Lord of the Rings:
Return of the King
Developed and Published
by Electronic Arts, and released in November of 2003, Lord of the
Rings: Return of the King (ROTK) is the final installment in the
blockbuster trilogy of successful movies of the same name. With
Frodo and Sam moving ever closer to Mordor, it is up to you and your
fellowship to ensure the fate of Middle Earth is saved from the evil
Sauron.
Improved from the two previous installments, ROTK features nine playable
characters, 15 levels of intense gameplay, 12 fully interactive
environments, outstanding movie cut-scenes from the ROTK movie, and more
orcs, trolls, and ferocious foes than you can shake a stick at!
Taking full advantage of the Xbox capabilities, ROTK's eye-popping
graphics, smooth transition rate, and outstanding original voice-overs
will have you playing this game over and over again.
Much like the movie, the game allows you to follow three different paths
to the final battle. Relying heavily on the different strengths of
each character, ROTK is undoubtedly the most impressive (and difficult) of
the trilogy. Starting the game there are six playable characters;
however, not all of them are available. As you progress through the
game, characters are "unlocked" and become accessible for
play. You can start out as Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. While
I found Gimli fun to play, he's definitely not as fast as Aragorn or
Legolas; therefore, it didn't take long for me to switch! You'll
also have the opportunity to take control of Gandalf, Sam, and Frodo in
some levels as well, making this game extremely well-rounded.
Unlocking characters is not the only perk in ROTK. During your MANY
fight scenes, the A.I. keeps track of how effective you were in killing
your enemy and grades you on your performance. Rated from Fair to
Perfect, the more hits, combinations, and kills you accumulate, the better
your graded; thus, earning yourself points at the end of each level.
Trust me, you will need these reward points! Being able to buy
yourself spells, special combos, and in some cases, extended life certainly
helps when battling. I did; however, figure out that in the
multi-player mode your reward points are shared with your partner, so make
sure your partner...if playing in the player one position, doesn't spend
all your reward points! Otherwise you'll be left with nothing, which
can make your advancement extremely difficult.
There are tons of puzzles and challenges to figure out so using your head
in this game is a must! One thing I should mention about this game
is the difficulty level. If you are playing this for the first time,
chances are you are beating your head against the wall. There are
times where you will be surrounded by literally hundreds of foes that seem
to come from nowhere. For sanity's sake or unless you really are
THAT good, adjusting the difficulty level or taking on the game with a
partner is a must! With levels that are so fast-paced, enemies
everywhere, and challenges to overcome, ROTK certainly gives you a run for
your money.
Adding to the action of the game is extremely life-like attention to
detail in regards to the characters. Moving in 3D, the transition
between the moves of the characters are polished and realistic. The
sound is pretty damn good too. THX-certified...the soundtrack and
sound effects only enhance the visuals in the game.
Overall, I found this game to be extremely challenging, sometimes
downright nerve-racking, but definitely addictive! If you've already
played the two previous installments, you will be pleasantly surprised at
the improvements made to ROTK.
Aside from the single-player difficulty, Lord of the Rings: Return
of the King is a definite must-have for your collection!
Overall Game Rating: 9.0 out of 10
Official
Xbox Website:
http://www.xbox.com
Where
to find XBox Cheats:
http://www.xboxcheats.com
