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Ever dreamed of riding a dragon?????

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 67 / 86
Date: September 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I have read a LOT of negative reviews of this game, and was worried that it would end up being a big disappointment for me. I have looked forward to it ever since I first heard of it almost a year ago. Many have said that the motion sensor controls are "horrible", "abysmal", "torturous" etc. If you want a game to just open up and begin to fully enjoy without any practice, you had better look elsewhere. However, if you don't mind going to the practice area to hone your skills, you will enjoy this game. I find that the motion sense controls add a certain freedom of movement that you can't get using the thumbsticks. Yes, it did take me a little while to get used to, and I had to go to the training section to practice certain skills, but each time I play, I get better and better at controlling my dragon. If you want to get the gold medals, you will find yourself replaying each mission, hopefully improving with each repeat. But if you just want to play the game, then you can just play right through the entire story. Perhaps the designers might have considered that some people just don't like the motion control, and therefore should have offered the user to decide which controls to use. If you are unsure of whether or not you will like these controls, I would suggest renting before buying. However, if you are like me and have been waiting for a good game to come out on the PS3 that makes full use of the motion sensor capabilities, then I would suggest giving Lair a try. I will say that the one thing that I found a little annoying was that just when I was starting to enjoy myself fighting on the ground, it was time for me to return to the air to continue my mission. So, while Lair is not a perfect game, I do think that it is not the colossal failure that some reviewers have made it out to be. It is a truly beautiful game to play with a great story and gorgeous music. All in all, I'm a very happy dragon rider!!!

A nice break from tired game concepts

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 18 / 22
Date: September 02, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I enjoy shooters and action games where precision is key; however, sometimes you need a rest from the clichés of those genres: Lair provides just that. Although many have criticized the motion control scheme, Lair uses it to great effect. From the second you pick up the controller and start turning it, the dragon will immediately react. You get the feeling that you're piloting a massive beast. Last time I checked, dragons aren't considered high-precision military aircraft, so I don't understand why people are complaining that the dragons in this game don't turn on a dime. The levels are epic in scale, so the design has taken this fact into account. Lair has insane production values, and the music, sound effects, graphics, etc. will blow you away. The lock-on system certainly isn't perfect, but I've played games with far worse implementations of this mechanic. In short, Lair is a unique and pleasant departure from the shooter-heavy lineup of this holiday season and the foreseeable future. Just realize this game isn't for everyone. Some people would rather stay on the ground.

An Honest Lair review from an owner of all consoles

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 16 / 20
Date: September 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Lair is truly a feast for the eyes. The graphics, music, and epic story are wonderful. I also love the fact that the game is unique. It is bound to entertain you for awhile. The major flaw with this game is the lack of joystick controlled flight. The Sixaxis is NOT as bad as everyone makes it out to be, but definitely takes some time to get use to. It may be a little difficult for young kids to get the hang of; however, after a day of practice any normal adult/gamer should be fine with it. Do I prefer the Sixaxis? No. Can you still enjoy this game and have an amazing experience with it? Absolutely.

Pros:
Graphics
Epic Story Line
Music/Soundtrack
Unique

Cons:
Sixaxis Controls (Logitech remote will play the game w/o sixaxis)
Motion blur is too exagerated when flying
No on-line play (other than medal system)

Potential was there, but a few flaws...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 14 / 17
Date: October 15, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I love dragons. I love video games. Put the two together and I am in absolute heaven.
Or so I thought.
After waiting with baited breath for the arrival of LAIR in my local game store, my bf and I brought it home and popped it into our PS3 only to find out....the controls are damned difficult.
At first I thought it was simply him having issues mastering the sixaxis controls, as I'd spent some time previously playing "Flow" where the only controls are via the controller's sixaxis sensors. But when I got my hands on the controller finally and tried it out myself it was difficult, sluggish, and overall very frustrating. So much so that I believe we tried to play this game for 2 hours between the two of us and we haven't put it back in since. It felt like a lot of money to spend on a game that was difficult to maneuver through. (As an aside we're both experienced, veteran gamers. We've had plenty of chances to sample challenging game play AND poor character controls. This game features the latter.)
The game would definitely benefit from giving the players the ability to choose between either using the sixaxis controls or going with the old standbys, your LS and RS on the game controller. WarHawk was designed this way and there has been plenty of time wasted in our house on that game because we could choose between the two.
I do want to give the game props for being visually stunning to play, as well as having a few interesting features. Being able to slam in to the enemy by jerking the sixaxis controller was, although difficult to accomplish, an interesting way to attack them. It definitely made you feel as if you were more in to the story that way. Being blown all over the practice map was irritating but did give you an idea of just how harsh the conditions were that you were dealing with in that world.
If they ever do run the rumored patch to allow you to control the dragon with the joysticks instead of the sixaxis, I will absolutely pick the game back up to play it. Running the practice course was very fun and could only be improved with greater ability to handle your mount. With that one correction I would easily restore the other two stars to this review.

