LAIR Thread - * Rules: post #469

[betan]

That said, the reviewer didn't impress me very much,

Yeah, it was interesting that Garnett's complain was about RS with dragons, and called controls "cool". I don't consider him a proficient gamer nor reviewer but if the game is indeed RS with dragons I wouldn't complain about his score.

Fortunately I haven't played RS.

However, I listened the Full Moon (Insomniac) podcast. My main concern with the game is the medal system which seems to be the main reason to go dragon boxing, or other fireball-free attacks. If the medals are nothing more than achievements/accomplishments/skill points, with no effect on how game advances, that is hardly a motivation for me. I'm not big fan of sandbox style either.

As of now it seems, I will wait for a demo.

 

[iceberg187]

As above, the guy in the 1up show actually didn't have a gripe with the controls. He just thought the game was far too much like Rogue Squadron, without the radar and the cool licence, and that the graphics although technically impressive looked as if they've had chocolate poured over them. He mentions the game even has a scene where you use some kind of grappling hook to topple a big mammoth like creature just as you do in Roque Squadron. He felt that Factor 5 was basically making the same game over and over again and without fixing any of the original issues to boot (even making some worse).

He did also say that he liked a bunch of stuff, like the huge battles, wreaking havok with the dragon on the ground armies, and such. But in the end he said it was a lot like a dragon fanmod for roque squadron. Another thing he mentioned was that the difference between shooting fire or lasers was ... not there really.

Now I can't say the Roque Squadron bothers me, and probably shouldn't bother a whole lot of other people either, because not that many people had GameCubes (I certainly didn't). But it does bother me of course that he keeps remaking an old game without doing new stuff.

That said, the reviewer didn't impress me very much, and considering how much he loves Bioshock, it's already clear to me that our tastes vary hugely. Because no matter how impressed I am with what Bioshock does, it's gameworld has not just a neutral, but a negative appeal to me. My girlfriend would love it on the other hand (she enjoys that kind of setting), but then I don't think she'd enjoy the gameplay very much.

Anyway, I'm still waiting for a good review. It doesn't have to be positive, but it does have to be good ...

I guess I'll have to play it myself though. Mind you I'm not saying that EGM is wrong with their score per se, but the guy had a bad angle on the game compared to where I'm coming from. The game lacked soul, according to him. That's fine. But did he even play it a lot? He was probably just bummed with every minute that took him away from Bioshock.

3 people review games in EGM, and all three gave it a bad score, not just Garnett.

 

[Todd33]

Hopefully they fix the control issues. Every review Ive read, has talked about them. You can only use the sixaxis control, and not the analog sticks. They said its very hard, and clumsy to control, and the main gripe about the game.

Unless you have links you are generalizing too much, considering there are only two reviews. I think people just want to hate Lair and are tuning on their negative only filters.

 

[dantruon]

why are people focus on the bad review and not on the good one such as the Play Magazine where they give this game a perfect score. If anything, both reviews should cancel each other out so that we should wait for more reviews before we know whether this game is very good or very bad.

 

[Cheezdoodles]

why are people focus on the bad review and not on the good one such as the Play Magazine where they give this game a perfect score. If anything, both reviews should cancel each other out so that we should wait for more reviews before we know whether this game is very good or very bad.

Because Play Magazine gave Sonic the Hedgedog 9.5\10 ???

A game that got absymal 50% average scores everywhere else. Thats why people dont care about play magazine.

 

[dantruon]

Because Play Magazine gave Sonic the Hedgedog 9.5\10 ???

A game that got absymal 50% average scores everywhere else. Thats why people dont care about play magazine.

I thought that was the US Play Magazine and not the Uk Play Magazine which reviewed Lair.

 

[scooby_dooby]

I think people just want to hate Lair and are tuning on their negative only filters.

Actually, it sounds as if the game does have signifigant problems. Listening to the 1up show they blasted it pretty hard.

Although it probably is a lightning rod for anti-PS3 trolls, on the other side, I think alot of people are already 'sold' on the hype, and don't want to believe that it might not be a great game.

 

[Todd33]

Actually, it sounds as if the game does have signifigant problems. Listening to the 1up show they blasted it pretty hard.

Although it probably is a lightning rod for anti-PS3 trolls, on the other side, I think alot of people are already 'sold' on the hype, and don't want to believe that it might not be a great game.

1up = EGM right? The one negative review that been rehashed over and over, hence my comment about generalizing one review and calling it "reviews".

Here is some info on the musical score:

My name is John Debney, and I’m a music composer working in Hollywood, scoring films such as “Passion of the Christâ€￾ and “Sin City.â€￾ I also composed the soundtrack for LAIR, and wanted to share a bit about that experience with you guys, as well as offer you a sample of the game’s music.

