Lair

I read allot of mixed opinions about this game and the critics reviews where quite harsh but decided to get the game anyway. I'm glad I did.

The Controls take some time to get used to and can be frustrating at first but like all things after a little patience, time and practice you be wondering what all the fuss was about. I also hear that there is going to be a patch realised that will allow you to use the analogue sticks rather than use the six axis controls but id think using the analogue controls take some of the fun and experience away from the game. But that's just my personal opinion.

The graphics on the game are fantastic, the dragons, environments and cut scenes are all fantastic in fact they are some of the best I've seen on thePS3

The battles are great fun as well you don't just have to hang back and shoot from a distance you can get up close and personal with other dragons and have a one and one fight, clawing away and trying to fry each other in mid air. If at a close distance you can leap from your dragon on to the enemies to take out its rider to put an end to that dragon you can also land on the ground to take care of the enemy soldiers, eat them, burn them, tear them to shreds as you see fit. There are also rhino beasts that run around trampling your comrades on the ground if you get close enough to one of those you can latch onto its head rip it off and the throw it at your enemies.

Other than the controls the other problem with the game I found was its difficulty it's quite hard and found myself having to play through some levels quite a number of times before completing them. Once or twice I would have minded but it just got frustrating so much in fact I stopped playing the game to move onto something else for a while.

This is a great game and shouldn't put off just for the controls you might be surprise how fun and exciting the can be

so much critisicm, so many 'let down' people! first and first most let me say this... in this game you are NOT flying an F16 fighter jet! if you want multiple lock ons, tight turning circles then buy ace combat! i know i have never rode a dragon but i am sure it cannot fly like a plane that is for sure. this is brilliant and beautiful and cinematic. and yes the damn controls DO WORK! it controls better than any Wii game i have played. but i just cannot understand how a few years ago, two bats on each side of the screen with a pixel as a ball was considered enjoyment and today we find faults with a game like this! panzer dragoon was on rails and no where near as gorgeous but no one complained!
i must admit my enjoyment of the game has been spoilt by the reviews i have read but i am overcoming this. for all you serious openminded players out there, those looking for escapism, BUY THIS GAME. for those who cant get enough of real life scenarios, keeping watching the news and playing ace combats!

9/10 not perfect but close enough. better than ace combat.

Lair was to be a new generation of game that worked exclusively with the PS3 Sixaxis control pad, and now the Dualshock3.

The general idea is, that the user holds the control pad in there hands straight out infront of them, and tilts the pad in respective directions to turn you dragon the way you wish it to go as if holding on to the dragons reigns. Whilst pressing the different control buttons to produce certain actions.

For example, whilst tilting the control pad slightly to the left will make the dragon turn to its left, and whilst tapping the 'X' button will make the dragon flap its wings. Other buttons will make the Dragon breathe fire or attack in other ways.

I was eager to buy this game when it was released in late 2007, but was overwhelmingly put of by the negative reviews from games sites and magazines. So, i didnt bother buying it.

Fast forward a full year, and i found the game on offer at a low price. During this time, a free update patch off the PSN store became available, which for the first time allowed the player to actually turn and control the Dragon fully by using the control sticks, instead of the Sixaxis tilting control, which was previously the only way to control your beast, and was the main gripe in every review the game had got previously. So, with the update out and the game being cheaper, i decided to give it a go.

At first i dived straight in with the tutorial (which you MUST do if you are to play this game and appreciate it properly, and clearly most reviewers didnt bother learning), and decided to actually try the original motion controls, and found it a little awkward. Instinct told me to move the control sticks and not tilt the controller. When my brain finally got over this fact, i started to enjoy it more. It took probably a good hour on the tutorial before i was comfortable enough to go and play the game, and i must say, I absolutely loved it.

Its fresh and new, different, like the Wii might control a Dragon but this is better. Such a shame not everyone took the time out to learn its controls properly.

I really do not get for the life of me what everyone was going on about with the control system, it works perfectly, and is totally responsive. As i already have said, I had downloaded the controller patch, which makes the game completely accessable to everyone now that you dont have to use the sixaxis tilting, but its the Sixaxis controlling for me that makes this game so brilliant. The controls were never broken in the first place, just peoples patience with them.

Lets get one thing clear, that a small few reviewers pointed out but the majority decided to ignor. This game IS MADE FOR THE SIXAXIS, that was the whole point of it. So, when the odd few picked it up, they expected to be able to play it straight away like a racing game, and Lair was not designed to do that. It is not a game you can just pick up and play, and thats a good thing.

Ignor the reviews, i didnt and eneded up waiting 10 months for this because i listened to them, and i really should not have. Since its update, it has had some new reviews taking its score from the 5/10 mark to around 8/10, due to the ability to control the dragon with the sticks, which really goes against what the game was aimed at doing, and which should never have got the bad reviews from people who didnt take the time to get into the game, but then thats impatience for you.

Not the best game ever made, but it is a beautifully original underrated masterpiece. A very very good game that i would happily give 8 out of 10 to.

...........apart from the controls.

****UPDATE FOR YOU****
There is now a patch for this game which allows use of the analogue sticks and some pad motion.....it is a lot easier to the beginner and adds more value to the package.

I must confess i bought this game on the strength of the pretty good reviews given here.
First up the graphics are awesome,they really do give a grand sense of scale and the battle scenes are like the PS3 equivelant of Lord of the Rings,really cool in other words.
The dragons carry a great sense of power and the animation is convincing and move as you would expect a 'real' dragon to do.
Sound is also suitable grand with rousing scores and great orchestration,also the fx are spot on.
Gameplay wise there is some nice variety and the levels are genuinely enjoyable.
Where the game does let itself down is in the six axis controls.
Yes they are awkard but if you stick with them you do get the hang of them............just do the training missions though!!!!!!!
I REALLY,REALLY hope in future Sony release a patch that allows you to use the analogue controls as if they did im convinced the game would sell a lot more copies.
Overall a pretty cool game.
I hope this helps.

i doubted this game and didnt expect much from it as i had read the reviews from game sites which slated the game. however i was surprised and pleased with this game when i played it today. the controls are in no way as bad as they are said to be, it helps everything become smoother and natural. the graphics is amazing and hd owners will benefit from the 1080pi. i havent completed the game, ive done about 4 hours of gameplay and believe there are several more hours left in it.
some negative points are the controls, eventhough not bad at all but some movements can become tedious. constant cutscenes can become annoying and a tiny bit repetitive but other than that it is a rewarding and satisfying game to play. a risky new breed of game that may catch on in the future.