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Even Sam gets a chance to hack up some orcs.
04/19/04
What could be more fun than playing through a game based one of the greatest movies ever? You
start off in the middle of an incredible battle scene playing as Gandalf. As the game progresses, you
can play as several other characters, Gimli, Aragorn, Legolas and Sam. To play as Frodo or other additional characters, you must complete the game. This will be no easy feat. Even on the easiest
difficulty setting, many advanced gamers will have to work extremely hard to make it to the next level. Some levels are fun and easy, giving you very specific goals but others will have you throwing
your controller with frustration. One of the biggest problems for me was one level where I had to run through a cave while rocks would fall around me. Sometimes you would have to run toward the
camera and then when you go to the next area, you were running away from the camera. If you paused for a second to regroup, you would get crushed. Was this fun. Nope. But for the most
part, I had a blast. The graphics were awesome. You really felt the pressure as you shot arrows at what felt at times were endless waves of orcs or made your way across a battlefield in order to fire
a trebuchet. Your team members are pretty helpless but that's no surprise.
If you're good enough to get to the end of the game, you'll unlock interviews with some of the cast
& crew and other playable games. You can replay the game as other characters and also do a 2 player co-op mode.
Gandalf may be the most fun character to play.
If you're considering getting this game for your kids, forget it. Not because of violence (it is pretty
violent but no more than the movies) but because young children would get stuck on the first level. This game was made for adult players (16+). But that's not a bad thing. The game is fully
immersive and will give you a great experience. I recommend it to advanced gamers and hardcore fans of the movies.
Pros:
- Great graphics!
- Play through the story as any of the characters (but you have to unlock them first)
- The action is amazing and fun.
Cons:
- Camera angles can be frustrating.
- A few of the levels are incredibly hard to finish, even on the easiest difficulty setting.
- Way too difficult for kids (and most adults)
Verdict: I loved this game but I had some moments of incredible frustration. The easy difficulty
level should actually be easy. Recommended for experienced gamers only and hardcore fans of the movies.
Buy it at Amazon for $39.99 (price as of 04/19/04)
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