Lair swoops into stores a day early

by Colin Torretta { Aug 30th 2007 at 9:00PM }

While there was some confusion about just when Lair was actually going to be shipped out, we have gotten confirmation from multiple sources that it's actually in the stores right now. That's right, you can go out and get your dragon on immediately. It's a little odd that it was released on a Thursday since almost all retail games go on sale on Tuesday, but why look a gift horse in the mouth?

If you do go out and pick up a copy of Lair today, why not come back here and leave your impressions in the comments section? The reviews have been pretty controversial so far, so it would be nice hearing what the fans themselves think.

[Thanks everybody who sent this in]

Tags: lair

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Jimmy @ Aug 30th 2007 9:12PM

I just got back from GameStop not long ago and have not played it yet, but I'm looking forward to it. So far I heard it's extremely fun. I also reserved UT3.

Dahk @ Aug 30th 2007 9:13PM

EBGames up here in Canada says... Sept. 31. *sigh*

I think everyone's busy with Warhawk at the moment anyway =P.

Shori @ Aug 30th 2007 9:21PM

After playing through a few missions, here are my thoughts:

Graphics are spectacular... some of the best I've seen. Cutscenes are equally amazing.

Gameplay takes some getting used to, but once you figure out how to get the jist of the motion controls, it feels pretty natural, much like playing flOw.

Mission objectives are very similar to the Rogue Squadron series, simple yet not repetitive. I've only failed one mission so far and that was because I got killed, not from getting lost or confused as some reviewers have stated.

The sound is great too. The music is something out of an epic hollywood film and as an added bonus, the soundtrack has been added as an Extra in the game ;). Voice acting is also good.

From my experience so far, I would probably rate this game a 8.75-9/10.

Merc_Soldier @ Aug 30th 2007 9:38PM

Ya i got the phone call telling me it was on sale. It is a great game, graphics, gameplay, sound, controls all great. The controls are a little funky at first, but you get used to them real fast.

9-9.5/10

Microdot @ Aug 30th 2007 9:44PM

im with shori. i think the controls are a love it or hate it type of thing. im not a HUGE fan of motion controls (typically because i kick back in the la-z-boyee) but lair is pretty natural feeling. it does have a little learning curve (about 20-30 minutes to REALLY get it)... but after you get the hang of it... its pretty damn cool.

and the visuals are just.... wow. my adrenaline actually kicked up a few notches at the start of the game when you run out to the stables, and out of the darkness, you hear a snort and growl and your dragon slowly comes through the gate. the sound and graphics are just flat out jaw dropping (with the exception of the ground game... it kind of feels wimpy)

id give it a solid 8.75/10 as well.

brandon @ Aug 30th 2007 9:45PM

i dont care 4 it all that much

PhillyVu @ Aug 30th 2007 9:44PM

yep, Gamestop surprised me by selling it to me tonight. Will play tomorrow when I can turn on my 5.1 system and get the entire affect.

drdre74 @ Aug 30th 2007 9:46PM

I'll have to wait on this one. Too close to the release of Heavenly sword.

brandon @ Aug 30th 2007 9:51PM

I was so exited about this game. But when I got it home I was in shock how bad the graphics are. There is alot of poppy and glitchyness. Also the controls are a little difficult however thats not the problem I have w it. It doesn't even hook you. Heavenly Sword better not be a let down like this.

frankenwookie @ Aug 30th 2007 9:55PM

Would the real factor 5 please stand up. I have been a fan of this company during the star wars years, so I was excited at the prospect of a dark Tolkien fantasy flight game. Every press release from F5 was talking about how intuitive the motion controls would be and how they were far superior to analog. I spent the duration of time trying to get my dragon to 180, while cursing the gods when it would sprint foward into a cliff side or into an enemy I was not aiming for. Before I go on for ten thousand words about how I hate the absents of analog controls, the game is pretty and the sound is top notch. But a shiny coat of paint on a Kia will not a Ferrari make.

twak @ Aug 30th 2007 9:55PM

#8, you would rather spend your money on a game that will take you 7 hours max to finish?

wonway01 @ Aug 30th 2007 10:04PM

I just finished the protecting of the rice boats and the defence at the wall. Im starting to get the hang of it and mid rice fight started kicking ass. I whaled on them at the wall defence. Lots of game left to see how good I get at it.

sectionz @ Aug 30th 2007 10:10PM

11. because it will be the best 11 hours of your life dude. it really is something .. anyhow lair es las tetas .. 8.5

Titty Pink @ Aug 30th 2007 10:12PM

Whelp, mixed emotions so far. May be a rental for me. The replay value is what I worry about. I mean Motorstorm is hard as hell as you get up in levels, and its fresh when you go back to it after a while. Don't know if I can get the same thing out of a game like this. I dunno.