Learn How to play the game people!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 18
Date: September 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Look, if any of us have ever played ninja gaiden sigma on any mode other than normal we all know that it is difficult. The game has a learning curve that is pretty steep. Lair is no different. People it takes time to learn how to fly, fight, and so on. Go through the training mode a couple of times. Make sure you can do everything on your own. Last but not least please do not write a review unless you have played or own the game, and have played the game for a number of hours. I have read the negative reviews, and I disagree with their accusations on the tilt axis. The controller is sensitive and requires some getting used to, but it works well. Do not write lair off as a bad game just because you can't get the hang of the tilt axis. Man or woman up and learn!

Visually: one word stunning!!! Rich in depth colors, beautiful character designs, engaging environments

Sound: Music score is beyond words. Very compelling, and vibrant

Replay value: You get to fly a dragon and kill things...C'MON!!!!! High replay value

Story: Draws you into the story from frame 1. Religions and cultures clashing. Classic

Overall: Lair is a good game that has shown some of the PS3's real potential. I have no bias as I own a PS3 XBOX360 and Wii. I will have to say that I am putting down the wii and the xbos for a good long while!!!

Beautiful, surprising, fresh

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 18
Date: September 11, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I am not sure why there is controversy over the reviews of this game. I am for the record, not a huge fan of SIXAXIS, this being said, the controls are ridiculously easy to master and the early missions are essentially training chapters that get you into the game very quickly.

The graphics are to say the least, stunning, and the voice acting is very well done. As an air combat simulation with a very analog feel (knights riding dragons without a reticule--but targets do halo white or red), it feels frantic and fast as it should. There are plenty of extras and interestingly, an input menu for cheats (not my thing, but it's there).

I did notice some cutscene lag, but overall, I am very happy with it, but I have been burning through the levels very fast. My final review would probably summarize: forget the early reviews, this is a beautiful, easy to play, and enjoyable game.

DRAGONS RULE THE SKIES!!!!!!!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 22
Date: September 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Hey guess what, Lair doesn't suck. I got the game the day it came out and to my surprised I couldn't put the controller down. Once you start the game you realize that this is what the PS3 is all about. You get to use the SIXAXIS controller to move your dragon on screen and nothing else, no joystick is required (but of course this is only the case if you are moving your dragon, for everything else you use the buttons on the controller). To tell you the truth, I tought this game was going to dissapoint because of that, but honestly it feels natural when you pull up, down, left, or even right the dragon really reacts. I've read somewhere that this new way of playing was a mistake, to those people I say SUCK IT! Those people that feel that Lair isn't any fun, they really don't know what good games are. But really if you are looking for something a little different, with graphics that will amaze you get this game, you won't stop playing it, trust me.

A Fresh Experience

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: September 10, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Lair is a brand new experience that uses six-axis control to give the player the illusion of actually steering the dragon. Of course, as riding most living animals, it isn't easy, but that doesn't mean it's not fun. It takes practice and a little bit of imagination. If you are having some trouble with the control in this game, imagine your six-axis controller as the reins of the dragon. Just like riding a horse, you need to snap your wrists down to dash, and snap them up to do 180degrees turn. Also, when you want to do left and right dash, you have to yank on the six-axis left and right, making full swings. The in-game tutorial should have been clearer on this, but once you realize that the six-axis works as the reins, it should come fairly naturally. The targeting system is not ideal, and the fact that the ground control uses the analog sticks, not six-axis, makes ground to aerial combat transition unnatural, but these are minor points to the immersive experience of riding a dragon and blasting away the enemies in gorgeous environments, listening to fantastic music scores. I have played about five hours now, and so far, the story, although predictable and melodramatic at times, is fun and flows nicely and logically. I am glad that I didn't heed to the bad reviews and bought this game. Frankly, I have been getting little tired of FPS and hack and slash games that constitute most of the games nowadays, and I was waiting for a new experience. If you want a new experience and are willing spend an hour or so to learn to control a dragon, you should get this game.

