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You can count on movie based video games being a disappointment. From the pressure of film
studios to the lower budgets and time pressures, only in rare cases does the game live up to
the movie. But The Lord of the Rings is different. The film series did so many things right and
one of them was making its game worth while.
Despite being called The Two Towers, the game follows the events of the first two movies,
from the opening battle in Mordor to the battle of Helm’s deep. So liberties have been taken,
making lesser moments into full levels but for the most part it follows the films nicely.
Which is important, because one of the things it does better than most other movie games
is make you feel like you are part of the films. The game uses actual movie footage,
that blends into the gameplay. One moment you are watching and the next you are playing.
It brings you in and should make every LOTR fan get extra excited.
This is great but would be worthless if the gameplay didn’t hold up, and thankfully
it does. The game is an action game that sometimes feels like a beat ‘em up, with the heavy
emphasis on combat. You select one of three characters, either Aragorn, Legolas, or Gimli.
Each one plays similarly but with their own unique set of moves. You will use light, heavy
and projectile attacks on the countless orcs as you go through the levels. After each kill
you are awarded a score which will be tallied at the end of the level, and earn you experience
depending on how well you do. You can then use that experience to upgrade your characters
and buy new moves. This encourages you to replay levels with each character, upgrading
them as much as you can. And these upgrades come in handy because the game can be challenging,
as some of the levels are long with enough enemies to fill the screen.
There is even bonus content in the game, unlocking interviews and storyboards as you progress
through it.
Disappointingly the game is pretty short, being able to be completed in around five
hours. And some might find the combat repetitive, as it is a lot of hacking and slashing. But
the upgrade system does a good job at mixing up the combat, and each of the boss battles
is memorial, especially the one against the Troll in Moria. All this adds up to make one
of the best movie based games around.