30 minutes to Warhawk. I'm not pressed to dive into a new game anyway. Between R6 Vegas and Warhawk, I'm good for a while. Next thing I MUST have is COD 4. Everything else is a rental...guess I'm attracted to killing fools online...

Matt B @ Aug 30th 2007 10:17PM

Sounds great!! I stopped at EB yesterday and they said Friday. Walked by there today and didn't go in and it might have been there. SHIIIIIIN!!!!!!
Thanks for the reviews guys. From what I gather, patience with the controls pays off while others are less patient and frustrated. I'll have it tomorrow!!!

Remember, its a dragon...not a jet fighter.

Ithilis @ Aug 30th 2007 10:20PM

Man, what an utter letdown.

This game is trash, people. The controls are on par with Red Steel as far as motion-sensing is concerned, and the fact that they're mandatory is completely retarded. I understand that Sony wants to make use of their little Sixaxis, but if you're going to subject us to such utter crap, give us a damn alternative.

Sure, the graphics are great, but the PS3 can't seem to handle them, or they were poorly optimized, because there is terrible framerate and screen tearing all over the place. It's disgusting that the game even got released in this state, and I wish I could have sent it back to the developer instead of EBGames.

Save your money.

John T @ Aug 30th 2007 10:23PM

WOW... IGN.com gave it a 4.9/10

thebigfatj @ Aug 30th 2007 10:34PM

I got a bit of experience with this today and let me tell you, it is hard going from Metroid Prime 3's framerate (solid 60fps) to this. The framerate is terrible -- you want 60fps and they give you 15fps. This has to be a big reason the controls feel unresponsive.

Perhaps it's not fair to compare it when I'm used to a game IGN gave a 9.5/10 and then going to one that failed to attain 5/10. There isn't much else to say. Save your money -- there are tons and tons of good games out right now and there is no reason to waste time on Lair.

deadxbabiesxinc @ Aug 31st 2007 7:46AM

NEVER trust IGN...they are the worst! I'd rather get a review from someone who only loves the xbox360 and hates the ps3 than to ever believe an IGN rating again

nevelo07 @ Aug 30th 2007 10:51PM

sad just sad

Frank Martinez @ Aug 30th 2007 10:54PM

What a terrible game. When I started playing it I thought it was a joke. Save your money.

Dustin @ Aug 30th 2007 10:57PM

Just called my Gamestop. I said, did u guys get Lair by mistake? "No, u can sell it." What? "It came out today." I thought it came out the 4th? "no, they changes it to today"
Littleton, CO

Shori @ Aug 30th 2007 11:42PM

For those of you not liking it, did you take the time to learn the controls? Once you do that, the game is a breeze and much more fun to play.

Jeff @ Aug 30th 2007 11:42PM

Yeh this game is really quite pathetic.

1) The gameplay is on par with the PS2 game Drakengard by square-enix. The gameplay is literally nothing new over a 3 year old PS2 game. I'm not kidding. Go play it for yourselves, its the same game without motion controls. There is nothing "next-gen" about the gameplay at all - No fancy physics, no overly massive amounts of enemies. Nothing interesting about the gameplay at all. From a fun point of view...it was fun for about 10-15 minutes at most. I was pretty bored during the first 5 minutes actually, but it was still satisfying blowing stuff up for at least a few more minutes.

2) The graphics are gorgeous...if theres nothing moving on the screen. This game runs at a steady 15-20 fps. Nuff said.

3) The missions are dull and repetitive. It feels like dynasty warriors on dragonback. Kill 17000 identical enemies in a straight path using 2 different buttons.

4) The motion controls are awful. I know the sixaxis is no wii remote but this is by far the worst motion controls i have seen integrated into a game...on either ps3 and wii. They're slow and unresponsive, and their mandatory. I'm not going to play a game that forces me to hurt my wrists just to play. (weak wrists)

I wouldn't reccomend anybody buy this game...or even rent it for that matter. Do yourself a favour and wait until a demo is released so you can experience the horror that is this game for free.

Another "AAA" title gone to waste. I'm starting to wonder why i bought my ps3. I thought i was buying it for the rich and premium game library, but i've yet to see it nearly a year later. Lets hope MGS4, DMC4, FFXIII and Asassin's Creed can remedy this problem...whenever we eventually play them ¬_¬.

Regular Disclaimer to prevent idiot fanboy replies: PS3Wii60 Owner.

