Dragon's Lair 3D is great!

[BHvrd]

I own the Xbox version of this game, so my comments are on it, i'm sure others are about the same though.

I really had serious doubts that this game was going to be anything worthwhile at all, but i've really been enjoying it quite a bit, and it couldn't have been done much better outside of some better character graphics, imo.

This game is definitely old school platform/puzzle action, and I can't believe how much it feels like the real deal. They have redone old rooms from the original game, as well as added some new ones, and almost everyone presents a different challenge, and quite more than one would expect, especially the upgrades to old rooms.

The game also has one of the best save features i've ever seen. It almost always auto-saves at the best possible spot to give you good challenge without frustrating the hell out of you, though just like the original DL, there are parts where you will be quite infuriated! They realy made this game though where kids, and adults can both enjoy it, and that's quite a feat in itself, and they deserve recognition, imo.

My kid, and I have shared this game, and to me that's special since I loved the original, and played it as a child. It's great to see that he has really taken to this game, cause usually he just scoffs alot of games off "very picky kid", but the new Dragon's Lair still has that great appeal as the original, and he loves it like I did, that's saying alot!

I haven't beaten the entire game yet, but I have gotten to the dragon, and let me tell you, this game has a great surprise for old time fans, a big one! heh

If you enjoyed the original Dragon's Lair at all, I suggest you play this game! It does a great job at catching the original fell "but in 3D", while taking everything one step further.

I love this game, simple as that, it looks cool, it has the right feel, and I love seeing Dirk in 3D, glad he could make it.

[geelw]

isn't it the coolest? when i got the chance to see and play a beta lat year, i was so blown away by the overall package (even in its unfinished state). definitely the best "remake" of a classic game to date...

p.s. from what i've seen/heard, all 3 other versions should look the same...

[WiseSalesman]

Is it like the old PC version, press button at the right time and watch him perform an action? :/ If so, I'll have no interest in it.

[Charlie]

I love it. It's exactly how I always pictured a "real" Dragon's Lair game to play and feel since I was a little kid. The critics are slamming it big time, but screw them. We all know what Dragon's Lair really is about.

[BHvrd]

I love it. It's exactly how I always pictured a "real" Dragon's Lair game to play and feel since I was a little kid. The critics are slamming it big time, but screw them. We all know what Dragon's Lair really is about.

Truely, this game is getting so bashed by critics, and they aren't giving it fair dues at all. Most are saying it's average, and I seriously disagree with that!

That's why I thought I may be alone in making this topic, but I decided to go out on a limb, and say that I think it's fantastic. Glad to see that other people "get it".



@WiseSalesman, no, it isn't like the original where you press a buton to go the right way, it's fully 3D, and you control everything even the camera "minus a few spots", the camera system is alot like Mario 64's was "which I love", but it can be twitchy at times, but it lends itself more than not.

It's alot like Tomb Raider in terms of concept, though the movement is not nearly as stiff.
The gameplay, and movement is more akin to Mario 64 "true 3D".

The execution is much more entertaining, and old school than Tomb Raider as well, but it goes with the basic climb a ledge, swing on a rope, etc.., but i'm only using Tomb Raider as an example, cause it far exceeds that games execution.

This game will surprise you, and keep you on the edge of your seat around every turn. It's like a huge maze with traps, and obstacles, around every corner, and the game has so many upgrades, and gameplay variations that you never get bored.

I believe you would enjoy it alot more if you were a fan of the original, but truly I can't go without saying that everyone should at least give this game a shot, cause I think it's that good personally, and shows the way a 3D platformer is done right!

[Sniderman]

Been looking forward to this ever since seeing a Beta test at CGE 2K2. Went to place an order for the PS2 version. Was told "available at Thanksgiving." At Thanksgiving, ws told "available shortly before Christmas." First of the year, was told " available first quarter 2003." NOw, I've found out it'll come out March 19 - my anniversary *AND* the day I'll be on a business trip half-way across country. I could weep in frustration. Please tell me the PS2 version is gonna live up to my gut-churning expectations....