Composing the music for LAIR has been an incredible creative experience. The teams at Factor 5 and SCEA, gave me great freedom and latitude to develop something unique and perhaps unprecedented. Creating new, original themes for this primal world has been one of the most stimulating experiences of my career, something I will look back on and cherish

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/08/13/the-lair-score-part-one/

 

[patsu]

Actually, it sounds as if the game does have signifigant problems. Listening to the 1up show they blasted it pretty hard.

Although it probably is a lightning rod for anti-PS3 trolls, on the other side, I think alot of people are already 'sold' on the hype, and don't want to believe that it might not be a great game.

Someone told me 1UP blasted Lair because it felt like Rogue Squadron all over again (but with better graphics and sound, and a different story). Then, we have mixed feedback about SIXAXIS dragon flight. There are also isolated reports about a few memorable battles towards the end.

I have not played any Rogue Squadron yet. Just did a quick check on metacritic.com, the various RS game scored 75 to 90. Will reserve judgement until I get my own copy and play.

 

[scooby_dooby]

Someone told me 1UP blasted Lair because it felt like Rogue Squadron all over again (but with better graphics and sound, and a different story).

Well, the problem wasn't just that it felt like RS, but that it just didn't 'work'.

He said RS worked since it was set in the Star Wars universe, and it was all a cohesive game, whereas LAIR feels like a mashup of RS with dragons, and just doesn't feel right.

Now, like I said, EGM doesn't have much credibility to me, so I'm much more interested to see what gamespot says.

 

[morlock]

I've heard that 1up.com practically is a Microsoft project, is there any truth to this?

 

[Tap In]

I've heard that 1up.com practically is a Microsoft project, is there any truth to this?

umm, no

 

[wowfactor]

I've heard that 1up.com practically is a Microsoft project, is there any truth to this?

It is the truth though.

I heard MS is bribing EGM and 1up networks.
They hires 2 guys straight out of 1up networks. Those 2 guys are pro-MS. That at least set the tone that if you want to work for me you need to show some deeds.

 

[scooby_dooby]

I've heard that 1up.com practically is a Microsoft project, is there any truth to this?

Kameo: Elements of Power: 6/10
http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3145864&sec=REVIEWS

Ummm...nope.

 

[Laa-Yosh]

Actually, it sounds as if the game does have signifigant problems.

I still believe that something went seriously wrong with the development of Lair and they had to do something close to a scrap and restart a little more then a year ago.

There's a lot of inconsistency between the early tech demo and the first game screenshots that came almost a year after. Final levels and content look rushed and unpolished, significant changes were added only weeks before the gold master, and important performance optimizations were implemented even after handing out review copies of the game.

It pretty much looks to me like their original goals were too ambitious, and they had to redesign the game and much of the engine and the technology. Budgetary constraints then forced them to rush Lair out the door, keeping it from becoming a well polished and memorable game.

Make no mistake, it has happend so many times in the game industry that it's pretty much the norm And of course the 360 had its share of rushed games too, like Perfect Dark Zero. It's kinda inevitable that one of this year's PS3 projects will not be able to live up to the hype as well...

 

[wowfactor]

Kameo: Elements of Power: 6/10
http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3145864&sec=REVIEWS

Ummm...nope.

That was before MS was tied with 1up networks. The deal was sealed few months after the launch of the 360.

 

[Laa-Yosh]

Yeah, I didn't get all the cheers about Kameo either. I've been wondering where Rare's artists have lost their taste...

 

[Cheezdoodles]

I heard MS is bribing EGM and 1up networks.
They hires 2 guys straight out of 1up networks. Those 2 guys are pro-MS. That at least set the tone that if you want to work for me you need to show some deeds.

All publishers bribe gaming journalists. I doubt MS has some special deal with 1up just because your favorite game got shafted in a review.

 

[wowfactor]

All publishers bribe gaming journalists. I doubt MS has some special deal with 1up just because your favorite game got shafted in a review.

No you are not looking at the right angle.
Just few examples:
This was happening few months after the launch of the 360 (when the deal was sealed).
All 360 game reviews got a boost.
2 pro-MS guys went to work for MS.
The egm issue that was out on the same month with the launch of the PS3 had Halo 3 on the cover.
and much more like Peter Moore visited 1up networks' office dozens of times.
You put the dots together and you'll see the whole picture.

 

[valioso]

That was before MS was tied with 1up networks. The deal was sealed few months after the launch of the 360.

wow... just wow.