BadBoy4Life @ Aug 30th 2007 11:54PM

Just in case someone doesn't know (or ps3fanboy chooses to ignore it like they did with HS) IGN gave this game a pretty low score...

It was rated a 4.9 (Poor).

That makes only Warhawk the only game that seems to be a big hit out there. And even some people are turned off by the lack of single player.

But anyways that was just a bit of news I thought I'd bring to the table.

Shori @ Aug 31st 2007 12:01AM

^ However, GameInformer, a more reliable source, imo, gave it a 8 and 7.25. Which is fair. Also, everyone else seems to be giving Heavenly Sword 8s, 9s and 10s.

SkeetSkiLee @ Aug 31st 2007 12:08AM

a game review is a written opinion from a "EXPERT" gamer, whos bases everything one wat THEY were expecting...(in my opinion)

I never trust them... its like when Kindom Hearts 2 came out.. at 1st it was like the best game ever, but just an hour or 2 into the game, the game just became a regular hak'n slash. KH2 never deserved that freak'n high score reviewers gave it.

I would rather see a review where its based on Pros/Cons the game is never rated but just gives some Pros and Cons of the game. that would give the readers some things to consider,and buy games based on what they like... it's just stupid rating games.
Rating a game based on score just take that games life away, when there's people who could've played it and love it! but they just look at that stupid score and reconsider everything. if gaming business goes out of business it should be blamed on the reviewers

BadBoy4Life @ Aug 31st 2007 12:16AM

Skeet you make very valid points.

And the only thing I hate about IGN is that some of their reviews have the annoying habit of hyping up a game constantly and then giving it a horrible review as soon as it comes out.

Its like WTF? Are you serious?

However when it comes to Lair I honestly agree with IGN. Other than the graphics I just don't think its a high quality type of game. Mediocre at best. And it seems like the controls are a huge issue with the game so it doesn't make me want to go out and buy a ps3 anytime soon...

Oh well the first Trifecta has come and gone...

Whats up for sony next this fall/winter?

Andy @ Aug 31st 2007 12:18AM

If there are so many problems with the game I am suprised they didn't delay it a couple of months. They could have avoided Warhawk and HS and keep it for a holiday release.

I still think this game will sell at least 300K because
a: it looks cool(the boxart)
b: its dragons
c: 82% of people don't read reviews

Dr. Killmore @ Aug 31st 2007 12:31AM

BadboyForLife

You are an idiot. Go away.

doug @ Aug 31st 2007 1:00AM

so wait badboy doesnt even have a PS3 yet, how many other people commenting with a quick "it sucks" even have a PS3?

Titty Pink @ Aug 31st 2007 1:03AM

Whoa whoa whoa. This seems to be the first MAJOR disappointment for the system and now we're just looking to the fall? What is this "trifecta" you speak of there BadBoy? ANd where were you yesterday when Warhawk killed everything out right now? This sounds like the same thing people are saying about Bioshock. It looks good, but doesn't offer much else. But because its PS3 NOW we're all supposed to use our systems for paperweights because one game isn't as good as magazines built it up to be. Jeff you shoulda bought Warhawk, Ninja Gaiden, Resistance, and Motorstorm. THEN you wouldn't ask yourself why you bought a PS3. Hell, outside of Metroid (which I beleive is DAYS old) and the fact that its cheap as hell, why do people buy Wiis? I dunno. Where were all of these people yesterday when Warhawk killed? If they were reading this website they must not have listened. If not hear this, GET WARHAWK!!!

mccomber @ Aug 31st 2007 1:42AM

"or ps3fanboy chooses to ignore it like they did with HS"

http://playstation.joystiq.com/2007/08/23/ign-uk-reviews-sevenly-sword/

Thanks to the few people that actually made arguments about why they don't like Lair; I figured all we would get for cons are the fairly suspect single-sentence "it sucks" posts. The number of people, and handful of "professional" reviewers that like it still make me want to play it. I have to admit though, I did cancel my preorder for Lair and moved that money to a certain green soldier from the other console... wish we could get a demo for Lair so that it was easier to see what the controversy is all about on both the hate-it and love-it sides.

stirlo @ Aug 31st 2007 2:21AM

i concur, if you don't like Lair, get Warhawk! one of the best games i have....

p.s. will see anyone who's up for it in the ps3fanboy warhawk room :)

railven @ Aug 31st 2007 6:23AM

I got into a fight with the girlfriend yesterday (I didn't take out the trash when she asked) and had to sleep on the couch. Warhawk was in a EBgames bag in the bedroom...I didn't dare go in and try to snag it.

But I was lucky enough to get a copy of Lair and because I was reading the manual I had it downstairs.

