The Star Wars: Rogue Squadron development team takes a break from X-Wings to create a game with a new type of flying beast -- the dragon. Lair puts players into the seat of a skyguard, who rides atop a dragon in intense aerial combat. Use the PlayStation 3 SIXAXIS controller to fly the dragon through the air, downing enemies using flames and some well-timed biting and clawing.

The game opens by introducing gamers to a world divided into two warring cultures -- one ruled by religion and the other by technology. To fight their battles, both sides use dragons that breathe fire or ice. The developers say they want to use Lair to tell a fantasy story that deals with war, but also to bring big, powerful dragons back into the limelight.

Critics like to say the PS3 doesn't have enough exclusive games to justify its high cost. Lair looks to remedy the situation by not only being a PS3 exclusive, but also taking full advantage of the PS3's motion-sensor controller. Tilting the controller directs the dragon while tapping the X button drives it forward. Snapping the controller upwards turns the dragon the other direction. It doesn't take long before this control method feels like second nature. However, Lair aspires to be more than high-flying air chases with fireballs. A fire blast can easily defeat weak creatures and destroy catapults and ships, but higher-level dragons are immune. Deal with more powerful threats by locking onto them and diving at them or go-head-to head with claws at the ready. We preferred this method, especially since it's an easy way to fill the carnage meter, which eventually unlocks rewards and new attack moves.

Although friendly artificial intelligence will sometimes help fight foes, players need to keep mission objectives and a time limit in mind while dodging projectiles and taking down hostile dragons. All but a few of these dragons prefer to run than engage, so players will have to hone their pursue and attack skills.

In addition, they can raise the body count further by landing in the middle of an army and tear through them using a combination of fire, clawing and biting. When the dragon lands, the control scheme switches seamlessly from the SIXAXIS tilt to traditional analog sticks. While on foot, pick up different objects, especially animals, and throw them to deliver extra damage. For any anti-PETA types out there, players can also set fur-covered creatures on fire before hurdling them into a pile of enemies. Grabbing and moving objects will also play into solving different puzzles.

Lair's graphics will purportedly take full advantage of the PS3 hardware, with full 1080p support and the ability to stream in textures as landscapes come into view, thanks to the system's powerful Cell processor. Weather and lighting, combined with the high-grade sound design, make the world come alive. Developers say the dragons were modeled after dinosaurs, and everything from their leathery wings to scaled hides appear rendered in painstaking detail.

The game generally consists of completing certain objectives within a certain time frame, but those limits won't be as severe as they were in -- for those who played -- Rogue Squadron. Earn badges by completing missions with massive carnage ratings to unlock powerful attack combos. A rewards screen shows players where they need to improve and allows them to repeat missions to earn better medals. As the first game in a (possibly) ongoing series, most of the attention has mainly been placed on control, story and environment. Regrettably, this means that Lair won't have any multiplayer capabilities outside of comparing scores on online leaderboards.

Look for the PS3-only fantasy-dragon-combat game in July 2007.

Related Links

Lair Game Guide

Official Website

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