Dragon's Lair 3D

 Xbox
  • Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Release Date: Nov 18, 2002
Metascore
62

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 27
  3. Negative: 6 out of 27
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  1. GameShark
    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.
  2. Official Xbox Magazine
    81
    Crisp visuals, smooth control, and hours of gameplay. [Jan 2003, p.76]
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  3. Cheat Code Central
    80
    Control is the key to this game and for the most part the controls are set-up very well. [Chris]
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  5. IGN
    78
    A stunning recreation of the original vision.
  6. Game Informer
    78
    Enemy AI and targeting are very suspect. [Jan 2003, p.113]
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  7. GameZone
    75
    Newer gamers who haven't played the original might find this game to not be worth the trouble due to the difficulty.
  8. GamerWeb Xbox
    75
    Does rather well on all fronts, but even so, doesn't really have an element that makes it stand out from the crowd around it.
  9. Xbox Nation Magazine
    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]
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  10. AceGamez
    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.
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  11. Gamer's Pulse
    70
    Does a good job of staying faithful to the original game, while extending and deepening the gameplay experience by a huge degree.
  12. Gamers' Temple
    69
    A game that relies so heavily on precise timing of jumps needs to provide the player with tight, responsive controls, something Dragon's Lair 3D fails to do.
  13. GameSpy
    65
    Recommended only if you're uncontrollably and incomprehensively addicted to the original.
  14. Game Over Online
    63
    As far as platforming 3D games go, DL3D is mediocre at best, but looking at the game from the perspective of how it compares to the original, it does a little better.
  15. Electric Playground
    60
    A playable game with a some enjoyable moments. If you've got the patience to struggle with the less than perfect control, go ahead and rent this one.
  16. Xbox World Australia
    60
    Primarily a nostalgia piece, and while it is an extremely faithful recreation, therein lies the problem. What it does well has been done before, and the attempts to innovate the series for the most part fail.
  17. Yahoo!
    60
    Its short length, bland storyline and by-the-numbers gameplay aren't going to win over the new, more demanding generation of gamers.
  18. Play Magazine
    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]
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  19. GameSpot
    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.
  20. Cincinnati Enquirer
    50
    Not worth your time or money, and it's certainly a shame for fans of this once-groundbreaking series.
  21. All Game Guide
    50
    Feels too slow and disjointed. Each area is small and the game doesn't do a convincing job of making you feel you are inside one huge interconnected castle.
  22. GameNow
    50
    This title would be a lot of fun, if only the hero wasn't such a headache to control. [Jan 2003, p.58]
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  23. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    45
    A camera system that hates you dominates throughout. [Jan 2003, p.194]
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  24. GameCritics
    45
    Sadly, the latest incarnation of that landmark effort doesn't have the personality, lush animation or blisteringly fast pace that made the original such a hit. What it does have is...not much.
  25. Entertainment Weekly
    42
    Stumbles in its own execution. The most heinous act? The herky-jerky camera angles that will have you reaching for a Dramamine. [17 Jan 2003, p.87]
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  26. Game Revolution
    42
    It adheres to dated, formulaic gameplay far too much and is over quickly. But I grew up on this game, and if you did too, you will likely have some fun with this as a rental.
  27. Eurogamer
    40
    An exceptionally generic platformer shaped around quick trial and error design and limp enemies, and built around a tired looking cel-shaded engine that does little justice to the visuals of the arcade original.
  28. G4 TV
    20
    A terrible game... It may not be the worst game of the year, but it is the most disappointing.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 1 out of 5
  1. aspentitan
    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 thatMy 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.… Full Review »
  2. DavidG
    Dec 10, 2009
    8
    If you like fast split-action instant-fire games, this is not for you. If you like "thinking" games, like Myst, this might be more up your If you like fast split-action instant-fire games, this is not for you. If you like "thinking" games, like Myst, this might be more up your alley. Dragon's Lair 3D is like a slower version of the original Dragon's Lair. Instead of becoming a game of quick reactions, it's a game where you can roam and explore and think about what you're going to do before you get knee-deep in the hoopla. Don't get me wrong... there is plenty of action and speed skills you'll have to master in this game, but you'll also have to be a good thinker if you're going to win this adventure. The original animated (laserdisc) arcade version of Dragon's Lair made some waves and captured the hearts of many quarter-toting teens. Dragon's Lair 3D, although not really breaking any new technology boundaries, provides what Dragon's Lair fans have always wanted -- a way to actually explore Dirk's surroundings, not just react to them. Aside from the original laserdisc arcade game, I would say this is the next best addition to the Dragon's Lair franchise (because they have released some stinkers in the past -- mostly ports of the original). It's not for everyone, though -- if you want non-stop, non-thinking kill-them-now action this game is not for you. If you want to challenge your mind as well as partake in action sequences this game may be what you're looking for.… Full Review »
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