We take the reins of Factor 5's dragon-based PS3 exclusive, Lair.
Joining an increasing range of games exclusively destined for PS3, Lair (a working title) puts players astride an enormous dragon, laying waste to legions of enemies in a fantasy-themed world of enormous scale. If you've ever witnessed the incredible battle sequences in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films - especially The Return of the King - then you've got a fair idea of how Lair's battles look.
Grandiose architecture, the apocalyptic sense of opposing forces clashing, and the sheer scale of the battles we've witnessed so far all indicate that Lair is set to be something special when it sweeps onto PS3. The sequence we played took place over an enormous bridge structure, with legions of enemy forces confronting your allies below.
Saddle up Taking control of an enormous dragon, the Wireless Controller's motion sensitivity has been thoughtfully integrated into the game's control scheme to make flight a delightfully intuitive experience. Simply tilt the controller and your dragon follows suit - something that makes lining up an attack a joy. Jolt the controller downwards, and your dragon will tuck its wings in, surging forward in a short-lived burst of extra speed; jolt it up towards you and it will pull up, performing a near-instantaneous u-turn.
Ground-based manoeuvres are similarly considered. By landing amid the hundreds of enemy troops on the bridge, we could swipe out with our claws and burn troops with our fiery breath, while a jolt of the controller made the dragon perform a vicious stomping move, sending out a shockwave that knocked dozens of enemies off their feet. It all adds up to a wonderful, immersive feeling of control that simply couldn't be achieved until now.
Up, up and away Back in the air, it's also possible to take on enemy dragons and their riders; once enough damage has been done, your character can leap across to the opposing dragon, take on the enemy rider face to face. The developer apparently intends to introduce a series of button presses, in a system similar to that used in God of War, with successful players managing to knock the enemy rider to his doom - although with such outstanding visuals, it might prove difficult to concentrate on exactly what to press...
There's no doubt that Lair is set to be a phenomenally good-looking game. Still some way from completion, there's already an amazing level of detail and a convincing sense of scale evident - and Factor 5's ambition makes us think there's plenty more revelations still to come between now and the game's release. Check playstation.com for more on the game over the coming months.
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