Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

by Vivendi Universal

Product Features

• Fight through hordes of enemies as Aragorn
• Cast a LETHAL arsenal of magic as Gandalf
• Use stealth, cunning, & The One Ring as Frodo

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00006LEM9
• Item Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: October 15, 2002
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (140 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,667 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

For even the mildest fans, anything related to this beloved book deserves top-notch treatment. Vivendi's officially authorized The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring falls disappointingly short of that goal. The game is intriguing enough (credit the source material) to play through entirely--once. For the cost of the game, you are guaranteed a reasonably pleasurable 10 hours of gameplay. After that, it will likely sit on your shelf.

There are good things in this game: the RPG mechanics are fine (at various points in the story you play as Frodo, Aragorn, and Gandalf), the visuals are beautiful in parts, and certain aspects of game design are fantastic (Gandalf's magic-casting stands out). Little touches make it appealing to true fans, like when Aragorn receives the repaired Sword of Elendil, and it glows during fighting. It would be a great game for even non-LOTR fans to play, since a good deal of backstory is provided in lengthy cinematics throughout the game. Fellowship's greatest asset, of course, is the story itself, as well as the bevy of villainous creatures that provide great boss-fight material. I'm sure many other games wished they had a Balrog to offer.

But the story deviates strangely from the book in order to satisfy the format of an RPG game. The final boss-fight (which we won't spoil here) is completely unrelated to anything devised by J.R.R. Tolkien, and it seems hollow, strange, and unsatisfying. The puzzles sprinkled throughout the game are random and often frustrating, as is your first encounter with the Ringwraiths (inevitably, you die many times--too steep a difficulty curve right out of the gate). This game is still strongly recommended, but with many caveats. Proceed with caution and you're likely to enjoy yourself. Expect a masterpiece and you'll be wishing you saved your money for a different PS2 title. --Jennifer Buckendorff

Pros:

• Great story and great characters (of course)
• Missions that require problem-solving as well as combat
• Gorgeous maps
• Getting to play as Gandalf

Cons:

• Painfully long cutaway scenes
• Cheesy ending
• Often-tedious fights

Product Description

The Dark Lord has arisen. A fellowship is formed. Now the future of Middle-Earth lies in your hands. Play as Frodo, Gandalf and Aragon as you overcome perilous obstacles and battle the forces of evil. In your journey from the Shire to the River Anduin, you will explore beautifully detailed environments and meet many characters brought to life as described in the book. Prepare to play the greatest story ever written...From the BEGINNING!

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Tolkien zealot's opinion..., November 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Video Game)

Let me begin this review by proclaiming proudly that I am at once an avid gamer, and a J.R.R. Tolkien fanatic. I was instantly skeptical about a game based upon Tolkien's works, as all past offerings have been lackluster and unworthy of their source materials. Still, video games couldn't be more vastly different from novels, so I knew that to make a game of a novel, liberties would have to be taken to some extent in favor of the gameplay. My greatest fear was that too many liberties would be taken, and I would loathe "The Fellowship of the Ring." Still, as a gamer and Tolkien fan, I decided to give it a chance - and I'm glad I did, despite the game's shortcomings.

The game's strengths...
· Beautiful graphics faithfully adapt the characters and locations of the books. What's more, the game offers an alternative vision of the story and the characters therein, and, if done well, that is always a welcome thing. Peter Jackson's interpretation isn't the only one, and the fact that this game isn't based upon the movies shouldn't dissuade you from being interested if you're a fan of the books.
· Mostly splendid voice-acting, cut scenes, and dialogue - much of which is from or inspired very much by the source material.
· "Mission" objectives are pretty fresh, interesting, and usually in keeping with the events of the book. For instance, at one point you must guard Gandalf from the Watcher in the Water as he struggles to unlock the gates of Moria. Awesome.
· Friendly AI is excellent. For example, orcish archers in Moria will be computer-controlled Gimli's first target. This sort of threat assessment keeps things feeling very much alive. On top of that, it's great fun to have backup that actually backs you up when you're in trouble.
· Battles are well-animated and should excite spectators who just happen to be looking on as you play.
· The game lets you take control of Frodo, Aragorn, and Gandalf as the story progresses, and each of them play differently from one another.

