
70
Bottom line, the game is solid - it's very challenging, great to look at, and very different from its peers. [Winter 2002, p.97]
70
It's never going to win any awards for best game but it's fun while it lasts and you can't put a price tag on those nostalgic twinges you get whilst playing it.
50
Not worth your time or money, and it's certainly a shame for fans of this once-groundbreaking series.
7
My start to this game was not so great. I really found the controls and camera offputting at the start of the game but I managed to pass that low and trudge on. The graphics of this game kept me interested to proceed. I was wondering how they could be so good and the rest kinda blah. The graphics are nice they are done in 1080i and look really sharp and the animations are very nice too. Still I was put off by the controls. They just didn't seem natural and at times seemed like it was lag or input lock being the problem not my own player mistakes. Luckily the game is not too punishing if you die the puzzles/rooms pretty much load you back about a minute at most to try again. So it was easy to keep going despite my initial reaction to the gameplay. For the record there are four controller options and in the end I did find the controls serviceable. I do admit by the mid part of the game things were going much better. Still, at times you do have weird camera rotations and some control issues. As I played I did become more and more immersed in the game it certainly became much better and addictive and towards the middle of the game I was no longer really noticing any control issues. Perhaps I just got used to the scheme better. I want to definitely credit this game for an excellent job maintaining the original dragon's lair gameplay and adding a further dimension to it without going too far. You really feel this is a dragon's lair game at its core. It kept the feel spot on without going too far from the ancestral feeling of the original game. There is some combat, platforming, puzzles and of course timing. All in all the mix was entertaining throughout although there was of course some areas that were not so fast because of puzzling and controller skill. Nothing too outrageous I found it not too easy nor too difficult. When I checked reviews it seemed this was a short game, only 2.5-3 hours but I do believe that may be actual success time not counting deaths and do overs. My game occupied me for probably 7-8 hours with all the redoes and puzzles. Some moments were almost rage quit but at that point I was enjoying the game too much to give up. I won't say this game is a must have it would definitely be a perfect rental or collector game. When I started playing I was pretty negative on the game, I thought it could have been better but after playing to the end it was pretty easy to reverse that opinion although still be critical that some improvements could have been made. I'm almost wondering if the controls were purposely a bit awkward and goofy to capture the essence of Duke the daring being courageous but at the same time kinda awkwardly brave. Since this is a short game is it worth playing again? Once you know the puzzles it might be fun to speedrun and the combat is kinda jittery/bouncy in a neat way so it might be fun. It'd also be good for completionists as there are collectibles scattered in the game. For the average person though I'd say youde have to forget this game for 2-3 years or more to forget the puzzles since that's about half the game.
Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair
Xbox
Released On:
Nov 18, 2002
Metascore
Mixed or Average
62
User score
Mixed or Average
7.0
My Score
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All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or Average
62
26% Positive
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
52% Mixed
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
22% Negative
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
90
It's a fun game for anyone that likes a good dungeon crawl, while fans of the arcade original will count this title among the best classic game updates ever.
78
A stunning recreation of the original vision.
70
Bottom line, the game is solid - it's very challenging, great to look at, and very different from its peers. [Winter 2002, p.97]
60
Where the game lacks is in the repetitive nature of the battles and enemy types, but the beautiful locales, spectacular animation, diverse gameplay, and 1080 degree high-def TV option, more than bring up the rear. [Dec 2002, p.77]
51
One of those game revivals that 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, effectively betraying your nostalgia and retroactively tainting the original game.
45
A camera system that hates you dominates throughout. [Jan 2003, p.194]
20
A terrible game... It may not be the worst game of the year, but it is the most disappointing.
User score
Mixed or Average
7.0
60% Positive
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
20% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
20% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Jan 26, 2020
7
My start to this game was not so great. I really found the controls and camera offputting at the start of the game but I managed to pass that low and trudge on. The graphics of this game kept me interested to proceed. I was wondering how they could be so good and the rest kinda blah. The graphics are nice they are done in 1080i and look really sharp and the animations are very nice too. Still I was put off by the controls. They just didn't seem natural and at times seemed like it was lag or input lock being the problem not my own player mistakes. Luckily the game is not too punishing if you die the puzzles/rooms pretty much load you back about a minute at most to try again. So it was easy to keep going despite my initial reaction to the gameplay. For the record there are four controller options and in the end I did find the controls serviceable. I do admit by the mid part of the game things were going much better. Still, at times you do have weird camera rotations and some control issues. As I played I did become more and more immersed in the game it certainly became much better and addictive and towards the middle of the game I was no longer really noticing any control issues. Perhaps I just got used to the scheme better. I want to definitely credit this game for an excellent job maintaining the original dragon's lair gameplay and adding a further dimension to it without going too far. You really feel this is a dragon's lair game at its core. It kept the feel spot on without going too far from the ancestral feeling of the original game. There is some combat, platforming, puzzles and of course timing. All in all the mix was entertaining throughout although there was of course some areas that were not so fast because of puzzling and controller skill. Nothing too outrageous I found it not too easy nor too difficult. When I checked reviews it seemed this was a short game, only 2.5-3 hours but I do believe that may be actual success time not counting deaths and do overs. My game occupied me for probably 7-8 hours with all the redoes and puzzles. Some moments were almost rage quit but at that point I was enjoying the game too much to give up. I won't say this game is a must have it would definitely be a perfect rental or collector game. When I started playing I was pretty negative on the game, I thought it could have been better but after playing to the end it was pretty easy to reverse that opinion although still be critical that some improvements could have been made. I'm almost wondering if the controls were purposely a bit awkward and goofy to capture the essence of Duke the daring being courageous but at the same time kinda awkwardly brave. Since this is a short game is it worth playing again? Once you know the puzzles it might be fun to speedrun and the combat is kinda jittery/bouncy in a neat way so it might be fun. It'd also be good for completionists as there are collectibles scattered in the game. For the average person though I'd say youde have to forget this game for 2-3 years or more to forget the puzzles since that's about half the game.
SummaryGuide Dirk the Daring, the valiant but clumsy knight whose bravery is famed throughout the land. You'll fight your way through the castle's treacherous, labyrinthine-like halls, and overcome new monsters and obstacles lurking in the shadows. Dragon's Lair 3D resurrects the popular characters and creatures featured in the original Dragon'... Read More
Rated Tfor Teen
Platforms:
- PlayStation 2
- PC
- GameCube
- Xbox
Initial Release Date:Nov 18, 2002
Developer:
- Dragonstone Software
Publisher:





























