Innovative and very ambitious, but it seems that Lair bit off a little more then it could chew,
The gameplay is this games best and worst feature all rolled into one. The awkwardness of the Sixaxis control set-up makes a horrid first impression on any gamer because it's VERY challenging to get a firm grasp on, it took me nearly 10 minutes to be able to perform the 180 move in the tutorial level, that left a very bitter taste in my mouth although within 45 minutes of gameplay I felt I had a very firm grasp on how to control the characters in the game.
This game may very well have the most steep learning curve of any game I have ever played, and that what made it such a pain to enjoy but it's a very high reward lesson. Once you get a firm grip on how maneuver it's actually a fairly functional system and one that once I got into it I really did thing was interesting and rather innovative. Far to often we credit games for simply building on the same old idea and adding to it, and we slam games for trying something new that we don't like right away, yet at the same time complain that there are ten thousands FPS's out there.
Lair did something very original with the controls, and it's rather function if you take the time to play it. The control system has its flaws; I will be the first to admit that. Combat can be tricky and the Sixaxis control system coupled with the very narrow scope of some levels makes its challenging, but I would question if regular controller control would have made these levels any easier? I rarely died because of a Sixaxis opps, that would not have killed me had I been using the D Pad. Combat control is tough but like many games requires you to get a feel for it, there is nothing else like Lair so all that stuff you hold to be true from decades of being a gamer go right out the window, which is annoying for gamers.
The story is interesting, but early on it's not interesting enough to make up for the learning curve that you have to deal with. Which is tragic because the story and the way it's played out is very interesting. The story is itself is not what really draws you in for the long run but the way the story is told. Storytelling may be Lairs best aspect, but once aspect most gamers will never get into because of the effort required to get to that point.
Graphically, what can I say? It's Art. This is the standard in which every fantasy game moving forward will strive to look like. Say what you will about the controls, and the combat, and the storyline you simply cannot question the fact that this is the best looking fantasy genre game so far this generation.
The landscapes are nothing short of breathtaking, and there are a few times in air combat where I simply was so taken back by the detail of a castle, tower, mountain range etc that I got blindsided by an enemy. The graphics are Lairs best feature hands down, if not for the look of this game I don't even think I would have picked it up to give it a shot, but this game is what I use to show people what next gen graphics look like.
The voice acting is excellent, there are about a million cut scenes where story is advanced and I will admit it can get rather annoying at times rather then a simple story advancement between levels it seems to happen almost at random which can be very frustrating, but it does not change the fact that the voice acting is very good.
The score is ambitious, and it suits the game very well. I have found in the last few years that the Fantasy genre has opted for a canned standard and very generic style of soundtrack taking the safe route rather then trying something interesting and it was a nice change to actually get to play a fantasy game with an interesting mix for the score. Also in 5.1 it's stunning, very well done.
It comes down to the question of value, would I pay full retail for this game? While I did, I did so solely to see if it was worth so you wouldn't have to. This is not a game that is worth its full retail, if you can get it at half retail its well worth the pick-up because the rental period is just not long enough for anyone to get truly comfortable with its control system so its hard to sell as a rental.
The first play through once if you can deal with the learning curve is a rewarding experience, but the lack of a multiplayer is just tragic I think that it would have been very interesting to have even the most basic team death match function within Lair. After your first full play though there is very little reason to go back to Lair other then to bask in the beauty of the game,
It's a rewarding visual experience for anyone who takes the time to learn the control system, but the reality is few will.