Brief synopsis of Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair
Dragon's Lair is a game that quickly made a name for itself when it debuted in arcades in 1983. It was famous for its advanced technology and giving players the opportunity to 'play a cartoon' for the first time. But it wasn't as interactive as it led people to believe. All the player had to do was push a stick in the right direction at precisely the right moment in order to progress. One wrong move and it was game over. It was unpredictable, and for that reason it was also labelled as one of the most difficult games ever made.
However, 20 years on, and Dragonstone has finally brought Dragon's Lair into the third dimension on Xbox. And it does everything the original hoped to accomplish, delivering a 3D platform adventure, complete with some smart-looking cel-shading, in which Dirk the Daring again attempts to rescue Princess Daphne from the evil dragon Singe.
Legendary animator and creator of the original, Don Bluth, has lent a hand with the development of Dragon's Lair 3D, assisting in the creation of new designs and characters. The castle, which is the location for the core of the adventure, is made up of 16 unique areas, each with multiple rooms and dangers. And now that everything is genuinely interactive, you can run, jump, crouch, somersault, and perform a host of other tricks as you guide the lanky hero through the treacherous environments. Along the way, Dirk can also make use of a variety of items, change weapons and drink potions in order to regain his dwindling health.
It's a much more skilful game experience than before, and the game's setting is very faithful to both the 1983 original and the 16-bit SNES offering. It's been a long time coming, but the classic cartoon adventure has finally realised its potential, delivering an immersive and atmospheric adventure on Xbox. And with such a brilliant premise as 'rescue the Princess', who can resist?