[gamingguy]

gamespot.com says:
-"The jumping mechanic is the worst--Dirk has only two kinds of jumps, straight up and down or a forward leap, and the game's plentiful and unforgiving jumping puzzles require more precision than these jumps allow."
-"enemies are usually pretty slow-witted and benign, and simply running around wildly and hacking at them seems to do the trick just as well. "
-"the repetitive trial-and-error nature of Dragon's Lair 3D would keep this game from being very compelling."
-"The cel shading feels incredibly mechanical, and the character design doesn't feel particularly inspired."
-"The environments don't fare much better, and they are uniformly covered in dark, drab-looking textures. "
-"bears enough resemblance to its source material to draw up some nostalgia for the original, and yet it also exposes the weaknesses of the original."

Sounds like my money would be better spent on Zelda: The Wind Waker. Although at only $20 on ebgames.com, DL:3D won't break my bank account, so maybe I'll pick it up just to see how it looks.

[GENESISNES]

how is the camera issue? I heard that it could suck major ass at certain times. And I also heard about the jumping.

[gamingguy]

P.S. DL:3D is $20 for the PC, but $50 for Xbox/Gamecube/PS2! What a ripoff!

[BHvrd]

Gamespot are a bunch of whiny children who couldn't make their way through a paper bag with a razor blade. You could have at least picked a better site to quote!

They also have a tendency to bash anything Xbox related, I guarantee this game will score a point better or higher when it debuts on PS2, regardless that it won't even support HDTV.

Anything that isn't "by gamespots mold", or has been done to death they don't give props to. Give them something fresh, or innovative, and they run for the hills.

It also goes to show that you are the perfect gamespot poster boy gamingguy. You say the game is a ripoff, and you haven't even played it! Why don' you try to make your own opinion instead of relying on others?

Anyway, it has already been stated that alot of critics are giving it average reviews, why do you feel it's necessary to add to that? Do you like riding the bias train?

This game is great plain as that, it's worth every cent of $50, and I stick behind my opinion 100%, cause this game is a hit, and I have no idea why it's getting this treatment. It's almost like it's cool to hate Dragon's Lair now I guess.



@GENESISNES, unless you are truly anal retentive the camera is fine. Sure it has a few jumpy spots, but for what it does it does it brilliantly. If you liked Mario 64's camera you will like this one.

[Daniel Thomas]

I have to say, I'm surprised that you enjoy the game so much. It's been received so harshly by critics in the prozines and the mainstream press that I assumed it was terrible. Maybe it deserves a better look, after all.

Hey, as long as the new DL is better than the NES and GameBoy versions, right?

[IGotTheDot]

The player is unresponsive and the levels are boring. The framerate on the GC is about 12. The hero and the enemies are the only things in the game that look good.

My2Cents

[BHvrd]

The player is unresponsive and the levels are boring.

How is the player unresponsive? Every time I moved he moved, I never had a problem here, at all!

If you find the game boring, well, you obviously don't care for the subject matter, and quite honestly i'm not gonna try and make you. Do you even like platformers?

The framerate on the GC is about 12.

Oh come on now! 12 fps?! I think the Gamecube fans should jump on this one, cause unless something went wrong in the conversion from Xbox to Gamecube I don't see any other way to say it than the Gamecube must suck then. Either that, or you got a defective copy.

The hero and the enemies are the only things in the game that look good.

HAHA, the one complaint I had about the game is your best compliment. The characters look kinda goofy imo, and could have been fleshed out much better, though the animations are really good.



Man either the Gamecube version really sucks, or you just have some very strange gripes, cause I don't agree with anything you said, and you stated more than just opinion, you stated game problems that i've personally never had, strange.

[IGotTheDot]

@ BHvrd

Well the player being un responsive might be due to the framerate. I was exaggerating when I said 12...it's more like 20. There was one instance when I was about to die and I took the little red potion out of my bag to heal me and it played this nice animation of Dirk drinking, but by the time Dirk finished the drink and the "little red things" (some sort of special effect) jumped from my head to my health bar, I got hit again and died even though I had consumed quite a bit of health and my health bar was still trying to fill up.

