Customer Reviews

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

5 star:		(116)
4 star:		(85)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This game is really really fun to play! I bought it the day after it was released, and I still haven't been able to put it down. It is such a great improvement over Two Towers that you'll be hooked as well. The story itself centers around 3 different paths: Gandalf as he defends Minas Tirith from another Helm's Deep-sized army, Frodo+Sam on their journey to Mordor, and Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli as they travel through the Paths of the Dead, to Minas Tirith, and so forth. The levels themselves are beautifully rendered, and the addition of weapons in specific environments really makes for a completely new feeling game. The controls are much more detailed, so now if you get surrounded you can easily engage multiple enemies at a time. And finally after all the complaints about it not being in Two Towers, you can also play Co-op with a friend! No more having split screens, you both play on a normal sized screen! This game also features the option to play online, but since I don't have the capabilities to do so, I can't really review that part. The only thing stopping me from giving this 5 stars is that some of the levels are incredibly hard, even when set on easy. I guarantee that you'll go through each level a few times before you beat it. All in all this game is definitely worth the money and your time, so I recommend that you purchase it.

The first two Lord of the Rings titles belonged to that rare group of worthy film-based games. How many movie tie-in games have been less-than-stellar garbage capitalizing on a film's popularity? With "The Return of the King," EA concludes their trilogy with one of the best games of the year. A warning to those who have not read the books and do not know how the trilogy ends: As expected, the game contains many spoilers.

The biggest difference between ROTK and its predecessors may be the amount of action: Fellowship was mostly plot-oriented, and Two Towers featured one great action piece--Helm's Deep. ROTK, however, thrives on action. From start to finish, this game is non-stop action and adventure: gargantuan Siege Towers, monstrous trolls, bloodthirsty Uruk-Hai--this game gives you all you can handle, and then some. You'll be thankful for the occasional pauses to rest your thumbs--before the next attack begins. The game features voice-work from the film's actors and some of the most amazing backgrounds and environments I've ever seen in a video game, with perfect contrast between light and dark elements Like the films, there's meticulous attention to detail. Character design and appearance is first-rate, and character animation (thanks to motion-capture technology) is smooth and even. In addition, the sound quality (THX, no less) is outstanding--every roar, every clash of steel resounds through your speakers.

ROTK features three distinct playable storylines: The Path of the King, The Path of the Hobbits, and The Path of the Wizard. One can play as Aragorn, Legolas, Gandalf, Gimli, Frodo, or Sam, and beating the game unlocks three new characters. Follow Aragorn on the Paths of the Dead and recruit the undead to fight alongside you, from Minas Tirith to the Black Gate (and you'll get to battle the Mouth Of Sauron in an epic conflict). Follow Frodo and Sam from Osgiliath to Shelob's Lair to Mount Doom. Take the wizard's path, and have Gandalf fight from Orthanc to Minas Tirith. There are thirteen levels, and the three storylines converge in a final level only accessible when all thirteen are finished. Some levels are relatively easy (Shelob's Lair wasn't too tough) and some are barbaric in their difficulty (Paths of the Dead took me six tries before I beat it). Each character has their own unique style and weapons, with plenty of enemies to battle: Shelob, Orcs, Mumakils (Oliphaunts), Uruk-Hai, The King of the Dead, and more. Attacks are pretty straightforward: Quick attack, Fierce attack, parry, or fire (arrows and the like). As you gain experience points from defeating enemies, you can acquire better weapons and skills (such as invisibility and the truly awesome Balrog's Revenge) to combat the increasingly difficult foes one faces as the game progresses. And, one can choose to retain those points for oneself, or share them with other characters.

