Lair Reviewer's Guide is dummy text, add headline here
by Jedwin Celestino 
{ Sep 9th 2007 at 8:00AM }
But what's really scary is that even the guide that Sony sent out is not very good either, or at least it was not proofread well. The image above is a clip from page 7 of the 'Lair Reviewer's Guide'. Yes, you read correctly, the Medium Dragon is described as "Dummy text, add new medium dragon txt here" several times over. Perhaps the "dragon-game curse" isn't done wreaking havoc on Factor 5 after all?
[Thanks, Stoo!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Bored @ Sep 9th 2007 9:08AM
Oh dear, that is pure, utter incompetence!
lucasbbadur @ Sep 9th 2007 8:13AM
Well, I just hope they create a downloadable add-on, allowing Lair to be played with the thumbsticks... That would be an intelligent solution to the so criticized SixAxis controls.
Someone think this could happen?
gamesblow @ Sep 9th 2007 8:48AM
Lair doesn't need a patch for analog sticks. You all are just making a bigger issue out of this cause it's cool to hate Sony and it's cool to keep the flames of a mindless console war burning hot.
IF Lair came out of the gate with 8's, 9's and 10's you all wouldn't have anything to complain about. simple as that.
Lair is a good game. It makes perfect sese of the sixaxis controller... Well, to me it does. The reviewsites are just IGN-orant.
kingofwale @ Sep 9th 2007 8:36AM
I'd say this game suffer the exact fate as "Red Steel", both beautiful to look at (comparative speaking, Red Steel is graphically good in Wii's launch lineups), both have control problems.
Lair will probably sell a million copies worldwide in its lifespan, but it could've done 2 if only they got the whole control scheme correct, what a shame.
Egster @ Sep 9th 2007 8:47AM
Jesus Factor 5. This is just stupid. Be happy the title seems to be doing pretty well sales wise and move on.
MCX @ Sep 9th 2007 9:26AM
Don't know if anyone noticed but on the download video from this Thursday "Lair_WorldinChaosVideo-full" the video wasn't compressed properly. It had horizontal lines all though out the video. Its mostly noticable when something on screen is moving fast. I know of this problem cause I edit video. Its like there is a LAIR curse or something.
bxbailey @ Sep 9th 2007 9:36AM
Surprisingly enough to me I'm really enjoying the game so far.
red996 @ Sep 9th 2007 10:29AM
to gamesblow
Dude, I enjoy using the sixaxis in this game. I have overcome the problem of 180 degrees by rotating forward by 30 degrees before pushing up to assist the dynamics of the motion sensor. With dash I do the oposite rotate towards me 30 degrees before pushing forward. It becomes easier if you picture yourself holding the reigns of a horse. You even have to keep it slightly tilted upwards to give it presure like a horse.
However, I like having choices like playing a videogame in bed before going to sleep. And yesterday I had my 2 weeks old baby in front of me sleeping on the baby bjorn and I couldn't play. Because I kept abruptly shaking my chest while using the sixaxis and I was afraid to do infant shaken syndrome.
Sony should understand that and one of the executives once mentioned people will always have a choice with the sixaxis. I don't know if they are also affecting the civil rights of handicapped people by not including the more standard and accesible analog sticks as an option. I just mention this because it seems companies react to litigation quicker than common sense and consumer needs. Hopefully a Sony lawyer is reading.
Disposition @ Sep 9th 2007 10:33AM
Listen.. First off to the one that says the DL vid was bad. Your download was bad.. or maybe ur not watching the HD version or something.. or watching an HD clip on ur SD, because i DLed the clip and play it in 1080i just fine.. its right from the game blu ray. no lines on screen at all.
Secondly this guide had to be made, because there for some reason seems to be tons of people that really dont know what a learning curve is. Does anyone remember going from D-pad to analog. It wasnt that easy the first time. After I gave Lair 15 to 20 minutes. I wouldnt have the controls any other way. Its actually very very simple, but for some reason people are nit picking this game. Its a fantastic epic game. Everything is practicly flawless. And the only complain people have is the controls. I mean seriously whats wrong with them.. THEY ARE NOT UNRESPONSIVE. If you shake the control up and down continuesly YES YOU WONT 180. THIS GOES WITH ANYWAY GAME on wii or motion sensing game. The sad thing is NO ONE ever even gave this game a chance. 2 seconds in you judge the controls and now ur set in ur mind that this stink, and therefor cant enjoy the game. Im right now flying through the last stage and just utterly amazed in every way how intuitive and responsive the controls really are. And dont even get me started on the lock on system. U can lOOK around seperate to ur drgons direction, and stare at ANYTHINng then hit a single button to lick on permannently. I mean what else is missing for you? The dragon will even circle the target automaticly. Hassle free. This guide is sent out because there is no reason to give this game bad reviews just because its trying to revolutionise the way u fly.. I have never botched a 180 attempt EVER after i READ HOW TO DO IT!.. Obviously if u shake once and it doesnt happen u dont just keep chaking the damn thing. Or the dragon will dash forward simply because u shook down as well as shook up. Just whip the damn thing back .. THATS IT!! Reviewerws were sent a guide because they obviously couldnt figure that out. plain and simple.
