Dragon's Lair

released on May 17, 2013

A remaster of Dragon's Lair

Haven't heard of Dragon's Lair?! Well, you play the heroic Dirk the Daring, a valiant knight on a quest to rescue the fair princess from the clutches of an evil dragon! Originally released in the summer of 1983, Dragon's Lair has solidified itself as a cultural icon in gaming. Control the actions of the daring adventurer, finding your way through the castle of a dark wizard, who has enchanted it with treacherous monsters and obstacles. In the mysterious caverns below the castle, your odyssey continues against the awesome forces that oppose your efforts to reach the dragon’s lair. Dragon’s Lair is a fully animated classic arcade game from legendary animator Don Bluth. You’ll make your way through the castle and caverns below and wield your sword against some strange creatures. Beware of your foes, as they are numerous! Lead On Adventurer. Your Quest Awaits! Features 720p HD Remastered Video Original Arcade Release Remastered Game Footage Bonus Extras -- Interviews With Creators, Watch Game and more!


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A beautifully transferred game in HD format, an old unbearable game about the brave and dying knight from the gaming universes

Красиво перенесенная игра в HD формат, старая невыносимая игра про отважного и самого умирающего рыцаря из игровых вселенных

I really enjoyed this game. I have been a fan of Dragon's Lair since I saw the TV series and the animation in this game is done by the legendary Don Bluth, it doesn't have his story to it, which makes sense considering such a old game it would be hard to put anything as deep and thoughtful as, say, Secret of Nihm.

The gameplay is basically from the birth of QTEs, but even if you failed the animation was always nice to see and it's sometimes quite comical how Dirk can die from a simple trip to being eaten alive by something. If you're a fan you'll have a lot of fun with this, however I can't really say much to be honest as I've already described what the entire gameplay is. If you're searching for something with a real deep and epic story I would give this a miss, but if you are interested in in QTE gameplay with wonderful art which is enjoyable, even in it's frustration then I suggest you pick this up.

This is a really good way to play Dragon's Lair, but that terrible looking 3D model of Dirk on the Game Over screen is SO out of place lol

I don’t know how much analytical credibility I have left at this point, but I would like to cash the rest in by saying that this game’s quick-time-event-only design was actually a great concept. The limited technology of 1983 and the inherent difficulty of producing animation meant that the interactivity was always going to be limited, so the question was how to get the most out of very little. The developers’ solution was to keep players on track by only giving them an indirect form of control: they can’t freely move around, but simply input the direction to dodge whenever danger appears. Even with this small amount of agency though, players are asked for a surprising amount of wit and attention. For example, consider this little scene where Dirk enters a room with three potential exits: the wall, the door, and the hole in the ceiling. Players have a moment to take in that information, then dodge the bolt from the left, then upwards to avoid the fire that’s forming a circle on the bottom of the screen, then back and left to dodge a final bolt and move the table. By taking in the possibilities given by the establishing shot, reading the visual language of the hazards, and thinking fast, you can succeed even without prompts on screen. By doing this, some of the big pitfalls of QTE’s are avoided, in that they’re fully contextualized, don’t have arbitrary inputs, and don’t suddenly occur after unrelated gameplay. In addition, multiple directions are valid for many of the hazards, ensuring that players are rewarded for perceptiveness more than just memorization. It makes for a fun little adventure where you’re always thinking on your feet, being observant, learning to stay calm, and enjoying the quality of the humor and animation.

Now, to start building up my credibility again, go back and circle that “concept” word in the first sentence. While everything I said in the previous paragraph is true, the game breaks the fundamental rules too often to properly deliver on the idea. Some scenes do have those great establishing shots which keep the game fair, but some will literally flip 180 degrees at the last moment to ruin your sense of direction. The pacing between inputs is also inconsistent, sometimes requiring multiple dodges for what feels like a single hazard. Worst of all, the little flashes which indicate the right answer are sometimes red herrings, killing you for following directions. As I wrote for my first playthrough, it’s possibly the most token-takey game ever made, and that really does make me a bit sad. It didn’t have to be this way, players just needed slightly more time, more consistent camera angles, and extra space between inputs. I genuinely believe that a game that’s all about reading the room and thinking fast with QTE’s could be a lot of fun, especially with that same humorous tone where the failures can be enjoyed as much as the successes. On the other hand, maybe I’ve lost all grip with reality since I’ve played this game so much that I can beat it without dying.

…well, there goes all my credibility again.

This still looks amazing despite it being roughly 20 or so years ago, but gameplay wise it has aged poorly. If not for the fact that the whole game is a quick time event, but for the fact it is brutally difficult as well. Considering this was meant to take as many quarters as possible, the reaction time and figuring out what actions you should do are both confusing and hard to see at times. How anyone was able to play and admire this in the early '90s is beyond me, but Dragon's Lair remains a classic because of the art.

Acho essa porra muito divertida. KKKKKKK