Lord of the Rings games

[goatdan]

I'm talking about the EA titles based on the movies. Anyone have any of them? Are they any good?

I'm a pretty big LOTR fan, and I really enjoy beat-em-ups which is what these games present themselves as from what I've seen. I'm thinking of picking up one or two at $15.00, but if they suck I'd rather spend the money on something else.

Thanks

[downfall]

I only rented the middle game, so I can't comment too much. I did enjoy what I was able to play however. Probably the best game I've played as far as being movie licensed, and as far as actually incorporating footage and ideas from the movies into the games. Very well done in that aspect. Gameplay was pretty standard - I wasn't blown away by it, but it didn't really seem lacking. I'm not sure I'd classify it as a beat-em-up though - from what I remember, it was a bit more involved than that (ie. there was more to it than say the recent TMNT games). The main reason I rented it is because I had finished watching the movies, and thought it would be worth checking out. The fact that most magazines and other reviews I read consistently scored the games in the 80% plus range also helped out with my decision to try 'em out. Like I said, I wasn't blown away by it, but it was a fun time, and I plan on picking them up at some point - especially given the fact that they aren't expensive at all. I'd say with you being a big LOTR fan, you'll dig the games, especially with the price points.

[Lord Contaminous]

I understand the latest LOTR game is almost a dead ringer for Final Fantasy X.

[Nature Boy]

I've played Two Towers and quite enjoyed it. The way they mix the movie footage into the game is pretty neat. And beating the crap outta things in that universe is a lot of fun.

Are they classics in the making? Nope. Are they enjoyable as a LOTR fan? Absolutely.

[Cantaloup]

"The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King" games for the consoles are pretty good (I have both for the PS2). Well worth getting if you liked the movies and/or this type of game. As downfall mentioned, they make excellent use of the movie license. All of the actors from the films reprise their roles for the games, all the music is there, there is footage from the movies, etc. Also, The Return of the King supports on-line play (at least on the PS2). My biggest complaint is once I unlocked everything and leveled up all my characters, I kind of lost interest.

On the GBA, these games are actually Diablo/Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance-style action/dungeon crawl RPGs. I've have the GBA Two Towers and it's pretty good if you like this type of game. But I'd probably recommend one of the console RPGs (like Champions of Norrath) instead. But for a GBA game it's pretty novel.

I'd avoid any of the "Fellowship of the Ring" games, since those I've heard are not too good.

Let me know if you have any questions about the games that I have (PS2 Two Towers and Return of the King; GBA Two Towers).

[BigGeorgeJohnson]

I think they are all garbage, but thats just my opinion.

[goatdan]

Let me know if you have any questions about the games that I have (PS2 Two Towers and Return of the King; GBA Two Towers).

Let's say that I was to get one of these to see if I liked it enough to purchase the other. Obviously, Return of the King came out second, so it is probably more advanced, but on the other hand Two Towers is closer to the "start" of the series.

Which one would you suggest that I start with?

[EnemyZero]

there basic hack and slash games....except you KNOW where the story is going, at least back in the day playing stuff like gauntlet or something, you were left guessing whats next

[Cantaloup]

Let's say that I was to get one of these to see if I liked it enough to purchase the other. Obviously, Return of the King came out second, so it is probably more advanced, but on the other hand Two Towers is closer to the "start" of the series.

Which one would you suggest that I start with?

I think if you like one you will like the other as well. As you said, Return has more stuff and is generally improved over Two Towers, but they are still very similar. If you start with Return you might find Two Towers to be a bit disappointing, so if you want an introduction to these games with an eye toward purchasing the other game, maybe Two Towers is the better choice to start with. In terms of story, Two Towers covers battles from Fellowship as well as the second movie. Return starts with Gandalf coming to Helm's Deep.

As for feature and game play differences between the two games... Return of the King has co-op and on-line play (at least the PS2 version does, not sure about other platforms). Return has more playable characters, they are more diverse in the way they play, and they have new abilities not found in the first game. Return also allows you to interact more with the environment by activating switches, picking up weapons, and so forth. However, most of the core game mechanics and controls is almost exactly the same in both games.

So, to sum up, I would say if you were going to get only one of the games, get Return of the King. If you think you might get both, start with Two Towers and know you have an even better game waiting for you if you like it.

[o2william]

On the GBA, these games are actually Diablo/Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance-style action/dungeon crawl RPGs. I've have the GBA Two Towers and it's pretty good if you like this type of game.

Seconded. Two Towers on the GBA is a pretty fun title. Not Middle Earth-shakingly so, but I enjoyed it... even enough to play through with all the different characters. The control scheme is very simple, but the developers reasonably captured the feel of melee combat anyway -- even though all you have to do to fight is mash a single button. Considering it's a portable game based on a movie license, it went way beyond my expectations.

[Half Japanese]

I got the Two Towers when it was still fairly new and enjoyed it. While it may look pretty standard, I'd say it's a bit more difficult than most hack and slashers. Trust me, you'll spend quite a bit of time on a couple of the levels. You can also purchase new moves and combos in between levels. I played a bit of the second one, which was mostly more of the same, but with co-op. I'd recommend Two Towers as a starting point, then proceed to RotK if you like that.

[jdc]

I spent an incredibly satisfying time playing The Lord Of The Rings-The Third Age. It's magnificent. No...it's NOT a dead ringer for Final Fantasy X. The only thing that the games have in common is that you can switch party members in and out of battle on the fly....and they're both massive RPGs. I played several hours every day, played nothing else...and it still took me nearly two weeks.

The story will hook you like a fish...and this game is no lightweight. It's freaking hard. The battles are intense and the enemies take a long time to go down. One lapse in concentration....and you're toast. And that's not even the bosses. THEY will school you....even if you consider yourself to be an RPGer above all else. You're going to have trouble.

Like I've said before....this is another phenomenal game that will go unnoticed....just like Prince Of Persia or Beyond Good And Evil.

The other two games are adventure games with an RPG "flavor" and beautifully presented.

[pixelsnpolygons]

Only the newer ones? Damn, there goes another missed opportunity to bag the crappy SNES game. Fellowship of the Ring for PlayStation 2 (Xbox, GameCube) is crap. Two Towers isn't bad - but isn't great. Return of the King isn't bad either. Out of the games based on the trilogy of movies - the latter are worth renting, the first isn't even worth that. I haven't played the new one.

[PDorr3]

I have played TTT and own RotK. they are quality titles, VERY good beat em ups. I am looking foward to playing third age.