Review: 'Lair' looks gorgeous, but game play a bungled mess

"Lair" is a beautiful fantasy-action game with a good story and extraordinary music.

Too bad it's virtually unplayable.

This is because the Sony PlayStation 3 exclusive is one of the most difficult video games to control in recent memory.

It employs the PS3's SIXAXIS motion-sensing control scheme built into the wireless controller, meaning you tilt the game pad in the direction you want to go, but it sounds much easier in theory than it is in practice. While Nintendo's wireless motion-sensing Wii Remote controller is so intuitive a child can perform the action, "Lair" on the PS3 is a bungled mess. And you can't choose to turn this feature off.

The story tells of a peaceful and prosperous Asylian civilization under attack by the war-hungry Mokai race and the huge creatures trained to do their bidding.

You play as an Asylian warrior named Rohn, a dragon rider and member of the elite Sky Guard, who wards off the assault in the skies, over the seas and on the ground. Some of these battles are quite epic in scope, such as dozens of flying creatures fighting above crumbling cities, battling through hundreds of soldiers on the ground or swooping down to breathe fire on a rival ship's sails so they burst into flames and sink.

Sounds like fun, no? No. Because maneuvering your dragon through the air and targeting enemies has a steep learning curve -- and even once you get used to it after the fourth or fifth short mission, it still doesn't feel natural.

Here's a sample of what players must remember: After you mount your dragon and take flight, you tilt the controller left or right to bank your dragon in the desired direction, while ascending and descending is performed by tilting the controller up or down.

Dashing requires you to drop the controller altogether, while pulling a 180 is achieved by lifting the controller up. Dodging left or right is achieved by moving the controller left or right when prompted. You accelerate by tapping the "X" button and brake using the L2 or R2 buttons. You also can pan and tilt the camera around and simultaneously hit targets physically or with projectile attacks with dragon fire.

Visually, the game is spectacular. If movies such as "Eragon" and "Braveheart" had a baby, it might look something like "Lair." This is one of the first 1080p-supported games, so all 1,080 lines of resolution are displayed at once on a compatible HDTV, resulting in a rich and colorful picture.

The cut-scene sequences, where you'll learn more about these warring cultures and Rohn's character, also look gorgeous. Available in up to 7.1 surround sound, the music soundtrack rivals a Hollywood blockbuster -- the epic score was composed by Academy Award-nominated composer John Debney of "Sin City" and "The Passion of the Christ" fame.

The sad truth is that there seems to be a good game buried in "Lair," but the difficult control will prevent many players from finding it. E-mail to a friend

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