Official LAIR thread

Trevelyan said:
Sorry about that my computer crashed, I'll take one line from each review about the controls.

Edit:





They each say the game is truly epic and compare it to LotR, blah, blah, blah.

BTW - if this is againt the TOS, let me know, haha >.>

Edit2:

TTP: Reiner also states the lock-on made the game far too easy, that all you do is lock-on, fire a few fireballs and you're done, since the lock-on also banks with the enemy and so on. Do you agree with this?
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funny, since I read in an IGN preview that the controls were REALLY well done, and you were moving around like a natural within minutes. Since I trust IGN more than GI, I'll have to go with GI being weak at Sixaxis-usage.
 
tanod said:
It's in line with EGM's scores. Of course, remembering that 5 is average at 1UP and 7.5 is average everywhere else.
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that sounds fine... 7.5-8.0 is what I expect from lair.

Problem with having very strict grading is that it usually isnt consistant.
And of course, the fact that Warhawk got 6.5 it just laughable. As there isnt better multiplayer experience in consoles, and no multiplayer game ever would deserve better than 7.0.

I am buying LAIR just because it got such bad scores :-).
 
I really want to like lair. My PS3 game shelf is sort of lonely. GI's score is a sign of hope I think everyone wants.
 
Proc said:
GI's score is a sign of hope I think everyone wants.
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Yeah. Aside from their control gripes, they were fairly positive about it, especially Miller, who said despite the flaws, there were some "moments of brilliance" which will keep players coming back to the game to experience.
 
I wonder what this game would be scoring if F5 allowed customized analog controls for this game. The main gripe and point reduction seems to be focused on controls which then affects gameplay.
 
I bought and enjoyed The Darkness which reviewed similarly, so I guess I have no qualms with buying Lair. Should be a cool game.
 
I wonder if they'll manage to sneak in analog controls by retail launch. Seems to me that'd be +1.5 on these scores.
 
Yixian said:
I wonder if they'll manage to sneak in analog controls by retail launch. Seems to me that'd be +1.5 on these scores.
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They should stick to their guns. Sure, it will get a couple bad reviews now, but motion sensing will be a intergral part of future control schemes, so the sooner the better with getting people used to it.
 
Kotaku loves it apparently.

Weird.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/impressions/sloppy-seconds-+-lair-292997.php

ontinuing my second takes from the floor of GC07 in Leipzig, I had my first hands-on with Lair (despite being within feet of a playable station on more than one occasion). After playing for about 15 minutes, here are my thoughts (I like it, btw):



When Sony announced their SIXAXIS motion controls, most of us considered it "me too" technology. When we first tried them in games like Motorstorm, we went back to analog sticks after about 30 seconds of ass-handing. But with Lair? Lair nails the motion control.

I literally picked up the controller, jumped on the dragon and flew around the rich environments with ease. And I'm not talking flight simulator, floating around without a sense of speed flying. I'm talking barreling under arch bridges, twisting around castles and skimming the water to take out boats.

In most PS3 motion-enabled games I've tried, there's a noticeable delay to turning. But Lair steering is really tight. Whether Factor 5 has made some necessary breakthrough in their SIXAXIS programming or dragons just lend themselves better to the peripheral's responsiveness, the controls work very well.

And instead of crashing into the occasional turret, your dragon will sharply cut around objects to save us from potentially tedious gameplay. The effect isn't some cheap way of making the game easier (well, maybe to some extent), but a logical extension of flying on a living being with self-preservation.

Lair is on a scale that has few equals. The demo battle is massive, with the real feeling that you are part of a huge war. And the graphics are mature in a way that reminds me of early Sega in some completely instinctual way.

But if Lair fails in one respect (within my admittedly quick impressions), it's the dragon to dragon battles. They take place too high in the air forcing players to lose any sense of speed and general perspective. I don't know that there was a quick fix here, other than maybe programming the AI with a propensity to draw air battles lower to the ground for more intensity.

Even with the initial wave of really bad press and criticisms from some of my colleagues, I'd consider Lair a sure buy after playing the demo. Amidst its imperfections, the project seems every bit as ambitious as Sony likes to claim.
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spwolf said:
that sounds fine... 7.5-8.0 is what I expect from lair.

Problem with having very strict grading is that it usually isnt consistant.
And of course, the fact that Warhawk got 6.5 it just laughable. As there isnt better multiplayer experience in consoles, and no multiplayer game ever would deserve better than 7.0.

I am buying LAIR just because it got such bad scores :-).
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PSM is DEAD to me in all ways...
 
It honestly sounds like it's no fun for those who don't like flight games.

It's kind of funny really. It's like bitching about a hockey game because you play hockey too much of the time.
 
forgeforsaken said:
This game seems to be one that comes across well in a brief demo but doesn't hold up across prolonged experience.
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actually no, thats not it - people either completle HATE or LOVE the CONTROLS. How can that happen, I dont know.

