Lair

(Sony for PS3)
by Mike Delano

Hating Lair is pretty much the equivalent of loving BioShock in the gaming press. It’s pretty much a commandment. But I like Lair! And there’s nothing I can do to shake it! Really, there are more than enough reasons to dump on the game. The now-infamous motion-sensing control scheme will inspire you to yell at your screen, without question. Many of the missions are too short, and the objectives are often dumb. The storyline offers few thrills or surprises.

So what is there to like? Unfortunately, all I can offer is the ultimate writer’s copout: There’s just something about it. The graphics obviously play a big role. The game is beautiful, and the creators have put together some truly awe-inspiring scenarios, from quiet, starlit night raids to massive land/air battles to showdowns with towering sea serpents. It’s almost everything you’d want to see in a flying dragon action game. Unfortunately, the controls, which are as busted as everything you’ve heard, will prevent gamers from wanting to explore even past the first few levels. It’s understandable. I stuck with it and found that, while the controls don’t get any better, the exciting feeling of controlling your dragon with the Sixaxis controller is something that, when improved, could be amazing. And considering that many of the mission layouts, if not objectives, are already amazing, Lair is the year’s most charmingly flawed hodgepodge. There’s good stuff here, and plenty of bad stuff, and it all somehow coexists well enough to win an odd spot on the list of 2007’s most captivating game experiences.
(www.us.playstation.com)