The game has three difficulty settings: Easy, normal, and hard. Easy is just that: easy. Normal is moderately challenging, but beatable for most average gamers. Select hard, and you're asking for it. The enemies seem to never end, and even the lowliest orcs take incredible amounts of punishment before falling. Hard difficulty may be best tackled with the game's Co-Op mode, which allows a friend to participate. A major problem with the game, however, is that you can't replay a level until you've beaten it. But once you complete it, every level opens up and can be played by any character--which gives the game better long-term replayability than most movie titles (and many non-movie ones, as well). PS2 gamers will have to contend with occasionally slow framerates due to the PS2's low-end processor. This usually only occurs when a horde of enemies are present, but it's still a little annoying. Another thing I didn't like was the occasional difficulty caused by the game's third-person perspective. Like most TP games, certain positions or angles create blind spots. In close combat, this can prove to be a major aggravation. But those are relatively minor things that detract little from the overall quality of this game. For anyone looking for an excellent action/adventure game, this can't be beat. Highly recommended.

I just thought I'd post this for all the parents out there thinking of this for christmas....

First off this is one of the best games out right now. It's incredible, and the best movie based game I've ever played.
Thank you Peter Jackson and EA! Great job!

However, be warned that while this game is incredible in gameplay, graphics, story, and sound, it's also very difficult...even on "easy". Think of it this way: There are games where you can just hit the "x" button rapid-fire to get out of any situation. This isn't a game like that. "Return of the King" goes more like this: Block, jump back, use a combo move of several buttons to knock the enemy down, then use a finishing move to end it, then turn around and deal with the next 20 orcs you have to slay...continue for 15 minutes and you get the idea.
Granted, I'm exagerrating a little and you can get by quite a bit with just random button hits, but the point is that this game has a complexity/difficulty that many games don't have, and it might be frustrating for some players. If your buying this for your child and he's/she's a player who just nails the X button all day and throws tantrums easily, you may want to save yourself the headaches and pass this one up for something easier.

The game was designed to keep you on the edge of your seat and on the verge of failing the entire time. It definately works. I haven't been as frantic and frustrated with any game in a long time...but conversely I haven't ever played a game where when I finally beat a level I actually jumped up and down screaming with joy. It keeps you on those emotional extremes, and the game gets 4 out of 5 because of that.

What was really missing from the Two Towers was the co-op mutliplayer option. They had the computer controling the other player but as computer AI is no where near human AI co-op is the way to go. I wish more games would bring back this option for those of us who invite friends over to play because not all gamers are loners.

This game, though frustrating at times, is one of the best adventure/action games ever. I did not want to stop playing it. Here is what happens:

You can play as up to 9 characters:
Aragorn
Legolas
Gimli
Gandalf
Sam
Frodo
Pippen
Merry
Faramir

(Pippen, Merry and Faramir can only be unlocked once you have beaten the game)

There are 3 paths you can choose from: The Path of the Wizard, King or Hobbit. The Path of the Wizard takes you to Minas Tirith and eventually the Black Gate. The Path of the King takes you to the Paths of the Dead, Pelennor Fields and the Black Gate. The Hobbit takes you to Shelobs Lair, Cirith Ungol and of course the Cracks of Doom. Most levels are pretty fun and addicting.

Now I'll give you a few helpful pointers. Number one, don't get frustrated with Top of the Wall, the 2nd level on the Path of the Wizard. You have to keep the orcs off of Minas Tirith's wall otherwise the overrun meter will go up causing you to lose the level, whether you died or not. Just hold off the orcs until the seige towers come. There should be four. Destroy the first 3 using your staff. The 4th one is supposed to make it to the wall. Destroy it and kill all the orcs around it the run down stairs to finish the level. The level can sometimes be hard but overall its not to bad and can be a fun level to go back and play several times.

Another hint: Most people think that the final level, the crack of Doom, is hard. Actually its not. This is the first level you can use Frodo. What happens is you have to defeat Gollum. Its really easy. Just get him over to the edge near the lava and do Orc Hewer or something similar like Fierce Attack. Gollum will start to lose his balance and lean backwards. Continue hitting him until he's just hanging on by his hands then do a finishing blow and send him falling. He will continue to crawl back up until his health bar is depleated. Dont worry, its not that hard.

