Lair (PS3)
Things to do with a dragonI’ve spent a good 6 paragraphs blabbering on about the controls, but I’ve yet to tell you what kind of stuff the missions will have you do. As with every Factor 5 game to date you’ll do your fair share of escort flights, not to mention the hundreds of dragons you’ll shoot down with fire. Helping your forces on the ground will also play a major role in several missions, so you’ll often be forced to land in the midst of an enemy army and wreak havoc on everything that moves. Bombing runs will also appear on your schedule, as will hit and run missions where you fly down a valley, trying to avoid the searchlights (hoping your grip on the controls is good enough to keep you alive). In order to make this game more than just a Rogue Squadron game in a fantasy setting, the developers decided to make some of the enemy dragons more than just cannon fodder.
Taking down these semi-equal adversaries will have you either fly side by side, bumping into each other by swinging the controller in the direction of the enemy. Or, should you and the enemy engage in combat headlong, you’ll both start falling towards the ground, claws slashing and teeth ripping flesh on the way. These fights look spectacular, but they are little more than button mashing sequences where each face button performs a specific attack and the shoulder buttons allow you to block incoming blows. On occasion you’ll also get the chance to perform special attacks against your flying foes. These action sequences are sure to make your jaw drop because of the stuff that goes on in them. As an example, one of the special attacks has Rohn jump of his ride onto the target dragon, have a one-on-one fight with the rider and after beating him senseless stab the dragon in the eye. The scene then finishes with Rohn jumping down and catching a ride on his valiant companion just mere feet above the ground. You do not have direct control in these sequences, but the game still has you shake the controller or move the analog stick at the various crucial points of the move, so you actually feel a sense of accomplishment when it is all done.
A review of Lair wouldn’t be complete without at least mentioning the looks of the game. If you take a look at the screenshots or a gameplay video you’ll notice that the game looks stunning in motion. The amount of detail can be staggering at times – a huge city with a few hundred soldiers battering down its gate while dozens of dragons fly over them is simply incredible. And it’s not just the numbers that are impressive. The very lifelike lighting and detail levels of almost every creature in the game all help, as does the terrain which can at time look photorealistic from a distance. Unfortunately the good looks come with a price – sometimes the framerate will drop, especially if you happen to fly through an explosion, filling the screen with particles. And the game is a bit buggy as well, having the camera fly through terrain and animations locking up without a reason. Overall however the technical side of things is still good, shadowing most PS3 titles that are out there. ConclusionLair has been in development for several years now and whether Sony likes it or not, their autumn sales were greatly depending on the success of this game. Some PS3 haters would have you believe that Lair is a catastrophe and that no one in their right mind could enjoy the control scheme. I have to disagree – I personally would recommend the game to anyone who is willing to give a new control system a try, but keep in mind that it will probably take a while before you get used to it and you never will be as precise with it as you would be with an analog stick. If that breaks the game for you, you might just miss on one of the most engaging fantasy games released this year. Scores
If you wish to comment on this review or discuss the game further, then head over to our forum - click right here (registration not required). Lair review by Peter Gracar, copyright ©2007 GamingHeaven.net. Article republished with the sole permission of DriverHeaven, home of Driver Cleaner.
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