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GREAT GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 28
Date: August 06, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This is going to be the best LOTR game yet. You can play as both the good and bad guys to destroy the ring or conquer middle-earth. You should get this game as soon as it comes out!

a biased opinion from a true lotr fan

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 29
Date: August 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

ok, now for you hardcore lotr fans, this game should be the best lotr game in the franchise. only a lotr rpg would get this title. for the hardcore fans, there really isn't anything better to do than just wander middle earth and observe the whole world someone's created. i mean, sure, the graphicks probly gonna kick butt, and the gameplay is probably going to be just like ffx, which is a good thing, but for myself, the best part of this game will be roaming middle earth, killing orcs, fighting with the fellowship, and the ability to be a dwarf, elf, and human. this will truly be the best lotr game yet

A Definite Christmas Seller!!!!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 28
Date: October 29, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Yo this game is gonna be off the hook!!!!! You get to be on team Light or Team Dark, and you get to roam free in Middle Earth, killing Orcs!!!!!! I think it will be awesome for the first time ever to be able to be on the Dark Side instead of being the hero for once!!!!!! It is going to be a huge seller this holiday season so hurry up and get your copy today for that very special someone on your gift list!!!!!!!

Sounds like Knights of the Old Republic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 25
Date: October 31, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This Sounds like the Star Wars RPG "Knights of the Old Republic" in which you get to choose the light side or the dark side of the Forcee. I really hope that the gameplay and design is similar because the only thing that might be as cool as "Knights" would be a Lord of the Rings version of it. I'm an avid gamer but I don't really like turn-based RPG's much, so I hope that this is going to have real-time gameplay instead. Anyways can't wait until it comes out so I can rent it. For anyone who likes Star Wars or RPG's check out Knights of the Old Republic, Which is in my opinion the best Star Wars game to date.

Probably will be a good game...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 39
Date: October 31, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I won't know how good this game will be but it sounds ok. It will probably be a good game... but I was talking to my friend about it and this RPG sounds a heck of a lot like Knights of the Old Republic. Three person action party, picking up allies along the way, and free roam... not to mention the picking sides part. I am a serious LOTR fan but, gosh, if you're one, too, please don't say something like,"This is gonna be a great game! :-D!" Well we don't know, so I'd be quiet if I were you. It's kind of 4-year-oldish.

Your lord and master,
Grand Admiral Thrawn

upsettingly BAD!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 55 / 64
Date: November 04, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I was SOOOO EXCITED about this game from the get go! I called the stores EVERY day even to see when it was available etc. I got it and now find that EA has botched another good idea - An LOTR RPG. But first, the pros before the cons.

The graphics are superb along with the musical score! Another thing that is cool is how you can add new armor and it changes the appearance of your character. Now this is ALL that is good about it!

Cons
The game is TOTALLY Linear!!!! In EVERY rpg Ive played you can go to towns and talk to people/buy weapons etc. And you can generally go around and explore and level up etc. Not here. Here its set up to where you run along a SET path unable to leave the path (if you try your character just runs in place!) So basically you run from point A to point B and open chests to get the same items every time(Which means NO replay value) You fight a few orcs etc then move on to the next area. This is IT! The WHOLE GAME IS LIKE THIS!

I find that the ONLY meat of the game is "battle" turn based battle. the battles are traditional rpg style, choose attack or a spell, defend or heal etc. But you cannot find new special weapons etc. Early on when you only have a few spells etc you start from easy battles to insane battles! There is NO room to level up on your own through random battles etc.

Why EA chose to make a game that is totally Linear from point A to point B is beyond me! I used to be a HUGE Final Fantasy fan along with Xenogears, Xenosaga etc. This game will be HIGHLY diappointing for anyone who is a fan of LOTR and is looking for a meaty rpg. Nope, its for UBER fans ONLY! If you like running here fighting, then running there fighting etc its for you. If you like variety in an rpg then pass, rent this just to see how bad it is. I would have to say that this gets #1 on my most disappointing game of the year!

