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critics are overly critical

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 14
Date: September 07, 2007
Author: Amazon User

dude this game isnt bad. It is pretty fun, actually, well at anyrate the controls arent great. Yes they should have included analog controls, but its not that bad once you get used to the motion sensing. But hey the graphics are amazing and the story is not half bad so far. If you dont have disposable income you may want to rent it first though. And for this game to get lower ratings than Madden 08 is a travesty THAT is a truly bad game.

Not as bad as you've heard

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 10
Date: September 04, 2007
Author: Amazon User

If you like dragons you'll like Lair.
Lair is easily the most amazing console game to date graphically. The quality of the visuals in Lair is just unbeaten at this time. This alone does not make a great game however, and the gameplay lags behind the graphics in a way that lessens the overall value of the game, but does not in any way ruin it.
The majority of complaints about lair are things like:
-The dragon does not have radar
-The dragon does not fly as well as an F-16
-The dragon does not have heat seeking missiles
The problem with these complaints should be fairly obvious. Yes, missions are confusing and objectives are sometimes hard to find. Guess what, it's a battlefield with thousands of enemies to choose from, unless your dragon is packing a radar array with a sattelite uplink for your commander to paint enemies with a targeting laser, it may be a little difficult to find an enemy. I don't have any problem with the mission structure of Lair, missions can take several attempts before you know exactly where to find certain objectives or complete others, but with such a big battlefield and so much going on it's a pleasure to explore all the different portions.
The gameplay itself is somewhat shallow, I feel it would benefit from some sort of "leveling up" or "unlocking moves" system that many games have, but what it does have works well enough.
The controls are another sticking point. I don't have any major problems using the sixaxis after some practice on the tutorials, it's 90% responsive and does what you want, but the other 10% can be frustrating. 180 degree turn and forward rush moves are somewhat spotty, which is why it's only 90%. While I do enjoy the sixaxis controls, I feel it was a big blunder to not allow the option of dual-analog controls. If it works in Warhawk it works in Lair, I don't think it was laziness that did not allow this option and believe that it was more arrogance in the developers abilities to utilize the new sixaxis technology.

Even though I have mostly highlighted the bad in Lair, it is still a beautiful and fun game that will have your eyeballs drying out and your heart racing as you soar through incredible scenarios, each individually on par with the epic scenes of LOTR.
This game at worst deserves a rental, and for anyone like me that wants to have a trump card to show off your 55 inch 1080p HDTV, this is a must have on your shelf.
Graphics- 10/10
Music - 9/10
Gameplay - 6/10
Controls - 7/10

A game for new audiences...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 10
Date: September 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The game is an aesthetic masterpiece and offers difficult but enjoyable challenges with some of the best Artificial Intelligence--meaning more realistic missions that reward strategy, patience, and skill. For example, in the saving-the-mantas mission, if you stray too far or get too distracted with fighting ice dragons that are already flying away, your mantas will get killed...

The advanced AI engine and six axis are great innovations that are not for all gamers. Unfortunately, most of the current reviews are written by a self-selected crowd that has bought xbox'es and ps3's in the past for the first person shooters that have been out there for these systems. Using a six axis to control a dragon should not be easy, when presumably you've never driven one before and it is not at all like walking around with a gun shooting everything you see--after all, you're part of an elite squad. Part of the fun and challenge is mastering how to move the dragon and making it a war machine. And that has its learning curve, with potential to become a thrilling experience once you are master of it.

In short, it may not appeal to all gamers (especially those who've fallen in love with first person shooters), but it's definitely the most enjoyable game out there for people looking for good use of the PS3's AI and immersive graphics capabilities, with rewarding missions and engrossing story line.

Just my two cents

At least someone isnt narrow-minded

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 10
Date: October 05, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I love this game it is so fun. But every friend that has come to play it including my brother have all said the same thing, "Dude this sixaxis thing is stupid". All I have to say is get over it Im so glad they finally put the motion sensor to good use and with an awesome game at that. I bought this and heavenly sword around the same time and I love this one so much more. So if you want a new creative game then you should pick this up but if ur one of the people who waited to buy a game as lame ond overrated as halo 3 then you probly wouldnt like it so go play on ur crap box.