Jumping in this game is a chore, but probably because of the NGC framerate. Killing the enemies is frustrating, but again maybe because of the framrate. I will have to rent the Xbox version and see how much better it is.

I do like the subject matter. I spent most of my allowance on Dragons Lair as a kid and a lot of my paycheck on Dragons Lair 2 when it was in arcades. I am a big fan that has been disappointed by all of the home versions of the original because they don't have the proper audio feedback needed to play the game properly.

I am a platform fan as well. I have played through Sly Cooper recently and loved that game (you can see my other posts about that).

Animations are cool, but the entire staff on the game where artists. There was a programmer on the game, but he was let go about 3/4 of the way through (or so I am told by a guy that has a friend at Dragonstone). The hero does look great and his animations are cool. This is not the worst game I have played, but It does not live up to the hype that preceded it.

Just My2Cents Thanks for reading this far.

[BHvrd]

Well, I was never caught up in pre-game hype for this one, and it totally took me by surprise so that may be why you are a bit more dissapointed than I am.

I never watched pre-production, so to me it's fantastic the way it is. I don't know what it was apparently "supposed" to be, but what it is I like alot, and it plays the way I feel a Dragon's Lair 3D should!

The drinking animations ARE SLOW, as is the time frame to which it reaches your bar, but this was obviously a gameplay decision, cause I haven't ever noticed the game actually "slow down" in terms of graphical issues. I know it can be a bit frustrating at times that the potions take a while to drink, and get to the bar, and it can be frustrating, but what is Dragon's Lair without a bit of frustration? You just have to think ahead a bit more in this game, imo, and I like it that way cause it keeps you on your toes.

As far as your slow down attributed to missing jumps comment. I just don't see that, and I also have never had any problems with enemies, the animations are silk smooth, and nothing is "jerky", except for the occasional camera faux paus.

Every jump i've made in this game is spot-on, and i've never had any type of slowdown intentional or not when jumping, or fighting maybe, just maybe, the Gamecube version does slowdown a bit.? Cause I can tell ya, the game runs a pitch perfect 60fps on the Xbox. Then again we might rate slowdown differently, as many do.

Really I can't believe that the slowdown would be that bad, and truly I just think we see it from different angles. You see it from the angle of what it was supposed to be, and I see it from the angle of what it is.

As for your comment on no Dragon's Lair game having "proper" audio feedback, I just don't get that. This game sounds fantastic, and is one of the best things about it, but then again the Xbox version is Dolby Digital 5.1, but I can't see it being THAT different again. This comment really makes me wonder if you even played much of the game personally, or just played it a "bit", cause the score, and orchestration only gets better, and no way could it be THAT different from the Xbox version......., IGotTheDot?

Sorry it didn't live up to your expectations, but I couldn't have asked for anything more personally "except a few better character graphics, =)". It has great additons, old favorites, and just feels like it should to me.

Who knows though, the Gamecube version might really have that much slowdown. Could be interesting.

[gamingguy]

You say the game is a ripoff, and you haven't even played it!

No that is NOT what I said.
I said: "DL:3D is $20 for the PC, but $50 for Xbox/Gamecube/PS2!" I am annoyed that the console versions cost $30 more than the PC version. Charging $30 more for the same game is what I call a "ripoff"
Understood?

[Quazick]

Well TheAv... I mean Gaming Guy have you thought about the fact the console version are under an expensive licenseing agreement with all the major console companies?

I'd gladly pay the extra 30 because I hate playing games on my PC.

[asharru]

I'd gladly pay the extra 30 because I hate playing games on my PC.

Indeed, I love laying in bed with my girlfriend snuzzling next to me as I whomp my way thru Metriod Prime. Actually, the girl is freaking addicted to Tiger Woods!!! Finally, a game other than Tetrisphere that she'll play with me!!

[Rogmeister]

For what it's worth, the current Game Informer reviews the GameCube version of this game and states that "...this version and the XBox incarnation play and look exactly the same..."

[IGotTheDot]

As for your comment on no Dragon's Lair game having "proper" audio feedback, I just don't get that.

Original DL home version on the Sega CD, 3DO, Jag and DVD player.