TTP did have fun with it so....
 
kotaku said:
But if Lair fails in one respect (within my admittedly quick impressions), it's the dragon to dragon battles. They take place too high in the air forcing players to lose any sense of speed and general perspective.
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That's been something that's bothered me in the footage I've seen. I love Factor 5 for putting midair dragon melee battles into the game, but the implementation lacks intensity because it always seems like the dragons are frozen in midair. Fights look like they lack urgency, like you're never going to hit the ground.
 
I have no idea what to make of this game... I'll wait til it comes out and see how GAF responds... guys led me to the light with SotC and Psychonauts
 
BelligerentOC said:
I have no idea what to make of this game... I'll wait til it comes out and see how GAF responds... guys led me to the light with SotC and Psychonauts
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Ive got in pre-order...I might give a critical analysis
 
PistolGrip said:
Lair, love it or hate it looks to have great presentation. I'm definitely buying.
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same

I have a feeling that if they put this in demo stalls, it's gonna sell a boatload of copies. It's one of those review-proof games. People (GAF withstanding) are just gonna buy it, regardless.
 
BelligerentOC said:
I have no idea what to make of this game... I'll wait til it comes out and see how GAF responds... guys led me to the light with SotC and Psychonauts
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Yep, these sites and reviews are supposed to help us with our purchase choices, but they are just making me more and more confused concerning Lair. GAF opinions to the rescue i guess.
 
Kotaku has some hands on impressions. They said it was great and the sixaxis worked really well. Basically there is no delay between real world movements and in-game movements. Maybe they're using the new and improved controllers?
 
Doc Evils said:
I'm saying fuck it too. I'm buying HS, Warhawk & Lair.
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damn if only i could. I'm working with limited funds this year and those three might be possible, if i didn't wanted stranglehold Se as well, and R&C future and folklore and... damn I'm going to have to be an Ebay sniper until next year.
 
BobTheFork said:
damn if only i could. I'm working with limited funds this year and those three might be possible, if i didn't wanted stranglehold Se as well, and R&C future and folklore and... damn I'm going to have to be an Ebay sniper until next year.
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I'm skipping War Hawk and going with Lair, HS, Folklore, and Ratchet. I usually don't pick up anything in November and December because they stay close to full price until they go on sale in January/February for after-Xmas stock clearance.
 
It can't be. You guys again ? :lol

I'm buying all of 'em: HS, Lair, R&C, Warhawk, Uncharted, and LBP.
I will probably end up playing Resistance the most until my wife's face looms in front of me. The rest will get their due share depending on how well they play.
 
Core407 said:
Kotaku has some hands on impressions. They said it was great and the sixaxis worked really well.
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Everyone who doesn't have some sort of agenda has said exactly the same. I only got to play it very briefly and didn't do anything other than fly around but the game looks absolutely insane on a 1080p set. Like nothing you've seen before in a game.
 
I can see myself playing Lair and enjoying it for the graphics.

edit:

MachoInfinity: Yeah, I think there is definitely a lot of bias against the game.
 
ok - after seeing the game in 1080p - hell yes, its surely one of the best looking games to date - yeah its in league with crysis - amazing texture / lighting / effects work - really amazing!
 
DCharlie said:
i have a pre-order too, i`ll definitely give my thoughts - you can bank on it!
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eh, Im paying quite a bit for this game, and was quite hyped for it...so if its really crappy, Im going to spank the junkie...hopefully its alright though...I haven't played a flight sim type game in quite some time, so I hope it feels at least a little fresh
 
belvedere said:
It honestly sounds like it's no fun for those who don't like flight games.

It's kind of funny really. It's like bitching about a hockey game because you play hockey too much of the time.
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ya rly
 
Gotta read this.

My mom works for Sony, and she brought home a copy of lair last night.
I quickly slipped it into my trusty PS3, and started playing.
So far I am about half-way through.
LET ME TELL YOU 1 THING:
The reviewers are totally wrong.
I mastered the controls after doing the 5 minute Tutorial.
After that, it was amazing.
Graphics: Amazing
Storyline: Great
Everything is great!
Ask me questions, because I will be on this topic all day.


All Questions I have answered put together, Including the ones from the GameFaq topic I made for this:
1: What dragons have you unlocked?
Well, for every mission you earn medals. Since I am just trying to beat the game, I am not getting the best medals yet. I think Gold Medals are required to unlock other dragons.

2: Is the game really only 6-8 Hours?
I bet if you were an uber pro and you could beat each mission on your first try, and get a gold medal on each one on the first try, it would be possible to beat in 6-8 hours.
But, for normal people like you and me, It would probably take 12-16 hours just to finish the storyline, and then you have to get all the gold medals, which may take a long time.