The only complain thats legit.. if any. Is possibly the length of the game. Flight game masters could prolly beat it in less then 10 hours. But thtas no reason for a score below 5.
If you people really cant figure out what to lock,or fly in this game. You people SERIOSULY DO NEED A GUIDE on how to play a video game. it wasnt hard aT ALL!! 2 minutes inthe stables and i learned everything i need to know to easily go through the game.
Its funny because when i play BIOSHOCK on PC. WHiCH is BOGGED WITH control issues, sound glitches, enemies clipping, me clipping, and gameplay mechanaics going haywire .. the game gets a perfect 10. WOW just wow. its a great game, but everything is overlooked because its just another shooter. NOt a game that redefines flight sims. Justifys blu ray, sixaxis, 1080p, and all the other feartures of the ps3 that havent been justified yet.
Disposition @ Sep 9th 2007 10:34AM
Oh yea nothing is printed under medium dragon, because there are no enemy medium dragons in the game. I believe they took those out. Cause when i play through i only notice the weak and strong.
JL @ Sep 9th 2007 11:05AM
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Supino @ Sep 9th 2007 11:18AM
lets face it. tilt isn't fun in general.
red996 @ Sep 9th 2007 11:50AM
to disposition
The medium dragons look exactly like yours color red and all. They attack the your floating giant animals in the stage before the giant water snakes. If you lock onto them and fight them then you can appreciate them. They are in ratio to the ice dragons about 12 to one but they will inflict lots of damages since they spit fire.
never$$hort @ Sep 9th 2007 12:36PM
This sucks... I really dont know who to believe about Lair... I've seen plenty of people on here that love the game, but then all the reviews including this site, trash the hell outta this game... So who should I trust??? I guess this is a rental 1st, just to be safe...
PS: Super Rub a Dub got terrible reviews because of sixaxis, but I thought it controlled fine with the motion after getting used to it... Is Lair kind of the same this way??
Trev @ Sep 9th 2007 1:40PM
More and more insulting. The include pictures of the picnic they had instead of working on the game and waste time making a Hot Coffee spoof instead of fixing some of the games glaring flaws. Then they bitch about it. Then they're too lazy to proof read their "you're all doing it wrong" booklet.
I managed to enjoy the game despite its flaws, but these guys need to shut the hell up.
Popfrogs @ Sep 9th 2007 12:54PM
Super Rub-a-dub, as cute as it was, was just like those old wooden maze games that you tilted to get a marble through the maze. Actually I wonder how many coders have one of those old games sitting around for reference when they're making Sixaxis controls.
Anyway I think the Lair guide was intended as a joke. Either that or Factor5 is just falling apart at the seams. Start polishing up those resumes, guys, and you might wanna leave "Lair" off of it.
Mr Khan @ Sep 9th 2007 2:03PM
@ Kingofwale. Lair seems rather to be suffering the same fate as Sonic and the Secret Rings, some people "get it" and some "don't," and both games are graphically strong for their platform
ryano @ Sep 9th 2007 2:58PM
@Those that defend Lair:
I think Factor 5 screwed up in not giving people the option whether to use waggle or not.
Red996 made a good point when he described playing Lair with a sleeping infant.
They def should have shipped the game with 2 play options like how a bunch of titles ship with the option to turn Rumble vibration off.
Giving people options is a very good thing. The next smash bros for the Wii gives you motion and classic controls to play the game with.
If Smash Bros. Brawl shipped with strictly motion based controls do you think it would go over as smoothly with the public? Hell no.
My point is no matter how well motion controls may work in Lair, not everyone wants to play like that.
That is mostly why it was ill recieved. Lack of a Demo hurts it as well since those on the fence may never get to see why so many cream their pants over how great the controls are when there's so many Industry reviews that say otherwise. End of discussion.
