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Return Of The King

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 32 / 36
Date: August 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I being a huge fan of "The Lord of the Rings" movies and video games, cannot wait for this game to be released. Basically, if you liked "The Two Towers" (which was released on all systems), you will love "The Return of the King"!! This game will have three major story branches and up to 9 or 10 playable characters (some being secret characters which you will have to unlock). In this game you not only play through one strict story line what ever character you choose, you now can play as Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee and follow through their footsteps, the player can lead an army through the Dead Marshes as Aragorn and in doin so, raise the army of the dead, and the player can also play as Gandalf the White(about friggin time) and slay orcs on the walls of Minas Tirith. Just about everything from Two Towers has been improved and put into this upcoming game. Probably the newest feature I am most excited about is the new Co-op mode. That's right, now two people can play through the game together(they should have put this in "The Two Towers)!! And also just like almost every single sequel they have improved the graphics greatly. I hope this review was helpful to you.

This game was worth the wait

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 25 / 30
Date: November 08, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Ecept for Jedi Outcast, The Lord of the Rings the Return of the King is the best game I've ever played! The graphics are great and the gameplay is too. I got it the day it came out and it took my 4 days to beat it(though the levels are much harder, which is a good improvement.) When you beat the game, you unlock Merry, Pippin and Faramir as playable characters, along with the a ton of interviews and a secret level. In it you have 3 paths, the path of a wizard, path of the king and the path of the hobbits. the 15 levels include: Helm's deep, the black gate, crack of doom, minas tirith, the paths of the dead and many more. All of the bosses include: King of the dead, The witch king, Shelob, 3 ringwraiths, a strong orc (I forget his name), Gollum, siege towers and Sauron's lieutenant. If you get this game and you have trouble with a level, keep trying, you'll beat it sooner or later. So if you liked the two towers, you must get this game, it's worth it!

PS. I have not played the multi-player co-op mode with a real person, but I plugged an extra controller in and looked at it, and it does look good!

One of my favorites!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 17 / 20
Date: December 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I fell in love with this game the first time I played it. The graphics and the sounds are incredible. The gameplay if fun. It keeps you interested especially since they have three different paths to follow, as well as several different players you can do it with. I play it with my son so having it play in co-op mode is a HUGE benefit and source of enjoyment.

My only gripe is that if you are playing by yourself, it is sometimes hard to build up a player. Locking the game behind you as you progress is really disappointing.

Other than that, fantastic!!!! Highly recommended. A huge improvement over the Two Towers game. I love this game!!

One video game to rule them all...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 17
Date: November 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers was a big seller last year. The Two Towers was one of the first GOOD movie adpation to video games. But like every video game it had some problems, such as no co-op, wheres Gandalf, Frodo and Sam; and of course the game needed the environments to be more interactive. Now, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King sequel will fix up all the patches from the first game. With playble characters like Sam, Frodo, Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas and of course Aragorn will help you adventure though middle earth. Also, the game will feature 12 enviroments and secreat characters like Pippin, Mary, and Farimir. Last, the game will have such bosses like Sauron, the witch king and of course Shelob. So good luck, and may the battle for middle earth be a victory.

Strategic Hack-and-Slash

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 10 / 11
Date: September 19, 2004
Author: Amazon User

The third, but presumably not final Lord of the Rings game by EA (they have a "trilogy" version planned) leads from the end of the Two Towers, through the Return of the King, and into the end of the story. Taking control of a character (up to 2 players), you can traverse through various chapters to reach the end, with clips from the movies explaining as it goes along (although you probably shouldn't be playing if you haven't seen the movies.)

In essence, the Return of the King is a fun, stimulating game. While you traverse through the levels, slicing enemies apart, you have other objectives, from avoiding Nazgul scouts to using giant crossbows to kill Easterlings to knocking down enemy ladders and keeping orcs from overflowing the area. It keeps the gameplay slightly varied as you continue.

The graphics and processing speed are great. While the graphics don't have to work too hard to be more than simple (as far as Gamecube standards go), the processor can maintain many enemies and actions at once without any slowdown. Considering the amount of activity, this is impressive even for the new-gen powerful game consoles.

The music really livens up the experience. Rather than going the generic route a la Spider-man 2's game, EA decided to work with the movie-makers, not only for video and the occasional voicework (most of the lines not from the movie are ridiculous in their cornyness though), but also for Howard Shore's excellent score. Not only does it keep things in tone with the films much more than the video clips, but it also gives the game tension, even if you're just watching someone else play.

Which leads to my first gripe: This game should have been 3-player, if not 4-player. There's no reason it couldn't have been, considering the combinations of characters and difficulty variances in it. It's almost as bad as the 2-player Ninja Turtle game, because not only is it senseless to limit it to 2 players, but it somewhat strikes at the heart of the game.

