 Review By: Jared Black |
Developer: | Infinite HD |
| Publisher: | Digital Leisure | |
| Genre: | Adventure | |
| ESRB: | Everyone | |
| # Of Players: | 1 | |
| Online Play: | No | |
| Accessories: | HDTV 720p/1080p, Playable on any Blu-ray player | |
| Buy Now: |   |
Way back in 1983, Dragon’s Lair changed the gaming world forever. It was the first really successful FMV-based game, munching up quarters at a record-setting pace thanks to its incredible animated graphics (courtesy of former Disney animator Don Bluth) that wowed audiences bored with the plainness found in games like Space Invaders and Pac-Man. Since then it has been ported to dozens of different formats, and of course that now includes Sony’s Blu-ray platform.
Although I played Dragon’s Lair HD on PlayStation 3, it’s really compatible with any Blu-ray player thanks to its use of BD-Java. Based on Java 1.3, BD-Java theoretically gives the platform a higher level of interactivity than found in the traditional DVD format, with the ability to connect to networks, do picture in picture, and other interactive tricks. Really though, only the PiP functionality and higher resolution differentiate it from a DVD release. This review is based solely on my experience on the PS3, and unfortunately it’s not exactly optimized for that platform, but not due to a lack of features.
As most gamers probably know, Dragon’s Lair stars Dirk the Daring in his attempt to rescue the Playboy-inspired Princess Daphne from the evil dragon Singe. Dragon’s Lair is not so much a game as it is an interactive movie, where the player presses one of five different buttons (up, down, left, right, or sword – here mapped to X) at the appropriate time to direct Dirk’s actions. Based on whether or not the player presses the correct button at the correct time, the game then plays a short animated sequence where Dirk either meets his doom or survives to fight again. This process then repeats over and over again until the end of the game.
So the player isn’t directly controlling Dirk, but rather his reflexes telling him what to do next and when to do it. The game is supposed to clue the player in when to press the next button via a yellow icon on the bottom-right side of the screen, but on the PS3 at least that simply doesn’t happen. The manual warns that it may not show up on some Blu-ray players, which makes me wonder why this game shipped in the first place if this was a known issue before release. That’s not the only problem it has either, with other glitches such as menu backgrounds disappearing completely. I would rather Digital Leisure had waited a year or two for the technology to mature or reprogram the game as needed (it’s Java, how hard could it be to display an icon?) rather than release it in this state, but instead the company decided to cash in now at the expense of a quality product.
Sadly, this simple omission alone makes the game virtually unplayable on the PS3 (and any other Blu-ray player that may have the same problem), even if the visual move guide is turned on. It’s often very vague simply from Dirk’s actions on-screen what the next proper button press is and when it should be pressed. Even when I knew what button to press, I found areas where I had a very tough time getting the timing down (with the rotating baton room being the most frustrating since I knew I needed to press up, but had no indication of when to do so) without the on-screen aid that should’ve been there. Veterans of the franchise probably have every move memorized by now regardless, but as someone new to the game I found this very frustrating.
Even on the PS3 though, despite this huge issue with the game, this release may still be worth it for seasoned fans. The transfer itself is fantastic, and Bluth’s work sparkled on my HD screen. The special features are also nice, including a Watch option where you can simply sit back and watch all of the animations in sequence (although the repeated death sequences make it a little disjointed), Video Commentary (utilizing BD-Java’s PiP feature) and Creator Interviews with Bluth, Rick Dyer, and Gary Goldman, HD restoration showcase, and a time capsule showing the evolution of the game throughout its history using the fight versus Singe (showing old and new versions side-by-side). It’s a nice set of features that should please existing fans of the franchise.
Bottom Line:
If you have a Blu-ray player that runs this game properly, add at least four points to my final score, because the visual quality alone is excellent. I can only score what I played though, and sadly what I played was a buggy mess. Digital Leisure should’ve never shipped this game without first cleaning up the icon and menu display bugs, or at least making sure it worked well on the only gaming platform that utilizes Blu-ray discs. Nostalgic fans with a standalone Blu-ray player may find a lot of value here in the upgraded visuals and bonus content, but PS3 only owners should pass on this disgrace to the classic franchise.
| Pros: | Cons: | Final Score: |
|---|---|---|
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| 3.0 |
Posted: 2008-02-11 20:36:08 PST