Lair

"Bottom line: despite issues, LAIR is fun to play"

Introduction

For months, I have been following this game closely - L.A.I.R. pictures are currently my backgrounds on every computer I own as well as my PS3 background image; I have been eagerly awaiting its release, watching these boards, reading every news article about it, and reading every review with my most critical eye. This game has generated a lot of hype, both negative and positive. Even though I was concerned about some things mentioned in reviews, I had resolved months ago to purchase this game. I have been playing it for hours now, and I am happy to see that most of the so-called flaws - while not entirely absent - were largely exaggerated. The bottom line is that L.A.I.R. is fun to play, and it satisfies cravings for dragon-borne destruction that previous dragon games never could.

Gameplay

This is easily the most argued aspect of L.A.I.R - would the controls be so cumbersome as to completely wreck the game, or would the gameplay showcase the best of what the SIX AXIS controller has to offer?

After playing it, I feel mixed about the controls. They are not nearly as difficult to use as most of the reviews would have you believe - the learning curve is certainly not the "one to two hours" that has been reported in some publications. The controls are mostly intuitive, and extremely responsive (almost too responsive, as over-correcting was a large problem when I first started playing). However, there are some missions that require a tight precision that made me wish for an alternate control scheme. Past that, the only control issues are - in my mind - justified by the game's content: the dragon controls like you would expect a 2-ton beast to handle. This isn't a Volvo with a flame-thrower; it's a dragon. However, I can easily imagine that some of the handling issues (such as a wide-turning radius, a difficulty in shaking off pursuers, and having to fly away from and then double back on targets that are directly below you) will annoy some players.

In the end, I thought that the game would benefit from an alternate control scheme, or at least some small tweaks to the current controls, but that the difficulties described by many reviewers are grossly exaggerated.

Now, as for the content of the gameplay, this is where I feel the game shines. It's hard to imagine something more enjoyable that mounting a beast bred for destruction, and unleashing it - teeth, claws, fire and all - upon helpless, unsuspecting enemies. There have been many games in the past that gave you control of a dragon / dragon-rider, but most have miserably failed to deliver a fun experience. L.A.I.R. quickly and thoroughly satisfied my geeky dragon desires. After a short training, you are immediately thrown into combat; I delighted in the opening mission, defending my city by destroying boats, killing other dragons, and essentially flying around creating havoc. When you start to understand the controls, and they are easy enough to pick up in the opening mission, you can start to enjoy the experience L.A.I.R. delivers - it looks good, it sounds good, and there is a lot of pure fun to be had.

The missions are a lot more straightforward than most reviews would lead you to believe. There is also enough variety in your objectives to keep the gameplay constantly fresh, which is good because individual fights rapidly take on a repetitive feel; you kill the same dragons in the same way, time and time again.

Each level also has certain objectives to get bronze, silver, and gold medals - with better medals unlocking better extras. Your performance is measured by carnage, successfully completing objectives, preserving the lives of your allies, killing enemies, and how much time it takes to complete each level. There is a lot of replay value in trying to master each level.

As a final note on game play, early reviews made it sound as if ground-based combat would be a disappointment. Nothing is further from the truth. I felt like a child on Christmas morning when I got to do battle with ground-based troops. You truly feel like an unstoppable killing force as you swipe, flame, and eat hundreds upon hundreds of troops. You can also use foot soldiers as a means of recovering health, as each one that you chow down on gives you a small boost to your life.

Story

Two nations divided on religious lines do battle by land, by sea, and by air. But everybody knows that the war will be won in the skies... Enter you, Rohn, Burner and dragon-rider, and your companions.

The story is not bad, but so far (and I haven't finished the game), it's nothing too spectacular.

Graphics/Sound

On a 47 inch LCD television, with surround sound speakers, this game is simply breath-taking. There is a lot of detail to your surroundings and the dragons look great. The musical score fits in extremely well with the gameplay, and really helps to establish the mood and tone of the game.

Final Recommendation
8/10 - there are some minor issues with the game, but the bottom line is that it is a lot of fun, and it thoroughly satisfies a desire for dragon-based destruction that previous games were simply not able to do.

Based on the negative and positive hype around this game, I know that not everybody will want to rush out and buy this game. However, I would say that it's a must-rent - you owe it to yourself to give L.A.I.R. an honest, objective chance. And if you like it as much as I have so far, I'm confident you will find it worth its price.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/04/07

Game Release: Lair (US, 08/30/07)