Lair

The much anticipated Lair is finally here and the Internet is abuzz with discussions about the game's many faults. Reviewer This Old Man had the unenviable task of reviewing this monstrosity and while he agrees that the game is faulty, he still manages to find a small glimmer of hope. Read on for our in-depth review of the much anticipated, much maligned Lair!

Although most of the negativity surrounding the PS3 has to do with its exorbitant price tag, it is, without a doubt, its anemic game library that is the system's true Achilles heel.

There's no denying that if the games were there, the price of the system wouldn't matter as much. Look ahead to the next few months and you'll see games like Heavenly Sword and Metal Gear Solid 4 waiting just on the horizon, but what the PS3 needs more than anything right now, at this very moment, is a triple-A title to come along and provide some lift for its massive black wings.

Lair is the first of the hotly anticipated and overly hyped PS3 games that could have and should have fit the bill, and although it flies in with a full head of steam, it ultimately comes in for an awkward landing.

The View

Before we get to the things it does wrong, let's look at the list of the things Lair does right. First, Sony fanboys will have a lot of fun crowing to 360 fanboys about the game's gorgeous graphics and rightly so, as Lair does a great job of showing off the graphical prowess of the PS3. It isn't the revolutionary leap over the 360 that the PS3 diehards will want it to be but it is proof positive that developers are finally beginning to get a firm grasp on the complexities of the hardware and it serves as an encouraging sign of what's to come.

Speaking of which, Lair plays great regardless of the setup: we played it on an old 480i set all the way up to a brand spanking new 1080p display and it looked impressive all the way through. Obviously you'll get better results with a true 1080p display, and if you have the equipment to take full advantage of the audio/visual buffet that Lair has to offer then you're definitely in for a treat, especially if you're equipped for 7.1 surround sound, as Lair's orchestral score is particularly strong.

The Air Up There

I also appreciated Lair's compelling and interesting story, even if it does have a few holes. The narrative revolves around two nations who were once united but were split during a cataclysmic time of upheaval. One nation, the Asylians, prospered while the other, the Mokai, did not. You play the role of Rohn, a member of Asylia's Sky Guard, who begins the game defending his country's borders against a Mokai invasion but is quickly embroiled in a growing conspiracy of betrayal.

While the story isn't going to win any originality awards, its element of theological warmongering is fascinating and has a lot of resonance with current cultural events. And despite a few plot holes, the story drives the action along and gives you enough excuses to ride out on your dragon and wreak havoc, which is, of course, the main draw of the game.

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_Mr.Snake

this is even better than vampire rain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Graphics-1/10 Sound-2/10 controls-15/10

hiphophippy27

Wow, many 360 fanboys here saying this game sucks, yet I see no sony fanboys bashing Bomberman Act Zero for the shit title it is.[p] I guess PS3 fanboys are more mature after all...

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