Can't work, can't eat, can't sleep, MUST PLAY THIS GAME!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 8
Date: November 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Let me start by saying that I have rarely found any games based off a movie that are worthwhile. Every now and then you might find a game that is decent, but won't keep you from shirking any of your adult duties. Those games are few and far between such as, Knights of the Old Republic, All Neverwinter Nights and Baldur Gates, Diablo, Starcraft, Warcraft I.

So when I picked up this little gem, I made sure that I kept my receipt and hurried on home. After about 3 hours of gameplay, I couldn't stop. After 7 hours, I couldn't stop. Finally after 16 hours, I finally had to put it down, as all my regular adult responsibilities were beyond the critical point as to their required completion dates. This game is simply amazing.

Graphics:
The graphics are very good. You can tell the developers spent a long time to make sure that there were no awkward clipping planes, and artifacting was at a minimal. What sets this game apart besides the very nice graphics, was the scenery of the game. There are points in this game that I feel like I have been transported to Middle Earth. There are times where I stop playing the game and just wander around to look at the scenery like a tourist on a field trip. The scenery and production are BREATHTAKING.

Sound:
Over the last couple of years, developers are finally starting to realize the importance that amazing sounds and sound effects bring to a game. This is one of the few titles that truly master the art of great surround sound implementation. I have yet to meet it's equal except for some early horror titles like Fatal Frame. It's not merely that it uses surround sound and you can hear it on all of your channels, it's the perfect implementation of the sound. It is very obvious that they hired a very professional team to mix each sound effect to THX standards to perfection. To help elaborate, there was one scene where I was standing deep in a cave where the end of it actually opened up to a cliff over a river. While I was standing on the edge of this remarkable geological structure, you could hear the coastal wind whistling by, while high over head a mysterious Middle Earth gull flew over head. This is just a small sample of the sounds that await you in Middle Earth!

Gameplay:
The game took a little while to get going. The controls were pretty standard, but the book that comes with the game is surprisingly inadequate. I think it's all of 10 pages with 3 pages of that being credits. I would recommend buying the Game Guide that goes along with this game as it has lots of great recommendations, without spoiling the game. It uses the turn based battle menu, just like Neverwinter nights. I enjoy this turn based style as much as I enjoy the fluid battle mode like Fable. The turn based style helps add to appeal of the game as battle strategy becomes more crucial as the game goes on. This game is not for those who are into the hack and slash method of fighting. You must use strategy, and this game will push you to your limits, especially if you are bold enough to use the Hard level. You don't buy or sell any items from shop vendors, but can only gain items from drops, chests, and things you create yourself. This I find kind of nice, as sometimes you can get bogged down with the economic aspect of games and can at times take away from overall gameplay.

Overall:
I will say I was very surprised about how much I liked this game. I NEVER like games that are so linear and restrict your movements so much, but I have to say that I really LOVE playing this game. I think that part of the reason that this game plays so well for me is that I have a really nice Audio/Video system which this game utilized fully. Every time I cast a spell it emerges me into that world. I can see why some people did not enjoy this game, and can't really blame them. As for me, I really enjoyed this game and think that it will strike a cord with some others out there who appreciate the aspects of this game that are really well done. Do not buy this game if you have any responsibilities in your life that need to get done in the next week or so. If you don't heed my warning, you might find yourself late at night mumbling to yourself while holding this game disc, while gently saying, "my precious, my precious." Oh, but it's so sweet.

Why not submit a review AFTER we play the game...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 9
Date: November 10, 2004
Author: Amazon User

OK, first off, this game is nothing at all like Knights of the Old Republic. You do not get to choose sides and while can roam (you can travel back to completed chapters, but there is no wilderness roaming, all the space is confined by imaginary borders) the plot is as linear as it gets and there's no straying (side quests) at all. It follows the plot lines of the three movies (so it assumes the differences between the movies and books) and you basically start off following the Fellowship from outside Rivendell into Moria. There are over 100 movie cut scenes which at times get in the way of game play but you do get to choose to view them or not. All of the cut scenes are straight from the movies. So the content is great, but there are just points where you're hit with several in a row while you're trying to complete quests. There are also party cut scenes that you must watch; however, there are not nearly as many or lengthy.