Innovative and Groundbreaking

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: September 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Lair is the first game for the PS3 to fully utilize the six-axis control scheme.

The game itself has an amazing storyline with breathtaking scenary and character models.

Having played the game for the last few days, I can honestly say that the reviews from many gamer magazines have been unfair.

The graphics are some of the best put on a system. The battles are epic and the AI is great. The designers have done their best to provide training to play the game at an advanced level. The motion control is the best I could have hoped for. It takes awhile getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, it really becomes a blast to play.

The key of motion sensing is to not over compensate and remember that it is on a horizontal and vertical axis. The problem with most reviews has been the difficulty of the motion sensing, and I think this is mainly due to user inexperience with motion sensing. It takes practice. However, I think that many novices would be frustrated with having to take 30 minutes to learn how to become proficient. Don't give up. The controls are natural and intuitive for what it is meant to represent, a dragon rider controlling the reigns of a dragon. You cannot steer the dragon like an F-1 racer and you have to predict the movement of enemies. This is fairly realistic.

Overall, the games challenge was pretty good. The game length is medium and the challenge is medium. To get gold medals you have to try each mission out a few times, but doing so is a blast.

Graphics: 9
The character models are great. Some variety in dragon species would have been nice. The beasts on the ground could not have been better. The locations are varied and the scenary is excellent. The camera could have used some tweaking when dealing with ground attacks. There was some occasional clipping and framerate drops, but nothing major.

SOUND: 9
The sound is near perfect. The voice acting and the musical score is the best I have heard. I couldn't have asked for more, with the exception of adding a few expressions here and there during battle sequences, "such as Holy S@@t, there is a rhino coming up the rear".

Gameplay: 8

The motion sensing is what it is. The game was made by Sony to show case the capabilities of an underutilized feature on the Playstation 3. Did it work? Yes, for the most part. The steering is correct. The ability to 180 degree turn using a flip motion is great. The physics are realistic. The targeting could have used a bit more work, but nothing hampering. The one-on-one fighting with dragons in the air could have been more fluid as opposed the near turn-based level of slow down. Something like the game Stanglehold slow down would have been nice.

Overall: 8.5

The storyline is great. The game length and challenge are satisfying but more levels could have been added. The graphics were great with only a few more additions it could have been perfect. For a first-generation title for the PS3, it was the best that could be expected. The sound is nearly perfect. Only a couple of battle commentary features would have made it better. The control scheme is great, with the exception of improved targeting. It would be nice to be able to switch to the analog sticks if motion sensing wasn't your thing. However, this is the first step in putting the six-axis control on a par with the Wii.

Personally, I love the fact that Factor 5 took a chance. It made a non-FPS title using an underdeveloped motion sensing control scheme. For the most part it succeeded. Instead of making this simply FPS fare, it made an original title that should satisfy any purchaser who has taken the time to know what they are getting.

The originality and innovation of the title alone is worth the purchase.

rogue squadron with a dragon

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: October 19, 2007
Author: Amazon User

When I first saw a trailer for this game I was stunned, I've always wanted a game were I could fly around on a dragon the way I saw in that video clip. (it was actually the reason I initially saved up for a ps3) I bought this game about 2 weeks ago and was able to get through the whole thing in about 4 days. And I have to say I was disapointed, and the main reason why has to do with factor 5 and the whole six axis junk. Don't get me wrong at first i enjoyed the motion controls but after a while it became very annoying especialy when you switch from ground to air fighting, which makes you switch from analog stick to six axis and all the analog stick does during flight is make the camera spin. Also certain flying moves just aren't responsive enough at moments and a bit too resonsive at others. For instance to perform a kind of 180 flip in the opposite direction you are flying in you have to whip the controller back, almost behind your head, and to get an effective speed boost you need thrust the controller foward. But sometimes for what ever reason these ops. get in each others why, and i found my self wanting to quickly get to an objective in certain missions and instead i would do a flip in the other direction and vise versa. What they should have done is allow you to shut off the six axis controls and let you to just use the analog stick. Or they could have had you use mostly the analog stick and mingled in some special flying moves or combos with the six axis controller.

