Dragon's Lair

57%
Game Brain Score Based on 392 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
Dragon's Lair Game Cover
Fans of the original will get a kick out of seeing the game again but even if you discount the control issues, there just isn’t enough here for a purchase to be recommended.
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"Dragon's Lair" is a nostalgic arcade game with animated visuals, where you play as Dirk the Daring, a valiant knight on a quest to rescue the princess from a dragon. Navigate through a treacherous castle and dark caverns, battling various monsters and obstacles. This remastered version offers 720p HD graphics and bonus extras, providing a classic gaming experience.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Windows
  • Amiga
  • Android
  • Atari St
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
  • Ms Dos
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

57%
Audience ScoreBased on 392 reviews
gameplay11 positive mentions
stability7 negative mentions
  • Beautifully animated with classic Don Bluth art style, capturing the charm of the original arcade game.
  • Nostalgic experience for fans of the original, bringing back memories of the arcade era.
  • Offers a unique gameplay experience with quick-time events that can be challenging and entertaining.
  • Gameplay is overly simplistic, relying heavily on quick-time events with little depth or exploration.
  • Numerous bugs and glitches, including unresponsive controls and issues with specific scenes that can make the game unplayable.
  • Short playtime, often completed in under an hour, leading to questions about its value at full price.
  • gameplay66 mentions

    The gameplay of "Dragon's Lair" is primarily composed of quick-time events that require precise timing and directional inputs, which many players find frustrating and simplistic by modern standards. While the game's stunning animation and historical significance are often praised, the gameplay itself is criticized for its lack of depth and engaging mechanics, making it more of a nostalgic experience than a compelling game. Overall, it appeals mainly to retro gaming enthusiasts rather than those seeking a rich gameplay experience.

    • “However, the gameplay was interactive enough to feel like a real video game at the time, and the lines to play this game at the local arcade extended for hours.”
    • “However, this simple gameplay still manages to get you invested in the story and animation, which are the real stars.”
    • “I'd recommend this game to anyone who's curious about the game as I was based on its interesting Simon Says meets DDR gameplay or to arcade enthusiasts that are looking to add this game to their Steam collection.”
    • “Frustrating and disjointed gameplay which has aged atrociously.”
    • “The gameplay isn't very engrossing: press a direction or the sword button at the right time to progress through the game, but if you appreciate the look and sound, then you'll enjoy playing.”
    • “Pretty, but extremely primitive gameplay.”
  • graphics50 mentions

    The graphics of Dragon's Lair are widely praised for their groundbreaking quality at the time of release, showcasing stunning hand-drawn animation by Don Bluth that set it apart from contemporaries like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. While the visuals remain vibrant and appealing, some players note that the gameplay suffers due to control issues, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these concerns, the game's artistic style continues to be celebrated as a significant achievement in video game history.

    • “The graphics of Dragon's Lair were about 25 years ahead of what could have been achieved at its release.”
    • “The game is beautiful to look at, with vibrant colors, and is reminiscent of movies like 'The Secret of NIMH', which is clear as the graphics are from the same creators of that movie, Don Bluth Studios.”
    • “Dragon's Lair would be utterly forgettable and barely worth mentioning at all if it weren't for its lush animation and incredible visuals which were provided by Don Bluth and his studio.”
    • “Not sure if it's a bad port or a problem with modern PC setup (graphics cards or boosted CPUs), but it's unplayable.”
    • “The graphics are the same as in '83.”
    • “Since it's eighty percent about the visuals, having to watch it in a small window sucked out some of the fun.”
  • story26 mentions

    The story in "Dragon's Lair" is often described as simplistic and lacking depth, primarily serving as a backdrop for quick-time events rather than a fully developed narrative. While it features charming animation and a classic quest to save a princess, many reviewers note that it feels more like an interactive film with minimal plot progression, making it less engaging by modern storytelling standards. Overall, the game is appreciated for its artistic quality but criticized for its repetitive and shallow storyline.

    • “It's not a 'story where you are the hero' type but rather an interactive film.”
    • “Not only did Dragon's Lair invent quick-time events, it may have also paved the way for story-based games like The Walking Dead, Heavy Rain, or Life is Strange.”
    • “However, this simple gameplay still manages to get you invested in the story and animation, which are the real stars.”
    • “I remember there being a storyline involved, and all this is just action scenes where you have to make a choice, scene after scene. There's no storyline, no setup, no feeling of being in a game making choices, just reviewing scenes.”
    • “So even for a story-based game, it is lacking by modern standards.”
    • “The gameplay is only slightly more compelling than hitting the fast forward and skip buttons on your DVD player, and there's grade school fan fiction of King Arthur that's deeper than the plot put in motion here.”
  • humor25 mentions

    The humor in the game is consistently praised for its hilarious animations and comedic death scenes, which transform failures into entertaining moments rather than sources of frustration. Players enjoy the nostalgic charm reminiscent of 80s cartoons, with quick-time events leading to amusing outcomes that keep the experience light-hearted and engaging. Overall, the game's ability to evoke laughter, even in defeat, enhances its appeal and makes it a fun choice for both solo and group play.

    • “You will die a lot, but the many hilarious deaths of Bruce Campbell - sorry, I mean Dirk the Daring - mitigate the frustration up to a point.”
    • “There are plenty of sequences built into the game that play if you do the wrong thing (some pretty funny).”
    • “The game is a series of quick time events that progress an hilarious and smile-evoking nostalgia of 80s cartoons.”
  • replayability9 mentions

    Overall, "Dragon's Lair" offers a mix of replayability through its different difficulty levels and achievements, appealing to players who enjoy a choose-your-own-adventure style. However, some reviewers feel that the game's short length and limited content may not justify its price, leading to mixed opinions on its overall replay value. While it has nostalgic appeal and can be entertaining, the consensus suggests that replayability may be somewhat limited.

