darkSpyro

The Catacombs

After the opening cutscene you get thrown straight into the action. Kill the first wave of the litte enemies, Grublins, and read the tutorials that the game gives you to make sure you know how to fight. Without any breath you can only keep on meleeing until you've beaten them all, if playing in single player switch to the other character if you're on low health.

There's another wave of Grublins after you defeat this first bunch and the game will teach you all about grabbing, a move good for getting high combos and killing single targets. Once you've beaten this second lot you'll meet the Golem.

Press the action button as the game shows near the centre of the platform where you're currently tethered to. Then repeatedly press the light attack button until you're free. Once free you can now move around the area, mostly wanting to avoid the Golem's hand as he swipes it at you, using the dodge move to avoid it. As he rests his hand on the left go up to it and melee it. Keep doing this and dodging his attacks until he pulls it back in pain.

And again. He'll get a bit more active in smashing his fist into the ground but still falls into the trap of resting his hand in the exact same place, hit it until you get another gem explosion. Then one more time repeat the dodging and hitting and you're done.

Jump up onto the pillar and glide across the gap to the right where you'll meet up with Hunter. Once in the next room go to the right past some red gem clusters and out to a series of platforms that Hunter jumps along. Follow him along and learn how to fly, press jump three times.

Once you reach the other end you'll be treated to a cutscene and the first quick time event, press jump when the game indicates. If you don't do it in time or press the wrong button you'll die. Once you're safe and sound there's a save point right next to you.

The Crypt

Fly over the gap towards the green gem cluster. After the cutscene smash it to get some mana. As soon as you're done smashing it the floor will explode with Grublins, perfect for testing out your elemental attacks (use the Dpad to switch between the different elements). You'll be set upon by a few waves here until the passageway ahead is opened up.

Jump up to where Hunter is waiting and use Spyro's Fire Breath or Cynder's Poison Breath (Up on the Dpad if you've switched element) to destroy the vines. Go through and you'll be shown the first Blue Gem Cluster. Smash it to get 1000 experience for each character that you can use to help upgrade their elemental abilities. Each level has a certain number of Blue Gem Clusters and if you want to get 100% you're going to need to find them all.

On the left of the entrance is a lever, press the action button and then rapidly press light attack until it flips and the platforms on the right move. Go over to the opposite corner of the current platform and pick up the Adamantite Orb, this will limit your flying but you can still fly a bit just not very high (if you drop the orb over the side it'll reappear next to where you picked it up).

Jump up the stepped platforms whilst one of your characters is carrying the orb to where Hunter is. He'll run off as you approach but over to the right on the wall is an Electric Conduit. Use Spyro's Electricity Breath (right on the Dpad) and keep it going it until you see the platforms above move into place (use the green cluster to refuel if you run out of mana).

Pick up the orb again and make your way up those platforms, stop when you left wall at the top. Drop the orb on the floor (or switch to the other character) and fly towards the screen from the higher point. You should find your first Red Life Crystal on a ledge here.

Glide back to the orb, pick it up and continue to the top where Hunter is waiting by a large door. Put the orb down on the small blue circle identical to the one at the bottom. This will open up the door at the top of the steps and allow you to continue on.

Ignore Hunter for a while and drop down to the right, you should be able to see the second Blue Gem Cluster down off the side. Smash it and turn the camera to the right, jump down onto the platforms below and make your way to the first Green Magic Crystal. Finding these will help towards increasing the size of your magic bar for both characters.

Jump and fly back up to the large open area, smash the Blue Gem Cluster on the right which you should be able to get up to. Fly down into the centre of the area and at the base of the tall platform in the middle you should find a lever which requires both Spyro and Cynder to throw. This'll twist the platform around so that you can use the vines on the side to climb on it.

Now go back up to the entrance of the area and climb up to where Hunter was and then glide across to the Climbing Zones on the platform you just turned. As you get close to it press the action button to grab on. Glide across the gaps to Hunter and then up some vines and to the left. Drop off the vines by pressing the action button again.

Glide across to a Blue Gem Cluster and then onwards to Hunter and yet another Blue Gem Cluster. Glide down to Hunter and the Golem will make a reappearance. Use the vines to climb to the right then up at the end. Jump backwards at the top and continue going left. When you get to the really large vine area make your way to the far left, and jump off to a Blue Gem Cluster.

Jump back onto the vines and go right at the top. Another quick time event will play out and the Golem will leave again. Smash the purple crystal in the Golem's wrist and then glide over the gap towards Hunter. The game will then inform you of Elite Enemies, the first Elite Enemy being back down in the area below. First you'll probably want to smash the Blue Gem Cluster up here and save the game.

The Waterfall Cave

Jump back down to the open area and you can find a couple more Blue Gem Clusters, one Blue Gem Cluster in the corner nearest to where the Golem was hanging out and the other Blue Gem Cluster is right next to it. Turn around and head past a fallen column that provides a path upwards. You should then trigger an Elite Enemy to appear.

This guy is entirely optional and quite tough due to its high health and attack, the trick is to use the required element to smash its armour and then you can more easily damage it. The colour of its helmet is the answer to this, simply match it up with one of the eight elements that Spyro and Cynder have and use that on it until the helmet flies off. The element appears to be random but usually the same if you return later (or die).

Once the hat is off you can more easily damage the Elite Grublin with any other attack, make sure to avoid getting hit as at this stage you really can't survive many hits. If you're wanting to upgrade a certain character's abilities make sure to grab the reward gems with that one as it doesn't get shared like the blue gems clusters do.

As this guy is small you can grab him, use Spyro's Electricity Breath to keep him stunned between the large combo increasing "Terrador's Sentence" (rapidly press light attack whilst holding an enemy of the ground) bouts so that you can immediately grab him again and do the same thing until he's dead. Fairly simple.

Once you've either killed him or you've given up, make your way back up to the save point (resave if you managed to kill him) and continue on through the passageway.

Follow Hunter and jump down into a large windy room, smash the final Blue Gem Cluster of the level down here and then up the vines to the exit. Wander down the steps and into the final room.

Head into the corner nearest the screen where you'll find dual wheel, start lowering the horn but partway through you'll be attacked by Grublins. Disengage from the wheel and focus on them first. After you've killed a few waves of these, ending with a wave appearing on the steps, go back to the wheel and spin it all the way until the horn reaches the ground.

Using Cynder and her Wind Breath blow into the horn from the left until the door is fully open. One more quick time event and you're done.

Next up we're off to Twilight Falls.