So:
The game is definately a looker. I've been a PC gamer as long as I've been a console gamer. I'd love for people to explain to me how they can determine frame rates and if Lair has a frame rate display, I can't find one.

I'm going to go on a limb and say my copy, or at least my experience with the game last night, didn't dip under 20 frames. At 20 frames a game will look choppy. but dip below that and it goes from choppy to sluggish.

The controls in Lair are so-so. I didn't get into it as much as I thought it would. My dragon felt unresponsive but then I remembered about Sony updating the SixAxis controller. So I called my cousin up (he recently got an 80GB) and we tried his controller out.

The dragon responsed a lot better then with my SixAxis (mine was from a launch unit). So I wonder if that is something to consider.

All those that got Lair, do you guys have a launch console or a newer console? Try using a different (newer) SixAxis.

Anyways back to the game:
I wouldn't compare the game at all to Drakengard or Dynasty Warriors. I'd compare it straight to Rogue Squadron. The game feels just like it. The Dragon manuveurs as poorly as the X-Wings did back then.

It seems to me that Factor 5 Hasn't learned much from them to now.

Music and graphics are beautiful and what you'd expect from your PS3.

But the controls do hurt it. After switching SixAxis I had a better time but still the learning curve is high. "Do a barrel roll!" Yeah right.

I'd give it a 6/10, definately a rental for those with limited funds. For the hardcore - buy it, and put it on your shelf, the boxart is nice.

Moe @ Aug 31st 2007 7:05AM

Woah ho ho ho stop the car
We got an emergency can't you see?
Do you know why we stopped the car?

Do I know why we stopped the car?

Guess

Guess

What

What

Lair sucks big time, that's why.

Kspraydad @ Aug 31st 2007 8:07AM

It is disappointing to hear about the issues with LAIR. As a SONY fan sitting on the sidelines still on a next gen machine (no GC1.5 or X360 for me...just waiting to jump into PS3 when I feel it is there for the long haul) I am hoping for a string of must haves to come out.

Does anyone know if the game companies like Sony,NIN and MS have an 'approval' department? IE...If I want to make and market a game for the PS3 does SONY have a say in whether I can? If so, console companies should be concerned about having titles released that are so flawed (from what I read in all the MetaCritic reviews). It isn't good for the image.

BadBoy4Life @ Aug 31st 2007 8:11AM

The Trifecta was Heavenly Sword, Warhawk, and Lair.

Out of those 3 Warhawk is the only one thats getting mostly postiive reviews among fanboys. And even among gaming websites there are MIXED opinions.

It'll be interesting to see how many ps3's are sold in the next month or so due to these three games...

Personally I think the only ones who will buy it are current ps3 owners. They just don't seem like system sellers to me.

SKI @ Aug 31st 2007 8:21AM

I didn't like it myself, and neither did a lot of people. So much for this being a AAA game.

http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/08/review-fly-far-.html

mystical_304 @ Aug 31st 2007 8:45AM

BadBoy4Life please don't become a reporter. You're "Warhawk is the only positive scored game" mess is annoying. You must have missed the part where the 7.0 from UK IGN Is the lowest score it has recieved (To my knowledge). It score a 10 in GI, an 8, 8, 9 from EGM (and the Silver Award) and it's still getting high marks on other sites. So please give it a rest. Lair is the only game not doing to well review wise, I will give you that. But stop trolling about Heavenly Sword.

ShaggyB @ Aug 31st 2007 8:54AM

Ok I give it an 8.5 out of 10. Thats 85% for those looking at metacritic style scoring.

Graphics: Unbelieavably good. While EGM is correct in saying it has a 'Lord of The Rings' feel to it, I will not deduct points for that as i think it improves the feel of the game. PSM said if you took this and the controls away youd have nothing.... Well why would i buy a dragon game that looked terrible and had nothing new to offer? Everything in the world is rendered beautifully. I unfortunantly only get to see it in 1080i, but man does it wow. 10 outta 10

Sound: Would fit in with Star Wars or Lord of The Rings. The sounds are incredible, in no small part to THX =) . From the flap of the wings to the music in the background, hell even the fire effects sound in the menu is great. (reminded me of the intro to Robin Hood: Men in Tights... ahhh Fire arrows lol) 10 outta 10