3: How would you rate the game? Pro's, cons?
I would rate it a 8.5-9.0

The Pros:

The Motion sensor movement is great. It brings a new aspect to the game, and I feel like its more interactive. Sometimes I just to loop-de-loops just for fun, because it's so entertaining to fly around.

The battles are great, and you basically get to pwn the little soldiers, and you destroy ships and enemy Dragons. Also, they have special goals like "Take Bombs from the Carrier monsters and blow up the city (thats real, and its really fun)."
The different things you can do in the battles is good too. You can Land on the ground and charge into enemies.
You can take the skies and Incinerate catapults and ships from afar.
And you can Get close and personal in Scratching battles against other dragons, which includes different Button Key Combos that create strong attacks and kill the enemy Dragons.

Also, the graphics... oooo the graphics. My TV is old, so It doesn't have HDMI... but the graphics are still amazing. In battle and in Cutscenes, I feel like I'm really there.

There are more to tell and I will continue updating this post.

Cons:

It's pretty difficult. I was stuck on a level that is really hard, which includes having to dodge spotlights, which if see you, you would be shot on sight, and it's not all easy to dodge the lights. Then you have to single handedly take out at least 50 dragons. Frustrating to have to do that over and over and still lose.
Also, one thing about battles is the Lock On System. When i lock on to something, and I kill it, my camera suddenly spins to the way my controller is facing. Annoying, and I lose my sense of direction.


4: Have you fought any bosses yet?
I defeated a Sea Boss.
It was really great. Basically, you have to dodge his attacks with the mosion sensor, then you counterattack at the exact right time with the analog sticks and the D-pad/face keys. Was challenging and fun.


5: So have you run into the "repetitiveness" that everyone complains about?
It is slightly Repetitive... but not in a way that makes it boring.
I find it interesting because every battle has a different feel to it, and different things to accomplish.

6: When you're battling on ground as the dragon, do you have to use the Six-axis? Or can you set it to analog sticks? I have no problem with using Six-axis while flying, but on ground swording troops, I'd rather use the sticks.
Actually, When you land on the ground, you dont actually dismount. You just whack troops with your tail and flame em up with your fire, and you can like charge into them and it has Slo-Mo when you do something cool. And to answer your question, That doesn't include SixAxis, it's just the D-pad and the face buttons.

7: Is there some kind of multiplayer in Lair?
Sadly, no. But the producers said that if there is a sequel, there most likely will be.

8: hey dude, can I come over?
No. What can I say? I'm selfish! I want it allll to myself!


Pictures for general Proof:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/dnremember/DSC00002.jpg - That the box
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/dnremember/DSC00003.jpg - That's the manual thing
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/dnremember/DSC00004.jpg - That's the CD
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/dnremember/DSC00005.jpg - another CD pic
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/dnremember/DSC00006.jpg - Also a Warhawks Box Pic XD

Pictures of the Back of the CD Case
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/dnremember/DSC00007.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/dnremember/DSC00008.jpg http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/dnremember/DSC00009.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/dnremember/DSC00010.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/dnremember/DSC00011.jpg

Pictures of my TV with the game inside
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/dnremember/DSC00012.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/dnremember/DSC00012.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/dnremember/DSC00013.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/dnremember/DSC00014.jpg
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http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=lair&thread.id=5167
 
I don't think I've ever seen such differing opinions from gamer reviewers over a game.

I'm still keeping my preorder and just making the decision on my own. If it's not good, I'll just sell it.
 
Plinko said:
I don't think I've ever seen such differing opinions from gamer reviewers over a game.

I'm still keeping my preorder and just making the decision on my own. If it's not good, I'll just sell it.
Click to expand...

Check the Heavenly Sword threads. It's in the same boat.
 
I think I am going to have faith and get this still, along with Heavenly Sword. Providing I have enough spare cash. It may be formulaic at times but I am sure it will play well enough and look amazing.
 
I'm actually more interested in this than HS. I'll buy Lairl, not HS. Lair looks like it has a much meatier story, if with lower cutscene standards, plus it's graphics are phenomenal, and I don't understand the praise for HSs graphics I think they look pretty disjointed and insubstantial.

It seems like Lair is anything from a 6 to an 8 game depending on how you take to the controls.
 
RubberJohnny said:
Why are there so few reviews coming out?
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Until a game is actually released, the game publisher decides when reviews can be posted. This usually means print mags get to go first.
 
Dave1988 said:
Check the Heavenly Sword threads. It's in the same boat.
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scratch that, check out any good, non Nintendo, Wii game's reviews.

i'm really starting to get bored of reviewers that don't like motion control period marking down games that excel at it.

not saying LAIR is in the same boat, but based on how a lot of Wii games have been treated it wouldn't surprise me in the least. waiting for a demo so i can play it myself.
 
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