain who we've seen before too many times. The story may as well not be there. Finally, the game's low difficulty does make it rather boring and predictable after a while (the lame bosses especially), so it's best to play it in short bursts.
Acceptable: Firstly, the minigames. They're all imperfect, but thankfully, they're actually quite fun, even if they can be frustrating. Blink's missions are especially so. They're long and tricky, but at the same time, interesting, creative and rewarding. Sgt. Byrd's are the most fun of course, and Sparx's are a bit too simplistic. Other gameplay elements, like Spyro's moves, the collectibles, the enemies, and Hunter's sections, are good enough. Lastly, the voice acting is hit or miss, either really fitting or really awkward.
Awesome: If you ignore the useless storyline, this is a solid adventure. The graphics in this game are just beautiful. Every area is worth exploring, and you'll come across varied environments that really match Spyro's fairy tale style. The gameplay in general, though flawed, is addictive because of the visual design; destroying dark gems in order to restore corrupted land to its former glory is always satisfying. The music is also awesome. Every level features melodic and sometimes gorgeously atmospheric material. You'll also come across loads of chatty and well-designed characters with unique personalities, especially Moneybags, who is far more benevolent than in past games, and yet still humorous.
A Hero's Tail is hardly perfect, but it's nowhere near bad either. A mixed bag, but a very decent mixed bag.
An underrated mixed bag
The underrated Spyro: A Hero's Tail for the PS2 is, to me, the best example of a mixed bag in video gaming ever. There are equal amounts of annoying, acceptable and awesome aspects of this game. It's a game which tries to do everything, and thankfully, most of it is good enough, and worth checking out.
Annoying: One of the weakest aspects of this game is the level design. Don't get me wrong, the levels are beautiful, and I'll talk about that in the "awesome" paragraph, but they're also rather clumsily constructed. Some levels will leave you clueless as to what to do and where to go, forcing you to run around like a headless chicken, and the game's clunky map barely helps. Another aspect that doesn't work well is the storyline. It's totally bland, with a villain who we've seen before too many times. The story may as well not be there. Finally, the game's low difficulty does make it rather boring and predictable after a while (the lame bosses especially), so it's best to play it in short bursts.
Acceptable: Firstly, the minigames. They're all imperfect, but thankfully, they're actually quite fun, even if they can be frustrating. Blink's missions are especially so. They're long and tricky, but at the same time, interesting, creative and rewarding. Sgt. Byrd's are the most fun of course, and Sparx's are a bit too simplistic. Other gameplay elements, like Spyro's moves, the collectibles, the enemies, and Hunter's sections, are good enough. Lastly, the voice acting is hit or miss, either really fitting or really awkward.
Awesome: If you ignore the useless storyline, this is a solid adventure. The graphics in this game are just beautiful. Every area is worth exploring, and you'll come across varied environments that really match Spyro's fairy tale style. The gameplay in general, though flawed, is addictive because of the visual design; destroying dark gems in order to restore corrupted land to its former glory is always satisfying. The music is also awesome. Every level features melodic and sometimes gorgeously atmospheric material. You'll also come across loads of chatty and well-designed characters with unique personalities, especially Moneybags, who is far more benevolent than in past games, and yet still humorous.
A Hero's Tail is hardly perfect, but it's nowhere near bad either. A mixed bag, but a very decent mixed bag.