    • “Overall, Dragon's Lair is a fun, challenging game with a choose-your-own-adventure kind of vibe even while still being 'on rails.' There's a lot of replay value in this simple experience that I think many could have fun.”
    • “I got to beat the game multiple times and the achievements generally add to the replay value of the game.”
    • “There are different difficulties and the original arcade mode to play, so it has replayability.”
    • “10 euros are a bit much for it though, in my opinion, as the game does not have that much replay value and even during one playthrough the player gets to go through mirrored versions of level segments.”
    • “I give it a no recommendation because it's rather short and there isn't much replayability.”
    • “Overall, dragon’s lair is a fun, challenging game with a choose-your-own-adventure kind of vibe even while still being 'on rails.' There’s a lot of replay value in this simple experience that I think many could have fun.”
  • stability8 mentions

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous glitches such as unrecognized inputs, incorrect animations, and persistent HUD issues, leading to a perception of it being unfinished and buggy. While some players note tight controls without glitches, the overall consensus is that the game suffers from significant stability problems that detract from the experience.

    • “The controls in this game are very tight and have no glitches at all.”
    • “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or bugs.”
    • “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it never feels laggy or unresponsive.”
    • “Aside from the timing requirements, there are numerous glitches, including unrecognized inputs, no death scenes (or the wrong one), and the inability to get rid of the HUD at the bottom of the screen that shows you when to input moves.”
    • “So with all these issues, this just feels like a buggy, unfinished game that I cannot recommend, and it hurts my soul to say that since these games have been such a big part of my life.”
    • “Oh so many bugs, glitches, and failures.”
  • music8 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its epic quality and nostalgic charm, contributing to an enchanting atmosphere alongside the visuals. However, some users noted issues with laggy sound effects and a lack of consistent music, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the soundtrack and sound design are often described as pleasing and integral to the game's appeal.

    • “Fantastic animation (which is to be expected from Don Bluth) that looks even better on a modern screen, epic soundtrack, iconic characters, creative rooms & obstacles that are challenging on a scale ranging from blink of frustration to nearly slamming-keyboard-against-nearest-object, & an overall enchanting atmosphere.”
    • “This game is exactly how I remembered it, with beautiful cartooning, colors, cut scenes, and excellent music and voice acting.”
    • “The mechanics can be too easy (or too hard if you, like me, don't remember the right moves!!) but the characters, music, sounds, and visuals are a magnificent opera of the early age of digital computer gaming.”
    • “The lack of music and quality sound is grating.”
    • “Besides, music and sound effects are laggy.”
    • “Although the mechanics are simplistic, the music rhythm genre has become degenerate.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    Despite being an older game, users report that it struggles with optimization, leading to uneven performance and gameplay interruptions. While some improvements can be achieved by adjusting settings and ensuring minimal background processes, the game performs better on Linux compared to Windows 7. Overall, players expect smoother operation given its simplicity, but many encounter frustrating performance issues.

    • “One would think that for a game that just has 5 commands, things would run smoothly in 2019.”
    • “I tried using a manual config in the NVIDIA control panel settings but couldn't find anything to improve performance.”
    • “Update: The performance is better in Linux than in Windows 7.”
    • “If you set your computer to 'high performance' and make sure that you don't have tons of other programs running at the same time, you shouldn't experience that much trouble.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be tedious and frustrating, with some players finding it difficult and repetitive. However, others appreciate the option to simplify gameplay through on-screen prompts and automatic sequences, which can alleviate some of the monotony. Overall, while grinding may detract from the experience for some, others find it to be a part of the fun.

    • “My son quit because he found it quite tedious and the timing difficult, but I've completed it twice.”
    • “Thankfully, there are options to make the game easier to play, from on-screen prompts to just watching all the sequences play automatically. A much appreciated choice because it gets really tedious playing some sequences over and over due to the timing not being split-second accurate.”
    • “It's tedious and frustrating, and it's not entertaining.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development in Dragon's Lair is appreciated for its rich lore and design elements reminiscent of Disney, with characters like Dirk drawing parallels to figures from classic animated films such as "The Sword in the Stone" and "Space Ace."

    • “The character development in this game is incredibly rich, with each character having a unique backstory that adds depth to the overall narrative.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making choices that truly reflect their growth and struggles.”
    • “The interactions between characters are well-written, showcasing their development and relationships in a meaningful way.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with them on any meaningful level.”
    • “I found the characters to be one-dimensional, with little to no growth throughout the game.”
    • “The story fails to provide a compelling arc for the characters, leaving them feeling static and uninteresting.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is characterized by fantastic animation and an epic soundtrack, both of which enhance the enchanting experience. Players appreciate the iconic characters and creatively designed rooms, which present a range of challenges that evoke a spectrum of emotions from mild frustration to intense engagement.

    • “Fantastic animation (which is to be expected from Don Bluth) that looks even better on a modern screen, epic soundtrack, iconic characters, creative rooms and obstacles that are challenging on a scale ranging from a blink of frustration to nearly slamming the keyboard against the nearest object, and an overall enchanting atmosphere.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    Reviews highlight a nostalgic appreciation for arcade gaming as a foundational model for monetization in the gaming industry, emphasizing its historical significance and influence on modern practices.

    • “Ahh, arcades—the golden age of gaming and the pioneers of game monetization!”
    • “The monetization in this game feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to enjoy basic features.”
    • “I can't believe how aggressive the in-game purchases are; it ruins the overall experience.”
    • “It's frustrating that you have to pay for content that should have been included in the base game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

45% average critic score

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