2002 Encore
Back in 1983, a few people set out to create an entirely new videogame experience. Their goal was create a game that was more of an interactive movie. Not just heavy on cut scenes, but to actually be one large cinema. The game was created using laser disc technology, which was a new way to access large stores of media quickly. The result was an animated game about a knight named Dirk, using the animation of acclaimed artist Don Bluth. Even though the interaction in the game was minimal, you still needed to have your wits about you to save the damsel. As they tested your reflexes you got to either live another couple seconds, or die a painful death.
Probably from a combination of newness and flash, the game went on to be a big hit in the coin-op industry. Today the same creators are back at it once again to revive the series using todays sophisticated technology. Instead of using the archaic interactive movies with little interaction, you now gain full control over Dirks actions. Dirk gets his hands on a sword, crossbow, and many new special abilities. You will need all of these to survive the Dragons lair. Lets see what the council had to say:
Features- Similar art style to the original.
- Cell shaded animation.
- Over 250 rooms to explore.
- An epic score to compliment the action.
Jason Nuyens: I had a lot of mixed feelings about Dragons Lair. The first thing I had a tough time with is trying to separate this game from the previous incarnations. Truthfully, I didnt even really like the old arcade game. So playing this game was definitely an improvement over the old games. So Im having trouble trying to keep things in perspective. Sure, this game is a very welcome change for the series, but that doesnt mean it stands up flawlessly against other games on the market today.
The gameplay is essentially a mock-up of Zelda without the high degree of polish. And Im going to get this out on the table right away: This game tries to be Zelda far too much. Remember how you got the feeling from Starfox Adventures that it was a flawed attempt to copy Zelda? Well this is the same deal really. Some elements are actually shameless knock-offs like the eye targets that you have to shoot with an arrow (at which point the eye closes, also just like Ocarina of Time.) We also have Zeldas lock-on which isnt implemented very well. The second you lock on to something your movement becomes stiff and Dirk begins to trudge slower than molasses in January. Because of this I had to avoid locking on at all costs. This isnt my idea of well-implemented game mechanics.
Luckily though, the game isnt all bad. One thing I really enjoyed was the difficulty level. Sometimes the game was so hard I was having trouble believing what they were asking of me. In a way, it felt like Metroid Fusion at points, where the difficulty was high but it helped to make the game addictive. And even though there were some rough spots where it was trial-and-error, for the most part the difficulty was an excellent aspect of the game. I just wish that the controls didnt get in the way some times to make the game needlessly challenging sometimes.
As you all know, games like Zelda (which this game is definitely trying to mimic) persevere because partly because of the tight controls. If you want to use your sword, just hit the sword button and Link will promptly draw it and use it right away. In Dragons Lair, sheathing and unsheathing your sword is a task on its own. Say you want to jump to a ledge where there a couple enemies awaiting your fury. You have to press down on the digital pad to sheath your sword, Y button to jump, and once your back on the ledge you have to press down on the digital pad again to unsheathe your sword. Only after you have done completing these steps can you take a good swing at the baddies. It definitely makes the game plenty hard though (even if it is artificial difficulty.)
But beyond that you have a very interesting adventure. The entire game plays off of stereotypes, which surprisingly works very well in the games favor. Dirk needs to save the dame who is obviously guarded by a giant menacing dragon in a cave filled with riches. Both Dirk and Daphnes personalities are incredibly exaggerated, and so, it creates a classic rendition of the brave knight who is out to save his girl. At first it was a bit of a turn-off with the cheesy voices for the distressed princess, but after a while I like it.
To do the series justice, the game is displayed with cell-shaded 3D graphics. I have to say that the cell-shading is great. The main character looks absolutely fabulous, as well as a number of enemies. The animation is definitely a bit stiff though. Transitions between different animations are too noticeable and could have used some ironing before release. And although the cell shading is great, the frame-rate is horrid. I remember at some points I could purposely lower it slide-show quality. It wasnt always this bad, but having an unstable frame-rate is the quickest way to sour all the hard work that went into things like animation and special effects. Such a shame really, as the characters look great.
The absolute best part of the game though, without a doubt, is the music. It actually sounds just like a movie score. Some of the action sequences wouldnt have been near as interesting if they didnt have this riveting music. Definitely some of the best I have heard in a while in terms of videogame music. On the other side of the coin though, the sound could have used some extra work. Some of the sounds didnt even loop properly (like a waterfall sound skipping every time it loops). Something like this can really yank you out of this fantasy world for a second or two, which is not a desired effect. Immersion in a game like this is paramount, and if even the sound clips even have bugs in them it really makes it harder to play without distraction.
I actually had fun with this game while it lasted. It definitely isnt the best game Ive ever played, but it did have a lot of great moments like trying to out-run a giant dragon while everything is crumbling in front of you. The arcade feel comes back in full-force but this time with way more control. Which brings me back to my original statement: The game is better than the older titles, but still not as great as todays great games. And with Zelda being released, well, I would rather have the real McCoy. I look forward to the next Dragons Lair. Especially for all of the improvements that would come with it.