Supremely disappointing

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 26 / 65
Date: September 02, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Lair was supposed to be one of those PS3 exclusive games that made buying the expensive system seem like less of an expensive paperweight. Sadly though, the hyped and lauded Lair ends up being supremely disappointing thanks to some overly shoddy controls and shallow gameplay. The first thing you'll notice when you fire up Lair are the amazing graphics and the almost cinematic camera view style as you pilot your dragon around, taking on everything in sight. However, what kills Lair is what could have made it all the more fun and enjoyable. The SixAxis controler, which was utilized so well in the similarly styled WarHawk, ruins the game. Making any kind of quick or tight turns is impossible to pull off, and considering there are plenty of narrow flying moments, this is inexcusable. Not to mention that the control scheme is also quite buggy and glitchy as well. This is particularly worth noting when it comes to targeting enemies, and the change-up's during the unnecessary, overly dramatic, slow-motion technique that comes out of nowhere in battle is just annoying. The gameplay itself is disappointing as flying around and obliterating everything in sight gets old pretty quickly, and there's little to no replay value once (if) you finish the game. It's sad because the potential here was quite high, but alas, Lair is a sure-fire disappointment. All in all, Lair is one of the most disappointing, and frustrating, games out for the PS3 right now, and while it may be worth a look for some; in the end, the game is better off being left on the shelf.

If you like fantasy, and don't mind throwing away the analog sticks, you'll love it.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: November 11, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I recently purchased the 40BG PS3 system and Lair. I have to say that even without an HDTV or surround sound, the visual and acoustic experience is phenomenal. I found the controls easy to pick up and use. The Lock-on system can be difficult to master, but I find my attacks land home where I want them to with a little practice.

There are a couple downside however. Occasional glitches, and the story is too short. The glitches include animation delays in 1 on 1 duels with opposing dragons, but they were few and I had no trouble overlooking those. Some cutscenes in a couple levels interrupt the flow of play, but again, I'm not so picky as to let that trivial issue ruin my day. The biggest disappointment to me was that the story was too short. I got through the majority of it in one long sitting, and am eager for more.

I've enjoyed this game fully, and have found it worth every penny for the system and game. I can't wait to try it out in HD or surroundsound. I feel it will be worth another day-long sitting to play through the story again with that added level or realism.

Just remember if you buy this game, its not an RPG, the controls are easy to learn with a little patience, story is great but shorter than you might like, and take your time. You're not flying a mach-3 fighter Jet.

I've always been a Nintendo fanboy, but Lair has shown me the true beauty, literally and otherwise, of the PS3.

Lair may be worth your time and money

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: December 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User

When I picked up Lair, I had read a couple bad, and a couple lukewarm reviews already -- my expectations for this game weren't set very high. I expected difficult controls, and a hard-to-master game (much like Factor 5's previous games) -- I so enjoyed the game's concept, that I *had* to pick it up and see it for myself.

To my great surprise, the game is pretty darn easy to control, and with a couple exceptions, this is a fantastic, solid game, and well worth the money I paid for it. The only issues I have with this title is the low framerate in some of the more intense battles (which doesn't happen too often... but I wish it never dropped below, say 15 fps -- on occasion it can drop to 12 or 10 it seems, despite its being a solid 20-30 most of the time at 1080p), and the incredible detail of the environments... The detail is so good, it actually become difficult to target stuff at great distances, because the complex 1080p detail is... I dunno... noisy in the visual sense. It'd be much easier to play if the textures were lower detail, there was less geometry, and the framerate was a tad higher (you could see stuff at a distance by its movement against the awesome backdrop easier).

That being said, this is a great game, and well worth it if you like Factor 5's previous games (Rogue Squadron, etc.) or older LucasArts games like Rebel Assault or Shadows of the Empire. If you're not into flying dragons, terrorizing troops with your firey breath and claws and eating them, picking up beasts of war and flinging them into the enemy stronghold, etc., then this game isn't for you. If you do like the sound of that, Lair is probably worth it. Its spectacular in 1080p, and has an amazing musical score, rivaling that of motion picture epics.

The Game is a lot better than critics rate it!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 11
Date: September 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

When I first saw the critic reviews I really didn't care because I have looked forward to the game since this summer. However, once I received the game I couldn't help but to be very upset at critics that rated this game low.

This game has so many new innovations that it's surprising that the release didn't get pushed back even further. The graphics are so beautiful and take full advantage of the PS3 in every regard. The music soundtrack and storyline are good too.

The best part of this game and something that can't be done on any other game system is the real time air battles and ground battles that take place simultaniously. The cell processor is the only hardware that can handle this type of extreme gaming.

The controls to the game are very smooth. Once the user gets used to using six axis (It took me about 15 to 20 minutes to stop using the joysticks every now and then lol) the game goes to an entirely new level. The camera is flawless, the cutscenes are great, and the fighting controls are great. The coolest part about airbattle is takedown when you can defeat an enemby dragon in 50 different ways and all are cool and a treat to watch and play through.

The boss battles in the game are tough enough to make the player look for strategy and yet they aren't easy to where the user will never die like in the new Zelda game for the Wii (Not to say that is bad, just that it is too easy).