The game's weaknesses...
· First and foremost, this game is for fans of the books. If you don't fall into this category, this game probably isn't for you. Many of the game's reviews state as much, but bash the game unfairly for this fact. There are millions upon millions of Tolkien readers, and THEY will appreciate this attention to detail. Therefore, this is only a flaw depending upon how you look at it. So, if you're an avid gamer and a Tolkien fan, this comes highly recommended - I don't care what the Gamespot reviewers say.
· While it is so true to the novel that it sometimes embraces faithfulness over gameplay, there are moments where the game's designers take unnecessary liberties (but, hey, the same is true of the films, right?). For example, you battle orcs on your way to Weathertop in one of the game's nods toward action - and believe me, some action is welcome by this point. However, in a few moments, you'll be in Moria, and goodness knows there are plenty of orcs to slay there. Why did the designers jump the gun? There's no good reason. There are a few unwelcome moments like these, but by and large the game is very respectful of its roots.
· For those who are not avid fans of "The Lord of the Rings," and even for those Tolkien fans seeking instant gratification, this game will be a bit slow-going. You will often find yourself watching long movie segments followed by short missions. This allows the game to be true to the books, but gives you a feeling of lesser interaction, and it is especially problematic given the game's length - but I'll get to that in a moment.
· While the game often gives you the impression that you are a member of the Fellowship, sometimes it drops the ball. While playing through Moria was fun, it could have been so much more had the designers put the eight remaining members of the Fellowship at your back. I know the game has the capabilities to handle friendly AI in decent numbers, but for some reason, Gimli, and Gimli alone, is your sole support (until a puzzle at the end of the segment). I can only imagine that Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippen, Aragorn, Legolas, and Boromir were removed from the equation because, together, they would kick too much orcish arse and, as a result, make this portion of the game too easy. However, this problem could have been corrected by throwing more bloodthirsty orcs into the fray. Chaotic, story-driven action would ensue, and it could have been the highlight of the experience. As it is, you are just supposed to pretend that the Fellowship is there, since they show up in the cut-scenes only to mysteriously vanish when the gameplay resumes. Come on, guys - I know the difference between 9 and 2.

So, you might be wondering how this game stacks up against its most predominant competition, the movie-licensed "The Two Towers." In my own humble opinion, it's a better game. It's less linear than its counterpart, and the gameplay doesn't become nearly as repetitive. On top of that, "The Fellowship of the Ring" takes far fewer liberties than "The Two Towers."

On the other hand, "The Two Towers" employs more gameplay and less watching and waiting. "The Two Towers" also has more replay value, and will likely appeal to a wider audience with its non-stop action (not to mention the movie's impressive production values). Both games suffer from the worst plague of all, though, for both "The Two Towers" and "The Fellowship of the Ring" are short, short games. The two combined might equal one good game's content, and both lose serious points for this. On top of that, neither has much of an ending to make it feel as though your valiant efforts have paid off.

Still, when the smoke has cleared, I think the "The Fellowship of the Ring," clearly the underdog of the bunch, wins the war, if only by a hair. Note that I am speaking as a Tolkien fan first and foremost, however - and I like both offerings despite their many failings. So, you Tolkien readers/gamers out there, give this underrated adaptation a try. It's clearly not for everybody, but in the right hands, it can work magic.

Final Grade (as a Tolkien fan): B+
Final Grade (as a layman): C

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, once you get past the beginning, October 21, 2002

By 

John Coyle (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Video Game)

A great addition to the fantasy world! The story is amazing--if you have read the book, it stays true, while if you have only seen the film, you are in for a pleasant surprise (wait until the Barrow Downs). Somwehat awkward in combat, since the camera doesn't follow you always and much of the movement is based on turning the camera... but easy to get accustomed to. The initial board, where Frodo must sneak past the Dark Riders is...tedious at best. Far too difficult, until you get a handle on it, than it should be. Must have saved and loaded a hundred times without exaggeration. A clear flaw. BUT once past, the game picks up speed and becomes an amazing adventure. Just enough NPC interraction and character switching to make it interesting. The switch from Frodo to Aragorn is welcome and signals the beginning of the action part of the game. Five stars overall, despite the (small) shortcomings, a fabulous game.

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very Disappointing, October 27, 2002

By 

Jeff Benedict (Broken Arrow OK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Video Game)

This may not be the worst game of the year for the PS2, but it is certainly one of the most disappointing. Let's cut right to the chase, because I only have 1,000 words to describe how bad it is.
Short. Really short! The movie was almost longer (almost).I didn't use a stopwatch, but I would estimate I beat it in about 6 hours. The levels were all very small and fragmented, so there wasn't a very good flow to the game. The only thing long about this game was the loading times.
Easy. Easiest game I've ever played. I probably used the block button about 10 times. Didn't need to. There was an incredible amount of health, unlimited projectile weapons, few enemies, & portions of the fellowship would help you. Sometimes you didn't even have to attack the enemy, you could just run away and let Gimli wipe out the orcs for you. I only used the ring on Frodo once (to become invisible) just to try it out. Didn't need it. There was one mind numbingly hard part though. Sneaking past the Dark Riders in the Shire took me nearly 50 trys. The puzzles were little more than wandering around these very small levels to collect various easily found shimmering objects. Boring.
Hard to control. Frodo was especially hard to control. He could sneak, walk, or run (pressure sensitive). But I'll be danged if I could get him to walk more than 2 steps before he would start running, or sneaking. It was hard to get him to jump on things to. Not impossible, just harder than it needed to be. Aaragorn & Gandalf were much easier. The combat system was fairly easy to control because it consisted of mainly mashing the square button.
Other qualms. Gandalf's spells were kind of weak. The BOSS characters didn't really require any special techniques to defeat. No real sense of taking a journey, like the book or movie conveys.
Things I liked. The music was pretty good I thought. The graphics were decent. I also thought it was neat when I realized the fellowship could help you in battle, until I realized the battles would never get any harder.
I am a huge fan of the book and the movie, and no matter what the reviews, there was nothing going to stop me from getting this game; but I am also a fan of good video games, so I don't understand how anyone is giving The Fellowship of the Ring 5 stars. They must be from the Black Label production crew's mothers. If you just can't get enough LOTR, then go ahead and get it, but if you just want a really great fantasy action/adventure game, try Drakan.