New technologies - new challenges. And the year with a little hard life on PlayStation 3 in the market persistently proves this assertion. In a relatively short period of time the console has been repeatedly pleased fans with new, really good games - but also bitter disappointment enough. Among the recent foreign press had brought a special place Lair, very curious brainchild team Factor 5, which has become perhaps one of the biggest failures of 2007 on the console from Sony. Castle smasher and disparaging reviews poured in a game since last August. We consciously decided to wait for a European, almost half a year delayed the release - just fade away disputes critics, the dust settles, so in a calm atmosphere to determine whether so scary dragon, as he is painted.
 | |  | Rasshvyryat hundred or two marines? Easier than to choose a candy from a baby! | | Large dragons, like that pictured in this frame, usually impervious to the fire - not to avoid the melee. |
On the runway Writing a story about knights and flying lizard, Factor 5 big risk - and it's not only a change of platform and publisher; for many years the studio earned mainly on the intellectual property of George Lucas, releasing one after the other shooters (otmennye!) line of Rogue Squadron - and skated like cheese in butter. There was no need to worry about the plot, do not have to puzzle over the design of ships and even the musical accompaniment was applied to a soup plate with blue border - take it and enjoy it on health, only about the royalties do not forget. Now the rules have changed abruptly. Instead of the far-predalekoy galaxy - scorched earth volcanoes unknown planet, instead nee good rebel and always evil empire - the state Mokai and Azilia with dubious political positions. The protagonist is also similar to Luke Skywalker's very remote and can not yet boast of a crowd of loyal fans who buy all related products indiscriminately. But to perform noble deeds Ron does not want to squeeze into tight cabin X-Wing - his place on the back of a dragon that is ready to burn enemies with fire, and tear into pieces with sharp claws.
Quietly flying, no one without firing, can be extremely rare - and very briefly. A sample of the wing Baptism of fire does not herald a disaster - let manage scaly "konyagoy, tilting and shaking Sixaxis, at first, and unusual.Nevertheless, the first half hour flight took place in a calm atmosphere, and the lingering skirmishes with the enemy hardly will be for someone to test it. Raise vague doubts troubled his head a little bit later, with an appearance on the first screen of enemy dragons. In fights with them already have boldly maneuver dramatically unfurling own vehicle, adding or, conversely, dropping speed. Nothing complicated, but increasingly annoying misfires happen - it can not rotate, then the Trust reptile refuses to slow down the flight. And yet for the entrance level of large claims is not. Referred to the roughness, of course, confuse, but the initial stages generally infrequent can judge the quality of the whole project, because developers do not usually slow to spread on the table at once all the cards, preferring to use them only when a player has mastered the technical intricacies of the process. In the case of Lair, alas, to trump it never comes (do not have any), but the problems are multiplying, growing, like a snowball, and kept threatening to crush the player. And chief among them - the same management, whereby an ordinary shooter with a gigantic winged lizards instead of the rebel X-Wing was preparing to trample into the mud conservative brethren in the genre.
 | Speckled Beauty |
From the first frame Lair breathtaking - so look stunning picture. And what we see in the final version? Conflicting impressions. In dignity certainly get excellent models of dragons and other monsters - detailed, well animated, sometimes shaking believable, alive. The number of objects on the screen is impressive, too - some of the shots seemed to cut out the battle scenes of The Lord of the Rings. " But the gaps missing - here you and the complete absence of smoothing, texture and slovenly, and "fall out" pieces of scenery. In addition, at certain stages pretty annoyed lack of coverage - have literally flying blind. Fortunately, the music business are much better - the soundtrack Lair authors can be justly proud.
 | |  | Try and shoot down enemy air operations off course! | | Night of the mission is complicated not only violent resistance enemy air defenses, but poor visibility. |
Treacherous blow Yes, until the case had not gone to the major battles on land and in the air, you can peacefully enjoy the flight, paying no attention to the fact that the dragon listens "swaying" controller reluctantly - say, a proud beast, not every subject. But as the pace of events is growing and new jobs roll in one after another, you is not up to the subtleties of psychology, a mythical beast. There would be time to turn around, do not land into the clutches of the enemy dragon, and is believed to aim at ... no, have to adjust to the whims of the gyroscope - and damn hurry authors Lair, either had no time or did not might want to check, is it really work well in their revolutionary ideas.