The game challenges the player and also forces the player to replay a level in order to get a higher score (bronze, silver, or gold). The game isn't as long as other games, but the gameplay is soooo fun that this is completely made up for. I got about 6 to 8 hours out of the game (about the same as Rainbow Six: Vegas).

This is a must buy for all gamers who love the PS3, dragons, old time battles, and strategy, all along with beautiful graphics and flawless design.

Don't judge the game just because of a control setting. It was advertised this way and a player shouldn't buy it if they aren't into motion control. In my own opinon I don't think the game could be nearly as great if it was made any other way.

The controls are just fine

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 9
Date: September 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I read some of the reviews before I got this game, so I was a bit leery, but since there isn't that much else out for the PS3 yet (hurry up Sony) and since it made exclusive use of the Sixaxis technology, I really wanted to check it out.

I'm glad I did. I like the game, and I don't have any problems with the controls. They work exactly as they are meant to. You think they went through all the development and money and hard work on this game, only to release it with crappy controls that don't work half the time? Seriously, people.

This is a game with a control scheme pretty much unlike anything you've played before. That means it may take you a while to get used to it. The tutorials are there for a reason. I spent about 45 minutes running through the tutorials a few times each. I too had a little trouble with the 180 and Dash moves, but if you spend a few minutes to practice them in the tutorial selection area, where you can just fly around on your own, you'll get the hang of it in no time.

That said, when you actually start playing the missions, you can't get too excited, as flailing around with the controller is going to get you nowhere and will probably cause you to think this game sucks, when it doesn't. Be calm and in control, just as you would need to be if you were riding and controlling a real dragon in battle. I like the fact that there's a ton of crap happening all over and that there's no navigation system. Makes it more realistic.

Like others have said, the music and visuals are fantastic. I found the abrupt switching between cut scenes and game play to be a bit annoying on occasion, especially when the music cuts off at the same time. The story is okay, nothing special...it's the presentation, unique gameplay, and replayability that make me enjoy this game. I found myself replaying each mission 2 or 3 times before moving on to the next, honing my skills for future missions.

All the unlocked extras are cool too...there's a lot of short documentaries about the making of the game, lots of development pics, music, etc. The game has a good multi-media aspect to it, something else that's unique to this game vs other PS3 titles so far. It's nice to see someone taking advantage of the hardware and Blu-ray capabilities.

I've been hearing a lot of the same "bad things" from other reviewers on many other sites, and here are a few words of advice:

- The dragon is not a plane. Be patient when controlling it or you will get frustrated. If you need to do a sharp turn after passing a target, the best way to execute this is to just keep flying past, do a dash to put a little distance between yourself and the target, then execute a quick 180 to bring you right back on the target. That way you're not spinning around like an idiot, complaining that the controls suck.

- The free-falling dragon fights do not just come down to button mashing. Your dragon can't do a dozen spin kicks in a second. It can swipe once and then it has to recover, like a real creature. Pay attention to what the other dragon is doing...they can block you, and if you just sit there and mash X and O repeatedly you will get your arse kicked.

- The side-by-side dragon fights do not just come down to jerking the controller around, hoping you will slam into the other dragon first. Be patient and watch the other dragon, you can dodge them by moving up and down...get into position next to them and do a quick side slam and you'll be fine. It's actually quite fun when you go against a heavy dragon that takes a few hits. That's when you have to dodge around a little and time your attacks precisely.

- The targeting system works fine too. Try not to frantically press L1/R1 repeatedly, switching between targets. That doesn't work too well, especially when there are 20 dragons flying around you. The best way is to hold L1/R1 down and aim toward your target...it will switch to what you are aiming for as you get closer and all will be well. This also helps when you have to pick things up (like the rhinos on the bridge) and move them...L1/R1 will also pick the thing up for you. When you get close enough it will automatically grab it for you. Simple.

Bottom line: just calm down, open your mind and spend some time with the tutorials, and you'll enjoy this game.

Not Perfect, But Not Bad Either!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: September 04, 2007
Author: Amazon User

It's too bad people are lambasting this title. I've made it through only the first few levels, but I still consider it challenging, beautiful, engaging, and simply fun. Most people's gripes center around the sixaxis controller scheme and how difficult it is to use. On the contrary, the sixaxis might be the reason that the game is challenging. It forces the player to think ahead and time your turns as precisely as you can. The game doesn't forgive people for having knee jerk reactions. You might actually have to plan out some of your attacks. That being said, I do agree it would have been better to enable the analog sticks as an option. As a whole, the game is still good. Scorching the earth, picking up a few horses and throwing them through the air, and devouring a soldier or two is a blast. This game is definitely a reason to get a PS3.

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