CONTROLS: 3/5 (the six axis is fun at first but eventually will wear out your patience)

My biggest problem with the game is the fact that it was developed by factor 5, why in the world did factor 5 develop this game. They haven't made a good game in years, and the good games they made weren't even what i would consider to be a real quality game. If you've ever played rogue squadron you'll find your self laughing at bits and pieces of this game. If any of you have played any of the rogue games before you know that when you're in your little x-wing or whatever the gameplay continuosly gets interupted by these stupid little cut scenes where someone's calling for help or whatever (ie: "luke get to those transports"), well it's the same deal in Lair. At times gameplay is broken up by these useless interuptions. There's even a few missions where those lazy developers took the same exact formula from rogue games they had made in the past. One level that sticks out in particular is the second or third level where you have to protect some dopey transport as it gets attacked by catapults and dragons. I've played 3 different rogue squadron games before and now along with lair factor 5 has recycled this level in each one. And wait until you fight the war beasts, or the AT-AT'S as they were called when you may have faced them in rogue squadron. My last complaint revolves around the story and the fact that it's so cliche every line that's utterd in this game has been heard before in one bad epic or another, lines like "today we fight" that kind of garbage. Also the fact that the game is mission based really breaks up the story and prevnts a good flow of story telling. My favorite type of movie or video game is a good epic, the biggest draw back though is that there is a very fine line between a good epic and a bad epic and lair's story leans on the bad side.

STORY, AND GAME DEVELOPMENT: 2.5/5 (lack of original story, large chunks of the game feel recycled)

Now for the stuff that lair does right, and don't get me wrong this game did do soemthings very right and I did overall enjoy this game. It's just Lair could have been one of the best games ever if they had just done a few things defferently, but anyway.
I know this must be in every review but Lair is a visual power house, I love most of the scenery in this game. From the backrounds, the dragons, and armor visually lair mess up in very few sopts. I recommend using HD stuff if you can get your hands on it cause it dramatically enhances the expirience.

VISUALS: 4.8/5 (some very minor frame issues)

The game play in lair was good at times great but mostly good. The dragon vs. dragon fighting is really enjoyable it's always great getting to pound someone's dragon into mush or bite into them, i just whish there were more combos. There's also something called the "takedown" feature and what "takedown" does is allow you to enter into a god of war like mini battle where you have to match the icons on screen in order to complete a combo attack. and since i loved it in god of war i have no problem with developers taking a page out of that book. But my favorite aspect of gameplay would be the ground fighting, i love landing on the ground and getting to rip apart the enemy's troops.

GAME PLAY: 4/5 (not quite what it could have been, but still very entertaining)

My favorite part of this game though, and i am a bit biased since i'm a musician, is the sound track. John Debney (the passion of the christ, and a some star trek next gereation movies) did an excelent job with this sound track. Now it's not the most complex piece of music i've ever heard but for a video game this score is great. It has such a rich colorful tone to it and if you have 5.1 7.1 surround sound i envy you. Even the menu sreens sound nice. I love the fact that many games have been creating classical pieces for games i thinks it really adds to the expirience, and lair has the best soundtrack i've hear since the god of war and final fantasy series. If you appreciate music this score will help you get through even the most annoying aspects of this game.

SOUND/SOUNDTRACK: 5/5 (awsome soundtrack and spectacular quality to it)

I whish i could have given this game like a 3.75/5 Overall i due recomend this game but i would avoid the 60 dollar price tag if i were you. (I have yet to play any next gen. game that warrents a 60 dollar price tag in general on either console but that's another story) Finally if your the type of person that doesn't have much patience when it comes to games you might want to stay away from this title , cause it might get on your nerves. I must say again this was a good game but if they had just adjusted a few things and let another company develop this game it could have really been amazing.

RE-PLAY VALUE: 3/5 (I payed $50 dollars for this game, so i'm gonna play it a few more times and i don't care how boring it gets)

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