Take, for example, certainly for the genre feature lock-on, or, in other words, the ability to hold the selected foe at gunpoint. It would seem, what with her may be misfiring? Highlight a separate button, allowing the player to decide on whom to attack in the first place - and I believe half the job done. Employees of Factor 5 and did ... and made this component of the combat system in a nightmare. Not only was the target on the screen, almost invisible, in addition, he has a stormy personal life, bringing sorrow-drakonavtov to white heat.Would you like to shoot a huge monster that crept too close to you? Your right - but first try to get a sight "get away" from looming in the distance enemy, whom you so far and did not pay attention. Now imagine that happening in the virtual sky is not the appearance of two or three, and dozens of nimble enemies? On sighting the shooting can not even dream of - instead have to blindly spitting fire right and left, hoping to be at least in someone. However, the described trouble - just flowers, but because without the berries does not manage. The next step - the battle with the land forces of the enemy, yet another serious challenge for the nervous system.
Trample infantry quite simple: flying around under the feet of tiny creatures no appreciable resistance, but their number can not reflect the accuracy of the attacks - someone will surely catch. But with the infantry in combat, and often involved a variety of "special forces", the monsters looked like a hybrid bulls with rhinos, and now with a handle can be difficult - mainly because of the need to strike sighting. The situation is complicated by the fact that you rarely can focus solely on the ground, or, conversely, to air - if you please keep up here and there, always responding to the hysterical cries of allies again Caught up in a mess.
In truth, the complicated game called Lair is impossible - even allowing for the confusion with the sight and lost due to abortive maneuvers, the majority of tasks is fairly simple, good conditions to win at most levels are sufficiently flexible. Following the tradition of the series Rogue Leader, the authors once again used the system of awards (bronze, silver and so on) - they are awarded upon completion of each phase. And if you win the highest score is in force only the most stubborn, the student's record "bronze" easily goes into the hands of any beginner, you dare to ride the dragon. By the way, medals are a pass to the small, but they are not less pleasant bonus, like the colorful videos and materials to create the project.
 | |  | Maneuver in narrow gorges is not so easy - and to fight and does almost impossible. | | Try not to fall into such rays of light - the dragons, they cause severe pain. |
To work - and pay Put the final evaluation games like Lair, - work extremely ungrateful. On the one hand, many technical faults and shortcomings there, close to their eyes simply will not work. At the same time, we can not help but marvel at the courage Factor 5 - the only team today who risked the fullest use idle idle function notorious controller. Yes, the risk does not hurt justified, resulting in a potential blockbuster, made a sort of scapegoat, which drew off all and sundry. However, Lair, with all the clumsiness and heaviness is a good chance to become the starting point for future "games with gyroscopes. And because the originally planned five-a-half "become shaky" six-plus "- madness of the brave we are, so be it, add the score.
| And who will fight - I'll bite! |
Arsenal have the dragon turned out rather rich. For ranged attacks will fit bunches of flame in the melee would be very useful powerful jaws, sharp claws and powerful wings.Moreover, resorting to the "cold" weapons are not only in cases where the enemy crept too close - claws and teeth are often the only way to settle accounts with the enemy, who does not act spitting fire (and there are plenty of the world's Lair). Living ram - is not the latest tool in the fight for supremacy in the air, although because of the management features to master this technique is not so simple. By the way, Ron Knight, our taciturn protagonist, is also something that can - thanks to him you'll be able to crack down on the enemy horsemen. To do this, get close to the intended victim close, and then doing some shortcut commands (without them, as you see in modern games anywhere), get Ron to move to the back of another lizard, throw the pursuer of the saddle, and then get rid of most "horse .
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