Combat is very much like Final Fantasy 7 and becomes very very repetitive after a while. Roaming battles (random ones that are not specifically part of the plot) are basically identical where you fight the same group of three or four attackers over and over. After you complete a chapter using the Elf/Human/Dwarf party (AKA "forces of light"), you do get the opportunity to play as the forces of Sauron and Saruman; however, only in a very few select battles and even on the most difficult setting, it's always stacked in your favor either by the damage you can do, your health or action points or a combination of all three. By successfully using the evil forces after each chapter, you receive new items which are saved in one of your good forces save games (ready for use next time you load that particular save).

At certains times during the game, some of the fellowship characters will join your battles. So far I've fought with Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Faramir (and you do get to control their actions), but I've only completed through the battle at Helm's Deep and the beginning of Osgiliath (about halfway through the game). I am sure there will be more as the game continues.

You get to fight in some of the famous battles and against some of the famous villians and creatures (which will all stray slightly from the movie plot, but I can't imagine anyone complaining about that). There are a wealth of skills for each of your party members and very few have similar skills; however, on the other hand I find many of the skills available to be unnecessary except for the purposes of advancing your skill tree (to get more powerful skills).

Overall, the plot is good, the game play is entertaining (especially if you enjoyed the movies) though roaming battles will become repetitive. Repeated plays of the game will offer very little variation since the only thing you can control are the armaments, stat levels and skills of your player characters. The voice acting is OK (Ian McKellen does the narration as Gandalf and is great but the two female characters in your party are obviously voiced by the same woman with no attempt to make them sound even remotely different which makes it very difficult to follow dialogue in a number of the party cut scenes), the party cut scenes are OK, the movie cut scenes are good (though the material often repeats with differing narratives), the graphics are very good and the music and skill animations are excellent.

This is a must play for any LOTR movie enthusiasts but if you're a hard-core RPG'er, I would save this one for lulls between any of the bigger RPG's releases this year. Not to mention, this really shouldn't be considered an RPG, but I won't get into that here...

Would rather eat Warg droppings than play this anymore

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: November 12, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I had very high hopes for this game and went out to buy it as soon as it came out. Now that I've been "playing" it I have some major gripes...

This game is beyond what I would call linear, you are confined to a set path, unlike KOTOR where you ran around zones, here you run down paths. Dreadful.

Combat looks stupid. All the fights seem predetermined. When you enter combat a large loud annoying "start of combat" screen pops up. You decide your attack, you execute your attack, then you run back to where you were to stand like an idiot waiting on the enemy to attack you. I just can't get over how bad that looks.

What it boils down to is that there is little to no exploration and all the game is is a series of battles you run too. Rent this thing if you have to play it.

Final Fantasy 7&10 Exact Clone

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 8
Date: November 12, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Third Age is an amazing game if you got into the final fantasy series. Third Age plays exactly like final fantasy almost to the t.
The characters are pretty much the same too....thief(like reiku) Healer (like yuna) Warrior (like cloud) Bowman(like gun guy in ff7 and 10 (vincent))ect...i'm about 70% through the game after about 40 hours of game play and am looking forward to playing the game in evil mode. I would say buy this game if a:you love rpg's and final fantasy b:if you have ALOT of time on your hands...One really cool thing about this game is the 109 movies scenes you can unlock(actual movie with deleted scenes) one cheesy thing about the game is the redundant battle scenes with the same foes....does not have the same beastiary as ff7 or 10....You can also aquire characters from the movies for certain fight scenes...i've played gimli, aragorn, faramir, there is an elf similar to legolas, but haven't played as him yet....I would highly recommend this game to the die hard final fantasy fans and rpg fiends like me....Hope this helps

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