Less texture popping, better controls, and a better framerate would have made Lair an instant classic.
Almost 3 years later, I finally picked my very own copy of Lair. To sum it up, I'll lay it out for you in categories.
You're reading my review because you are on the fence about buying Lair. If more users would review it in this fashion, I think we would have more eager buyers. And that may set you on a path to sheer joy with a videogame that you may have sadly missed out on. So here goes..
Presentation: Menus, combos, moves, option menus are easy to navigate. There's no atrocious lag like that of Fable 2 (Xbox 360), where you have to painfully scroll through an extremely laggy menu, just to scroll back through it again just to drink a potion, or look through your gear and equipment. There's hardly anything to navigate anyways. It's very simple and down to the point.
Story: It's a good story, it's better than decent, almost great. Characters are likeable, and they have to defend their city against enemy intruders and treacherous foes. There's a lot more to it but I'll let you find out for yourself.
Graphics: This is where I thought Lair would shine, but apparently not. This game seems to be lacking in the resolution department.. when it has been touted that this is one of the very few PS3 games, or videogame in general that truly ran in 1080p. I dont care if that's what they say on paper.. because it doesn't look that way. Not even close. Sure, the cutscenes look great, but nothing spectacular or next-gen. It's marginally better than PS2's CGI cutscenes. Some scenes look really high in production. But you can't help but to feel like all of this game ran in that CGI cutscene quality to make up for the hideous looking resolution that the game runs in real-time. It's playable but I couldn't stop thinking to myself.. Is this next-gen? Nope, not even close.
This review isn't shaping up too good, is it? I gave it an 8.5 score but it doesn't sound like an 8.5 review right? Read on..
Controls: This is the major complaint (understatement) about Lair. The controls, which is controlled by the six-axis initially utterly tanked this game.. deeming it a disasterous creation of mankind, which in this case is Factor 5 studios. The original controls, with the six-axis were terrible, but the new update that allows you to use the analog stick to control the flying and maneuvering improves the game tremendously. I've tried playing the game with and without six-axis.. and let's just say.. I hated the six-axis controls.
But let's not get too hasty here. Even if you switch to analogy controls for flying, there are still six-axis prompts that show up during the game. Like making 180 degrees flips and turns.. ramming into other dragonflyers in the air, as well as, initiating attacks on other dragonslayers. Well, at least you dont have to fly around using six-axis controls only. It makes the game so much less frustrating, to say the least.
Fun factor: Despite all it's flaws and problems, Lair is a great release. It's far from perfect reputation has tanked Factor 5 studios and made Lair one of the worst games in the industry. I am one of the few that find this game very fun and enjoyable. Missions are engaging. Your allies are always with you and communicating with you. They complement you and suggest things to do, tactics, maneuvers, and enemies and targets to attack. It keeps you focused and in control of the action when there's so much going on, on screen. I liked each mission, anticipating the next big cutscene, with the intriguing characters and story. The narrator is excellent. Sounds like the woman from God of War series. Swooping down to land and attack enemy soldiers on land is brutally fun. You can use the dragon's fire breath, and attacks to minimize your enemies. Certain attacks prompt a slow-motion capture that makes the action even more intense and satisfying. Once you get the hang of the controls, which is a slight learning curve, everything becomes really fun. These factors made the game really fun for me, despite its flaws.
Conclusion/Theory: Lair could have been an instant classic. A marvel. An excellent game to remembered for years. My theory or take on this game is that it didn't have enough backing of funds. Most people do not understand the business side of the videogame industry. Sometimes, it's not the development team. It's the resources. Do they have proper equipment to make this game? The technology perhaps? Game engine. What were they using? I'm sure along the way, after Rogue Squadron, Factor 5 were running low on resources and funds.. therefore, Lair was the result. You can tell that this game had the right markings to be a great game. It had tremendous potential. And the hype proved that. But the downside to that, Hype was wrong about the game. Still, there is much to be had with Lair, for less than $20 from the bargain bin. It's a sure steal. In between big title releases, you can add Lair to your collection for $10 bucks like I did and enjoy the good things about this Dragonflying-sim action adventure game.
I wish Factor 5 had more funding to make this game great. But it looks like we'll never see a Lair 2, or anything to that effect. It's just too bad. Lair would have to be my #1 "Could have been one of the greatest games of this generation."
Verdict: I dont think there's a demo on PSN, but check anyways. The new update makes the controls bearable and quite fun once you tackle the slight learning curve. For only $12 on eBay or Amazon.com, you can have hours of great fun with this flying-sim.