Jonah Falcon @ Sep 9th 2007 6:00PM
The Reviewer's Guide is just as pretty and slapdash and incomplete as the game! It fits!
Ian @ Sep 9th 2007 6:34PM
I have a comment which, as far as I can see, no one has made so far in this thread...
OK, there may or may not be an issue with reviewers not understanding the control system, though it should be properly documented in the docs accompanying the review copy of the game. Or, the control system may just be a big pile of pants. Either way, there is much discussion about the control system and Factor 5 have sought to rectify the situation with a manual for reviewers outlining the the control system.
Now, as a buyer of the game, would I get a 20 page control manual in addition to the normal booklet accompanying the game? If the answer is 'no' then am I at risk of agreeing with a large number of reviewers in rating this game as devoid of a decent control system?
When games cost nearly £50 a time in England, I'd rather not take the chance and instead wait for a game which gets consistently high review scores.
memots @ Sep 10th 2007 1:28PM
OK I just finished the game and I’m gonna give my honest opinion. (I’m no SONY lover or MICROSOFT lover I play both system and tried most games out there (I’M A GAMER.))
I loved the game.
I had my beef with the control at first like everyone else but after practicing a bit I got it under control. Everything makes sense it works perfectly
and makes perfect sense I could pulled every move i wanted without any problems. Sure once in a while I would miss but what is the point of having a gem that you can just cruise around a beat because its easy ... are people that afraid of a little challenge?
The plus..
+ Great graphic
+ Awesome story
+ Fun to play
The minus..
- Games way to short
- idiots who cant accept that not everything is easy in life and are probably getting everything spoon feed to them and think its cool to hate Sony and post on site and didn’t even play the game.
Jonah Falcon @ Sep 9th 2007 8:21PM
No. That was sent to reviewers only.
Reuben @ Sep 9th 2007 8:22PM
@21
So you believe that because life isn't easy that it's okay for a $60 game to have awful controls? So if a level of a random game is glitchy as all hell, that's okay, because life is hard?
Right...because that makes sense.
canuch @ Sep 9th 2007 8:53PM
The story for Lair looked really good, in the videos I have seen. I am tempted to try it out, for a play through. I find that I ultimately judge a single player game by the storyline anyways. I find reviewer generally put to little emphasis on the story, IMHO.
~S
Raycer @ Sep 9th 2007 10:56PM
Most people do not think Lair "is not very good"; magazine, TV and internet reviewers think its bad. Most actual people I know that have played it, like it quitte a bit. The controls aren't that bad once you actually take the time to learn them.
InvaderGir @ Sep 11th 2007 12:01AM
I loved that rant done by Disposition about how "The game doesn't suck. Just all of you do!". CAD explained the console war best: 360 Fanboys sitting on the floor playing a game talking on a headset, Wii Fanboys standing to the side swinging the Wiimote playing baseball, and PS3 Fanboys screaming in the back of the room that "it's not them, it's us".
Jim Powers was a game for the SNES. A terrible game. An extremely hard game. Aside from one-hit kills and death constituting restarting a level from the beginning, the background was multi-tiered to fit 3D glasses. Meaning four layers of the background would shift as you move, causing major disorientation. Now I'm the only one amongst anyone I know who's beaten this taxing game by catching on to the 3D aspect. Does this mean that, by contrast, everyone around me sucks and the game is epic? No, because everyone should've been able to play it.
I've played Lair, I've beaten Lair, and through it all I suffered through its mind-bogglingly amateur control system (let's face it, at least Red Steel made an effort). The game is still terrible. To call out the entire gaming industry and media as being the reason why Lair was such a failure is like blaming Sept. 11th on the guy running your local 7-11. All flash, no substance: a justification for pretty much all of the console's exclusives up to this point because for some god-forsaken reason Sony has forgone any logic and reason in trying to appeal to its core fanbase that kept it at #1 for 10 years (ignoring the blind luck involved, but that's another factoid story very few want to stomach) and just assumed everyone who bought a PS2 was both rich and mentally handicapped.
Guess what, I'm neither. Lair is attrocious. Factor 5 should be ashamed (you made Rogue Squadron for f**k's sake!!). And Sony needs to get its damn act together. Because no matter how many booklets you send out trying to convince the world "It's not poop, it's really mint chocolate", you have to understand we can clearly see it's a mound of poop.
Here's to Ratchet to hopefully pick up the slack....
Consolcwby @ Sep 11th 2007 12:30AM
...i actually like the dummy text. It uses a nice font - who care's if there's no substance to it's sentences!... So STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT THE BOOKLET!!! =P