My final hint is for the Black Gate. This level is also pretty easy on co-op mode but if you haven't beat it on single player mode, it can be tricky. First off choose Gandalf. After you defeat the Mouth of Sauron, a pretty easy boss, prepare to fight back 6 waves of orc attacks. All waves come in through the front until the third one when they come in from all sides. Just be sure you guard your 3 fellowship members (if you were Gandalf they would be Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli) if they die, game over. One thing that make a major difference is orc archers. Kill them before they get to your fellowship heroes because the heroes usually just stand there while they get pelted with arrows. After the 6th wave, 3 Nazgul will come. This is why you pcik Gandalf. Shoot them a couple times with your staff and they will die. His staff works way better then arrows. After that, you've beat it.

I hope my hints have helped you. Enjoy the game and happy playing

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE SEEN THE '' TRILOGY '' EITHER IN THE MOVIES OR ON DVD, THIS GAME RELIVES ALL THE SAME FUN THAT THE MOVIES HAD!THE '' TWO TOWERS '' WAS A LOT OF FUN AS WELL, BUT A FEW LEVELS WERE RIDICULOUSLY HARD TO BEAT..THE SAME CAN BE SAID OF THE LEVEL '' MINAS TIRITH-TOP OF THE WALL '' LEVEL.ALL OF THE LEVELS ARE PRETTY MUCH STRAIGHTFORWARD AND SIMPLE TO GRASP, BUT NOT ALL ARE EASY.THE COOL THING IS YOU GET TO PLAY CERTAIN LEVELS AS SAM, OR GANDALF .AND THE OTHER LEVELS YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM GIMLI,ARAGORN,OR LEGOLAS. BUT WHEN YOU FINISH THE GAME YOU UNLOCK FAROMIR,GANDALF, PIPPIN, MERRIN ,FRODO ,AND SAM WHICH YOU CAN PLAY IN ALL THE LEVELS , EXCEPT THE FIRST ONE.YOU REALLY DON'T NEED TO BUY ALL THE CHARACTERS UPGRADES , BUT IT IS COOL TO PULL OFF A FEW COOL NEW MOVES IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE..BUT REMEMBER TO PARRY AND USE THE FIERCE ATTACK TO SHATTER THE ENEMIES SHIELDS .AND PARRY WHILE SHOOTING YOUR ARROWS, AS THE ARCHERS RETURN FIRE.AND LIKE THE '' THE TWO TOWERS ''GAME THEIR IS ALSO A 20 LEVEL FIGHTING ARENA WHICH YOU CAN PLAY.YOU DON'T GET ANYTHING FOR COMPLETING IT, JUST THE SATISFACTION OF SURVIVING IT..SO GET IT TODAY, AND YOU'LL BE ENTERTAINED FOR HOURS..ENJOY '' THE LORD OF THE RINGS ''!!

Return of the King is a fun game and a real challenge. I thought the Two Towers game was tough, but this is much tougher. Even on the easy setting. I had a hard time with a couple levels. The Walls of Minas Tirith was nearly impossible to beat. I got frustrated many times, but I eventually beat the game.

Despite my frustration with its difficulty, I really do love the game and enjoy playing it. The graphics are great and the characters are fun to play (except for Frodo - he's very weak).

If you like the movie and like adventure games, you'll like this game.

Unlike some of the other reviewers that feel they have to write a whole essay on the game, I'm going to make it short and sweet.

This game, like Two Towers, is great because you have multiple characters to play with and also, different paths. The graphics are tight as are the sound. The controls are also easy and the combos are neat. I like the fact that not only can you purchase upgrades for your character but the whole team as well. I would purchase upgrades for everyone, because my tactic is to complete each level using all the characters. After all members completed that same level, I'd move on. So, purchasing upgrades for everyone made it easier for me to advance as the next character.
The game did get a little overwhelming, especially the levels where you had multiple enemies to fight, but the game is just awesome anyway.

