Welcome to the first post of From on Top of the Hoard. What better way to kick things off than by discussing a recent announcement regarding dragon media!
On June 7th, 2026 Spyro: A Realm Beyond was announced. You might think to yourself "Wow, we have not had a new Spyro game in forever!" You would undoubtedly be correct.
Spyro is a staple in every young dragon's life. Many of us began our gaming journey with the purple and gold goofball when he was first released and have avidly enjoyed his games throughout his entire history.
(Spyro: A Realm Beyond teaser trailer)
I have fond memories myself of the struggle against Gnasty Gnorc or chasing the little egg thieves and wanting to scream when they inevitably evaded me for the 100th time.
The reason that I personally always enjoyed Spyro really boils down to the fact that there were no humans involved. Spyro is a dragon, and you play as a dragon. That is a concept lost in many games today where the idea of playing as anything other than a human, or human adjacent character seems so foreign.
Now granted, I am getting to be a bit long in the tooth and the gaming industry is always a tumultuous landscape to get lost in. But as a dragon, I have a strong desire for a game that really showcases dragons without the hassle of dragon riders or that horrid trope of just substituting dragons for humans in very human situations. Or worse, dragons that just turn into humans for the majority of the game. All of these are well played out tropes that dominate dragon media, even beyond gaming.
I would love to see, (and I doubt I am the only one), a dragon survival game akin to Path of Titans, where you play as a dragon in a setting filled with its own dangers and rewards. Or even something similar to No Man's Sky where you can adventure and battle as a dragon across a world filled with other players.
Honestly, just the ability to play as a fully autonomous dragon in any game would be enjoyable. It would make for so many unique and new gameplay mechanics that I think it really could help breath new life into gaming.
There are many types of dragon games out there, and many on their way. Who knows what the future of dragon gaming might look like. There is a lot of potential out there to make amazing and wild games that push the envelope. The excitement of the prospect makes my wings jitter! But are there enough people out there who are willing to grab the unknown and open wide for the rest of us? That I am not so sure about.
Gaming has come a long way. And computers are capable of some crazy things graphics and gameplay wise. Let us hope more brave souls will take up the banner for better dragon gaming and give us some real bangers some day soon. Spyro is of course the OG and always will be, but he has stood on that hilltop alone for too long.
If you have a favorite dragon game, be sure to share it in the comments or leave your thoughts on what would make for an amazing dragon game that we just have not seen yet. I would love to hear your thoughts!
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