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Review  The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
- By Daniel Maraglio
[Senior Editor]
A follow-up to last years Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers game, for the PS2. EA Has released The return of the King, bringing with it, many new options and gameplay tweaks. How much better is it than the two towers?
Gameplay:
A few new features have been added that really make a big difference in this title. The biggest of course os the new Co-Op mode. The RPG elements also come back, now allowing you to go to level 20. After every battle, experience points are awarded based on your kills. These points are used to purchase new moves, combos, health upgrades, and upgraded projectile weapons. If a level is giving you trouble (and it will), try going back to a level you can beat and keep gaining experience. After beefing up your fighter, you can stand a better chance for the challenges ahead. If you dont want to spoil any of the upcoming movie, you should keep away, as this game will reveal all plot twists and the trilogies end through clips of the film and gameplay itself. Besides movie clips, there are plenty of unlockable interviews with actors about the game and some production art as well. Of course the game has a few problems. The difficulty may be way too challenging for some casual gamers. Even on Easy mode, the game throws plenty of enemies and challenges your way and if you dont parry and use combos, you will find yourself very dead. This challenge also makes the game much more exciting and really gives a sense of accomplishment when a level is completed. My biggest problem was with the sometimes unclear objectives. It sucks when you fight through a whole level and then lose at the end since you cant find a switch, or know how to kill a boss. It can get frustrating to play a whole level 2-3 times just to keep trying new ways to complete objectives. Once you know what to do however, things go smoothly.
Control:
Controlling your fighters is for the most part, easy and intuitive. A weak and strong attack, physical attack, projectile attack, blocking, and many other moves are easily mastered and are all effective. There are also some weapon combos to learn. While the combos are useful, they can sometimes be easily broken by other enemies and being swarmed is common. Luckily, you have secial moves for most any situation. My only problems were occasionally getting stuck in co-op mode and the frustration of being knocked down constantly while trying to perform a combo.
Aesthetics:
Graphically the game is quite amazing. The graphics engine has been improved greatly since last release. Characters and backgrounds are all very highly detailed and sharp looking. Even when explosions and smoke fill the screen, it holds a steady 30 fps. The most impressive aspect of the graphics are the sheer amount of characters on screen. Memorable moments are being ambushed by an army of Orcs and Rushing to battle with literally dozens of troops on screen at once. All these warriors on one screen can make for a very chaotic experience, which makes for a very exciting game. It isnt just you taking on the enemy. There are seperate fights occuring all over the place. The feeling that you are on a true battlefield really makes this feel like a movie. As for the Fellowship, everyone looks like they do in the films for the most part.
Sound:
The sounds are movie quality. Music from the films make the games soundtrack and all actors have specially recorded clips just for the game. The music sounds great as do all the sound effects. Sometimes the characters would speak a bit too much and would say a cheesy line or two. Besides that, its perfect.
Multiplayer:
One of the biggest complaints for The Two Towers was the exclusion of multiplayer. EA has wisely answered fans with a great multiplayer experience. Playing with a friend seriously enhances the fun of being in the thick of a battle and mowing down orcs and uruks. To clear the confusion, both players have a bright colored highlight above thier head so you know whos who and where they (and you) are in chaotic situations.
OVERALL:
If your a fan of LOTR, you will like the clips, sounds and overall presentation of middle earth. If you like beat-em up type games, Return of the King will keep you very challenged and satisfied. One of the best movie based games ever made. The multiplayer mode makes this game feel very complete and with plenty of secrets to unlock, you will be playing for hours. As close to being in the movie as you will get... Unless you want to be arrested.
The Lowdown on  The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
| Aesthetics: Awesome |
Control: Very Good |
| Gameplay: Very Good |
Multiplayer: Very Good |
| Sound: Awesome |
Innovation: 4/6 |
| Lasting Appeal: 4/6 |
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Overall: Very Good!
"A Must-Buy"
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This game is:
Very Good
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INFO |
Developer: EA Games
Publisher: EA Games
Number of Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: T
Release Date:
TBA
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IN A
NUTSHELL: |
| A vast improvement over the previous title. |
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