Yet another "my first impression of Lair" thread -- controls are fine!

**alexcote** · 09-04-2007

Just got home an hour ago with Lair, gave it a try. I only had an hour to play it (have to go in a few minutes). I played the tutorial and the first mission.

I had extremely low expectations after reading all the horrible reviews -- was expecting my dragon to fly around randomly and not respond to movement. Well, I absolutely love the controls. Only took me a couple minutes to get the hang of it (before the "fly through the loops" part of the tutorial), then I was flying like a pro. At the beginning of the first real mission, you take off from a high bridge in your city (which is situated high above a waterfall), and after taking off I actually managed to fly down and through one of the arches below a bridge. Flawlessly, as easy as if I was using analog sticks in Warhawk. And that's like 5 minutes into using the control scheme.

I was then attacking dragons left and right, and at no point did I ever get the feeling that my dragon wasn't being responsive. I'm not sure if today's update fixed the control issues that reviewers were talking about, or if my movement style just works with the game better than theirs, but well, controls are quite decent as far as I'm concerned.

Granted I only played an hour or so of the game -- I only wanted to try out the controls. I haven't got used to targetting and attacking yet (I found the control tips that pop up to be too small and hard to read in the midst of combat), but that's on par with other games where there's a learning curve before I get used to the buttons. Flight-control wise though? Motion sensing works flawlessly, and is enjoyable.

I'm sorry if this thread isn't relevant to most people, but I wanted to post my humble impression for those peeps who aren't sure yet if they want to pick it up or not. All I have to say is, controls so far work quite well. I'm not trying to say the other reviewers are tools for not figuring out the controls -- maybe the update did fix them, or maybe the controls don't work for some people (depending on the type of motions you make). Maybe when I get into missions with trickier flight plans (obstacles and the like) I won't like them as much, but as of right now I'm quite relieved that they work that well -- I was scared.

On a side note, people have been complaining about pre-rendered FMV cutscenes -- they integrate really well into the game! All the outdoors shots were done in-engine and captured, and aside from the camera work are hard to tell from actual in-game footage. Overall the game (well the first hour of it) has a very nice polish and flow to it. I'm a happy camper!

**^_^** · 09-04-2007

coolio, im getting it today........

**Stoffinator** · 09-04-2007

No, controls are not fine.

**psloco** · 09-04-2007

go head game tell him the true!!!!!!!!! dont buy that ****!

**Stoffinator** · 09-04-2007

Originally Posted by psloco

go head game tell him the true!!!!!!!!! dont buy that ****!

He can buy it if he wants, its his money.

**Muzikguy** · 09-04-2007

Hey and that's just the first hour man. Wait until later the game gets so much better!

**Bitbydeath** · 09-05-2007

Originally Posted by The Game

No, controls are not fine.

Have you tried it with the update yet? The game isn't out here yet, i might just hire it to see for myself...

**Muzikguy** · 09-05-2007

Originally Posted by The Game

No, controls are not fine.

That's crazy man, I have no problems with them (except for the 180 flip)

**jphuff** · 09-05-2007

Originally Posted by alexcote

Just got home an hour ago with Lair, gave it a try. I only had an hour to play it (have to go in a few minutes). I played the tutorial and the first mission.

I had extremely low expectations after reading all the horrible reviews -- was expecting my dragon to fly around randomly and not respond to movement. Well, I absolutely love the controls. Only took me a couple minutes to get the hang of it (before the "fly through the loops" part of the tutorial), then I was flying like a pro. At the beginning of the first real mission, you take off from a high bridge in your city (which is situated high above a waterfall), and after taking off I actually managed to fly down and through one of the arches below a bridge. Flawlessly, as easy as if I was using analog sticks in Warhawk. And that's like 5 minutes into using the control scheme.

I was then attacking dragons left and right, and at no point did I ever get the feeling that my dragon wasn't being responsive. I'm not sure if today's update fixed the control issues that reviewers were talking about, or if my movement style just works with the game better than theirs, but well, controls are quite decent as far as I'm concerned.

