Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair

The Good
It is very faithful to the original artwork for Dragon's Lair in a high definition hand drawn style. It is challenging. The music score is concert hall quality that really sets the mood. Daphne is as hot as ever. And there are extra bonus features about the making of the original dragon's lair.

The Bad
I didn't like the reviews the game got. There was very little good to say about the game. But after getting the DVD box set that had a preview of the game I just had to go out and buy it. And I'm glad I did. I'll pass along what others have not liked about the game. The control system is hard to get used too. The camera angle is independent of the character movement but the character focuses in the same direction as the camera. If you use the lock on feature with an enemy that is moving a lot you will most likely not go in the direction you are trying to go. And that means a lost life when trying to jump around and falling. The second biggest complaint is the trial and error aspect. So many times you have no clue what to do or where to jump until you try and fail or try and succeed. Many scenes have to be repeated over and over again until you get it right. I can see a modern gamer complaining about this. But I happen to be one that spent hours and hours and hundreds of quarters playing Dragon's Lair. It was ALL trial and error. That makes it a classic.

The Bottom Line
You are Dirk the Daring. A bumbling knight whose scantily clad girlfriend, Daphne has been kidnapped by an evil wizard. You must rescue her. This game is a 3D over the shoulder first person platformer with power ups and special weapons and puzzles to solve. Plenty of bad guys to slice and dice. If you played the original Dragon's Lair 20 years ago then you will like this game. Younger gamers might not understand the frustration is part of the game.