Control: This is where it is hit the hardest by reviewers. First off lets establish something.... In this game your Dragon flies, but very slowly. He tends to glide alot. This is not going to convey a sence of extreme speed until you engage an enemy one on one. Ok with that said any complaint about the speed of the dragon that you have read or the general feel of flying is more likely that the reviewer wanted xwings. Ok that aside, as it tends to be a review knock under controls (go fig), on to the review. Control is a bit quirky at best. While flying and targeting are fine (except for 180 turns, that is not working very well, but then again i havent needed it often) Dragon combat in the air in the chase season is not that good. Maybe i need to practice more but its not a pick up and play style thing like flying and breathing fire were. To illustrate, my girlfriend and I both tried flying and going through the targets, we both found it very good and responsive. however when i fought the dragon one on one in level two, she looked at me and said "that looked difficult". Me: "not really but it didnt look like the dragon did what i wanted it to do"
7 outta 10 (again all but 180 turns and dragon to dragon combat are fine)

Fun Factor: So far the game is fun despite its quirky controls. The story is compelling and has a feel of grandness. The graphics and sound are to die for.... I doubt it will have much replay factor as i cant see wanting to gold medal everything, mainly cause there is too many other games to play this season, but LAIR is definantly worth a play through and should be in any PS3 owners collection....
so ill take of 2 points for the controls causing frustration in the overall experiance of the game and 1 point for lack of replayability (sorry gold medalling stuf doesnt do it for me, perhaps new dragons to play through would have helped, or multiplayer [not sure how to do that one though])
7 outta 10

Overall that averages 8.5 and i say its a solid buy for a ps3 owner. Besides so far all you got is Resistance, Motorstorm, Ninja Gaiden and Warhawk (only one of those is knew the rest are before summer, so imagine like me youd like a reason to have the ps3 on)

Go get it and dont believe everything you read.

Slaytan @ Aug 31st 2007 9:40AM

I kind of find it funny that people will see a bad review and hope for the game to fail so the review they read would be right.

I didn't read any reviews for Lair. I went in and bought the game because I thought it'd be cool to have a pet dragon. The graphics are awesome; yes the frames dip a little, but it doesn't take away from the game. Everyone is so wrapped up on frame rates these days they take the fun out of games.

The controls take time to get used to. I hated the game at first, but once I got used to the controls and perfected the 180 turns, it's a really good game. The dragon fights are something out of a Dragonlance novel; picking up and tossing the enemy is lots of fun; swatting away and chewing up enemies is also a lot of fun.

While it's not a perfect game, it's fun nonetheless. It's definitely a game to really love or really hate.

Justice @ Aug 31st 2007 9:44AM

As soon as this game hits X-Play, the world will know. Adam and Morgan do have a tendency to blow things outta proportion and overexaggerate a game.

Grimp @ Aug 31st 2007 10:35AM

I cant get myself to enjoy this at ALL!! I played for a couple of hours last night hoping to finally get the controls down but they are implimented so terribly that it was more of a chore than having any actual fun...and in the end isnt that why we all play games? And thats not even mentioning the frame rate issues ....jeez! but the the gameplay itseld is enough for me to return this bad boy.

davebo @ Aug 31st 2007 11:19AM

ShaggyB: You say the game has no replayability, but then you say it should be in every PS3 owner's collection. If people are only going to play through one time, why not rent it once or twice then forget about it?

Grimp @ Aug 31st 2007 11:57AM

"2)How many of you are playing the game the way it is meant to be played? And by that I mean 1080p and 5.1 or better surround sound? This is very important because these 2 factors IMMERSE YOU INTO A GAME, and that seems to be the goal Factor 5 was trying to accomplish (which is also prolly why they use the 6axis controls). Those of you with 5.1 and better, How much more did you enjoy your games when you upgraded from stereo (or God-forbid... mono)? Those of you with HD sets, ask yourself the same question. I know for me a game that would be an 8 would otherwise be around a 6 without both."

NONE of that means ANYTHING when the game controls like GARBAGE!!! I dont care how " IMMERSED" im supposed to be ....when the dragon goes left and im trying to make him dive continuously I am NOT immersed im incredibly mad!!! this one is being returned and im going back to Warhawk.

timjdonat @ Aug 31st 2007 12:00PM

BTW: 1UP's review of Heavenly Sword came out and he said the game took 10 hours. None of the reviews of even mentioned the Hell difficulty but complain about the AI not being very difficult. Yet, it has an 85% ranking of gamerankings.

As cool as dragons are, I think I'm skipping Lair until it gets cheaper and going with a much surer bet.

MYPS3KilledMy360 @ Aug 31st 2007 12:04PM

@Ithilis i havent gotten it yet but not one comment ive seen from ypu since you own a PS3 has been good in any shape or form it makes me wonder why you have a PS3. Gameplay and art style is what i think saved gears because framerate and terrible textures when you walk too close is just really bad and the storyline grabbed me in trailer but while i was playing i couldnt help but wonder if they were missing something.