Lair raid

Take a peek at developer Factor 5's Lair and discover there is no smoke without fire.

Acclaimed for the Rogue Squadron series, lately Factor 5 has been tirelessly working away in their dark, cavernous warrens on a new title for PlayStation 3. The product of their endeavours is the dragon reinvented as the ultimate beast of war.

At the heart of Lair is the experience of flight; you soar on leathery wings above epic fantasy vistas, unleashing the hell of your dragon's breath upon your foes. In this regard, the SIXAXIS Wireless Controller beautifully translates your gestures via motion sensing.

Like God of War, Lair has taken some of its gameplay inspiration from the rhythm action genre. Specialised attacks, once triggered, can be executed by following the on screen prompts - moving the analogue sticks or the Wireless Controller in different ways.

Although a glide-by burning can be effective, it doesn't compare to dropping into the midst of a phalanx. Ground-based combat reverts to the more traditional use of the analogue sticks, enabling you to get up close and hostile with a variety of land based troops.

There is even a nod to Factor 5's previous titles in the way you take down the lumbering Warbeasts, living battle platforms festooned with ballista. Such touches, whether they elicit playful groans or chuckles, add to the sheer variety of gameplay that Lair boasts.

Both the game's visual style and plot are integral to creating the right atmosphere for the massive war between the two great civilisations told in Lair.

Artistically a lot of effort has gone into creating a setting that is captivating, inspiring and yet familiar. The dragons for instance are stunning, the Ice Dragons being made up of thousands upon thousands of polygon meshes, while the architecture of the civilisations has a realistic, evolved look.

Without giving away any plot spoilers, Hollywood scriptwriters worked with Factor 5 to make the protagonist and storyline relevant to today. Against the backdrop of a conflict fuelled by dwindling resources, the drama focuses on the actions of a member of the elite Sky Guard for whom faith and duty are thrown into doubt.

Lair launches itself into the firmament in Europe later this year.