Granted I only played an hour or so of the game -- I only wanted to try out the controls. I haven't got used to targetting and attacking yet (I found the control tips that pop up to be too small and hard to read in the midst of combat), but that's on par with other games where there's a learning curve before I get used to the buttons. Flight-control wise though? Motion sensing works flawlessly, and is enjoyable.

I'm sorry if this thread isn't relevant to most people, but I wanted to post my humble impression for those peeps who aren't sure yet if they want to pick it up or not. All I have to say is, controls so far work quite well. I'm not trying to say the other reviewers are tools for not figuring out the controls -- maybe the update did fix them, or maybe the controls don't work for some people (depending on the type of motions you make). Maybe when I get into missions with trickier flight plans (obstacles and the like) I won't like them as much, but as of right now I'm quite relieved that they work that well -- I was scared.

On a side note, people have been complaining about pre-rendered FMV cutscenes -- they integrate really well into the game! All the outdoors shots were done in-engine and captured, and aside from the camera work are hard to tell from actual in-game footage. Overall the game (well the first hour of it) has a very nice polish and flow to it. I'm a happy camper!

Well, I believe the update today was primarily just for Warhawk. Not sure though. I beat Lair this weekend and didn't notice any control issues just like you state. I've now tried it WITH the update and don't notice any difference. Still controls just as well as it did before!

Regardless, good to hear that ANOTHER person who's played Lair likes it. Hope this game sells really well and makes all those reviewers with their bogus reviews eat their words!

**Stoffinator** · 09-05-2007

Originally Posted by Bitbydeath

Have you tried it with the update yet? The game isn't out here yet, i might just hire it to see for myself...

No I have not. WH has taken my time. Sad part is, that isn't working fully either.

Originally Posted by Muzikguy

That's crazy man, I have no problems with them (except for the 180 flip)

Good for you. Want a cookie?

**findaway** · 09-05-2007

Just like you, i found the tilting to be pretty responsive as i said in the other thread. I just think some negative comments about the controls are extremely exaggerated, or people just didnt bother to follow the tutorials, i mean the reviews dont even mention it.

**mastershake86** · 09-05-2007

Originally Posted by jphuff

Well, I believe the update today was primarily just for Warhawk. Not sure though. I beat Lair this weekend and didn't notice any control issues just like you state. I've now tried it WITH the update and don't notice any difference. Still controls just as well as it did before!

Regardless, good to hear that ANOTHER person who's played Lair likes it. Hope this game sells really well and makes all those reviewers with their bogus reviews eat their words!

I read on the official PS underground forums that the update had NOTHING to do with WH. I know that with some of the other PSN sixaxis games my friends couldn't control it, but I was fine. They are mostly drunks maybe that is why

D

**gigadigit** · 09-05-2007

i think lair is the most immersive game i've played because of the controls. it's pretty easy to get used to.

**Ljwinter** · 09-05-2007

I finished Lair yesterday and I thought it was a good game, not great but overall it was exciting. Everyone is complaining about the controls and I think they work fine, the only issue I have is when I crash into something and my dragon goes its own way and then I lose my sense of direction. Other than that though, its very good. People are just so used to playing FPS's and other SIMPLE games that trying something this difficult (I prefer frustrating) that they give it no chance at all.

Is it me or are getting Golds extremely difficult?

**voom99** · 09-05-2007

I think with all the mixed reviews floating around, we need a demo out SOON.

**Shakala** · 09-05-2007

Originally Posted by Ljwinter

I finished Lair yesterday and I thought it was a good game, not great but overall it was exciting. Everyone is complaining about the controls and I think they work fine, the only issue I have is when I crash into something and my dragon goes its own way and then I lose my sense of direction. Other than that though, its very good. People are just so used to playing FPS's and other SIMPLE games that trying something this difficult (I prefer frustrating) that they give it no chance at all.

Is it me or are getting Golds extremely difficult?

It's not just you. I'm trying to find out who's leg you have to hump just to get one. I lost one by 9 milliseconds I was so angry

**alexcote** · 09-05-2007

Originally Posted by Muzikguy

That's crazy man, I have no problems with them (except for the 180 flip)

Same here, I hadn't really figured that one out... wasn't clear on if I needed to yank the controller up, or up towards me (ie slamming my face with it), or what.