So, should you buy it. Yes. But, be warned you'll get addicted and play for all hours of the night!!!

First of all, the game has actual scenes included from the movies. Yes, it has scenes from both the Two Towers AND the Return of the King. This is because you fight in Helm's Deep in the beginning of the game and work your way up from there. The actors from the movies did the voices of the characters as well.

Second, the actors are interviewed for the game, and they are shown playing the game themselves and talking about it. A little something extra to make it even more interesting.

Third, the graphics are great! I love how they morph from a scene in the movie to the game characters and vice versa. The game characters look very much like the real actors too. Beware: the movie scenes will morph back to the game characters without warning so you'd better be ready to begin playing again or you may find yourself the victim of a nasty orc or mountain troll.

Basically, you fight in the same battles that occur in the movie, but because it's a game, your battles may involve more than is in the movie. You can play as Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Sam, Frodo, or Gandalf and when you beat the game you get 3 more special characters to play as. I won't tell you who they are - I don't want to ruin the surprise. Hint: After you beat the game you will be given secret codes and secret levels. Now, usually I don't like to use secret codes to win, but in this case the makers of the game GIVE you the codes, and they do it for a reason. Once you've beaten the game fair and square, in order to beat the scret levels you WILL need those codes or you won't beat the secret levels! Trust me, we tried it with Aragorn at level 16 and Legolas at level 12 - we could not beat "the Palantir of Sauron" without the codes, and even then it's tough to do! Hint 2: After you beat the game, you can play ANY character in ANY path you want. For example, you can take Aragorn and Legolas to "The Crack of Doom" with Gollum instead of Frodo and Sam. Or you can take Frodo and Sam along the "Path of the Dead." It's great, and much more than the 10 hours of play time one other reviewer mentioned.

In the game you choose between three different paths: The path of the King, the path of Gandalf, or the path of the Hobbits. As you level up and win battles you get to learn new techniques and purchase new weapons for your character. You need this in order to win at higher levels. One interesting feature is in the battle at the Black Gate. You not only have to fight the enemy but protect your party as well. If any of your party members die, you lose.

Finally, you can play as a single player, multi player, or if you have network capability, you can go online and play in the online world of Return of the King. My only complaint is that I wish there were more places to save the game. You have to finish a battle before you can save it - there's no saving part way through a battle. Also, some of the camera angles are not the best, but oh well. Don't let it ruin your fun. Overall, it's a great game! Of course, eventually you'll beat the game or grow tired of it just like all your other adventure/action games, but that's to be expected. However, if you play as all possible characters and take all possible paths, you will end up with quite a bit of playing time. I highly recommend the game!!

One last word. I've read some people's reviews saying it's just a slashing game - well, duh! The movie is one battle after another, not an adventure as it may have been in the Fellowship of the Ring. This is a fighter's game, not an adventure lover's game. If you want to search and explore in a game, and you love Lord of the Rings, I suggest you try "The Fellowship of the Ring." That game is not made by EA, so the graphics are very, very different, but it's a good game none the less, and the storyline actually follows the book rather than the movie. Also, the first four levels of "Return of the King" are NOT fighting the dead. The only place where you fight the dead is in "the Path of the King" ON "the path of the dead."

My son and I have beaten the game, and we still love to play it. It has great replay value, so buy it and enjoy!!!

this is a really good game, it has awesome gameplay and the levels are hard and but not to hard. the graphics are really good too.

The only reason I dont give this game 5 stars is because most of the levels you play happen in th LOTR the two towers, hardley any of it is based on LOTR the return of the king

I know that not everyone has alot of money to spend on games but if youre thinking of buying a game this one is really good. Its also good to play with friends because you can do 2 player mission mode and you complete the level together. Or you can do 1 player and beat it buy yourself. If you are into action and fun gameplay I suggest you buy this game