The second gripe is that this game simply isn't worth buying. The strategies necessary for many chapters keep it interesting, but it's still just a hack-and-slash at heart. Once beaten (which doesn't take long at all), there really isn't any reason to continue. The game gets boring pretty fast after that. You can find the interviews on your Lord of the Rings DVDs if you want them. The fun doesn't last beyond the end of the game.

It's just a rental, plain and simple.

Hack and Slash

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 12 / 15
Date: November 23, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The game is enjoyable enough, and certainly is an improvement on the Two Towers game. However, like the earlier game, it is very short (less than 10 hours) and ultimately repetitive. Hack and slash--that's really about all you do here. I suppose it has replay value in that you can unlock special characters, but really, what's the point when all the characters basically do the same thing (hack and slash). To say that the game is a horrid distortion of the actual story goes without saying, but that's just the nature of this kind of game. As for the little video clips and such that you can unlock, well, they are basically pointless. If you've seen the Two Towers film, the Return of the King Trailer, and the extended Return of the King preview on the theatrical Two Towers DVD you've seen all of the movie clips before. The interviews are very short and almost entirely pointless. This game is kind of fun though, so its not totally without merit. I'd say rent it somewhere rather than spending fifty dollars on something you'll play for a week. You likely finish the game before it must be returned anyway.

One of the Best Games In The Next-Gen Library...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: January 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Here's a quick summary:

Graphics: 10/10- Couldn't ask for better graphics. Movie to game (and vise-versa) transitions are great. You feel like you really are playing the movie.

Sound/Music: 9/10- Really good. Music always fits the mood and sound effects are great. The reason I didn't give a ten here is because it isn't perfect and Gandalf sounds like a Hobbit when he grunts (which happens a good amount).

Gameplay: 10/10- Fun as hell! Its hack-and-slash, but more complicated. Killing orcs (etc) never gets old, due to the fact that there are many sick combos to purchase with experence points and pull off. Co-op is great...this might have gotten a nine or eight if it weren't for the co-op mode. (The levels are the same, but you progress differently). As you go you will unlock many DVD-type extras such as concept art, interviews, and sound tests. There are also three hidden characters and two secret levels. Starts off slightly slow (Helm's Deep and The Paths of the Dead are the first two levels but also the worst...still good though)

Replayability: 9/10- It hasn't gotten old for me yet, even three months after beating every little bit of the game. The levels are unique and fun to go back to. Co-op will please you as long as you have friends and/or family to occaisonally play with. The only prblem is the long cutscenes that are amazing the first five times get old, usually you can skip them though.

AND1HOMERUN'S RATING: 10/10- If you like video games and/or the movies even the slightest bit you'll enjoy this. Gauntlet fans will be sucked in especially. Nothing to turn off younger players either, though it is rating Teen (due only to the fact that swordfighting takes place, though nothing graphic is seen). Use yyour judgement but I would say anyone over the age of 10 should be fine.

BUY FOR ACTION AND ADVENTURE FANS, FANS OF THE MOVIE, AND/OR OLDER CHILDREN (AGED 10 UP)
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The Return of the King will be even better than the first

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 25
Date: September 19, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King will be even better than the Two Tower,and the Two Towers was one of the best games I've played. You will be able to play as Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli just like before, plus you will be able to play as Gandalf the White, Frodo, and Sam! There will also be 2 secret characters to unlock. There will also be 12 or more misions and three story branches. Some of the missions include Osgiliath, Pelennor feilds, Minas Tirith, Shelob's lair and even Helms Deep in the morning when Gandalf comes! There will be tons of enemies including Orcs, Uruk-Hai, Trolls, Beasts, Evil men and many more. There will be many bosses including Shelob and the Witch King of Morgul (the leader of the Nazgul or Ringwraiths). It will also have a two player co-op mode. So if you loved the Two Towers, then you MUST GET THIS GAME! It will be worth it!!!

Awesome!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: February 22, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game is one of the best. It has amazing graphics and great sound. The movies flow straight from film to game. The scenes are a great addition. They provide a exciting preperation for the next mission. Overall, I think this is one of the best games.

Gandalf the Great

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: November 14, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Not the greatest game ever, but a really good game nonetheless. The same overview and gameplay as the other two, but Return of the King has a little special pizzazz.

Pros: Of course, one of the greatest story lines ever.
Gameplay is fantastic, orc killing for everyone.
Realistic; turns from movie to game scenes and you barely notice.
Level system, like the others, more killing moves and spells for Gandalf and the others
Easy to learn controls...of course, only six buttons.
Follows story line, as much as possible, and thank Sir Ian Mckellen for more game-exclusive dialogue than any of the others
Specials: movie stills, concept art, interviews and the like.

Cons: As with most all fighting games, one button or combo move is used excusively.
13 levels, and most can be played by multiple characters, but the game can be beat in one rental...that could also be a pro.

Not much bad can be said of the game; besides all the small petty stuff. Fantastic game, no blood or anything gory or vulgar, so fun for all ages. Good luck.

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