Originally Posted by voom99

I think with all the mixed reviews floating around, we need a demo out SOON.

I agree. Then people can find out if they like the controls or not.

Sorry to hear that you don't like it The Game, especially coming from another Torontonian

Maybe you and others expect the tilting motion to have a different kind of effect on the dragon... personally I had envisionned the controls to work just like they do, so overall it was very intuitive to me and I'm happy with Lair's controls.

**Stoffinator** · 09-05-2007

Originally Posted by alexcote

Sorry to hear that you don't like it The Game, especially coming from another Torontonian

Maybe you and others expect the tilting motion to have a different kind of effect on the dragon... personally I had envisionned the controls to work just like they do, so overall it was very intuitive to me and I'm happy with Lair's controls.

Its not the tilting so much as is, when it says "Hit R2+L2" etc to land and you do (over land) the Dragon just flaps its wing as if its thinking "duh, what do I do?" I just find the delay in the controls not very responsive for a game that is some what of a timed game. Also when you do the motion for the dragon to go faster, if often triggers the 180. Its stuff like this that I don't like about it. There are other stuff, but I can live with those if the controls just worked.

**towerman** · 09-05-2007

It may be the "placebo effect" but I'm pretty sure that the controller respond faster and has more precision with the new 1.92 patch.

Before that I was enjoying Lair but would have rated the control 6/10 but now it's more like 8/10. Nice !

**motokoStratos** · 09-05-2007

I just purchased Lair and finished the first two missions. The graphics are very amazing and highly detailed. The presentation is one of the best I've seen in a game. The audio (score, sound effects, and voice acting) is really great. The motion control seems very intuitive to me.

**Roth** · 09-05-2007

Controls are not fine.

Played it for about 8 hours now, the controls never feel "fluid"

The game is still pretty fun to play, and its worth playing, unfortunately the controls are not very good, no matter how you try to justify it.

However, it doesnt deserve the 4.5 type scores its been getting, I'd rate it around a 6.5, what it lacks in controls it makes up for in other ways.

**Gtek500** · 09-05-2007

Originally Posted by Muzikguy

That's crazy man, I have no problems with them (except for the 180 flip)

that becomes 2nd nature halfway through the game i pretend theres a horizontal line and the sixaxis is on it and if you pull it up above the line fast itll do the flip go under the line and u speed forward practice it

**bad_calvin** · 09-05-2007

The only problem I have with the game is if I hit a wall or something the dragon flies in a weird direction, and it takes a couple seconds to regain control. Otherwise targeting, flying and such work great. I am still trying to figure out the combo's and such, but I think the game works great! Love it! Can't wait for a second one!

**LiQuiFiedArt** · 09-05-2007

The FMV's arent the problem (Infact they are AWESOME).

one of my issues is the cut-scenes during the objectives (showing you where to go). they happen kinda often on some levels. But i found out you can press 'X' and skip them.

**BelieveIt** · 09-06-2007

Originally Posted by bad_calvin

The only problem I have with the game is if I hit a wall or something the dragon flies in a weird direction, and it takes a couple seconds to regain control. Otherwise targeting, flying and such work great. I am still trying to figure out the combo's and such, but I think the game works great! Love it! Can't wait for a second one!

That's exactly my problem too. You get to close to a wall and you start going in crazy directions. My only other complaint is that when you toss a soldier or animal, the camera will follow it and I get disoriented with where I'm going for a second. I do like the ragdoll physics of it and it is cool to watch it happen but returning to action after the fact is a little hard for me at least.

It's all a matter of taste and patience with Lair and not a clear cut 'it's a bad or good game'. I had a buddy over to try the game out because I've been impressed with it and he absolutely hated it. I think it was part frustration and part pride but he couldn't get the hang of it even after about 90 mins of play and he just gave up stating that it was garbage. It's a challenging game to master but in no way do I see what the reviewers are talking about with it being repetive or uncontrollable.