Lair is a 2007 action-adventure video game developed by Factor 5 and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3.
The world of Lair was devastated by volcanoes that polluted the planet's atmosphere and natural resources, with humanity reduced to two warring tribes: the poverty-riddled Mokai and the wealthy Asylia. The narrative follows the story of Rohn Partridge, an Asylia Sky Guard, who eventually turned to support the Mokai. Gameplay centers on air-combat during which Rohn rides on his dragon to confront opponents. At certain points, the player also has to fight on foot. Part of the gameplay is dictated by a morale system, which can make enemy troops retreat when suffering from a low morale. It makes extensive use of the PlayStation 3's first controller, the Sixaxis.
Lair was handled by Factor 5 and was notably the first game to offer Sony's Remote Play function. The game's budget was estimated to be around $25 million and began production in 2004, after Sony expressed interest in the game's original vision. Lair was pitched as a WWII-inspired tactics game called Animal Farm, but was later scrapped in favor of Dragon Knight, a pitch that would become Lair. The game encountered a troubled development cycle, with many of its elements and concepts changing through internal disagreements, Sony's mandates and the PlayStation 3's complex architecture. Sony also made the team use the Sixaxis' motion controls, and the game was eventually delayed from being a 2006 launch title to 2007.
Lair was marketed heavily as a showcase for the Sixaxis and was anticipated for its ambitious nature. Upon release, Lair received mixed or averagely-scored reviews, with multiple gaming publications lamenting the title as a disappointment. It received significant praise for its presentation, storytelling and setting, but received widespread criticism for its technical issues and control scheme. Publisher Sony was also criticized for its handling of the game's reviews, and the game's troubled development and release ended the partnership between the former and Factor 5. Factor 5 later released a patch for an analog stick control scheme, but the game ended up as their final release before the studio's closure in 2009.