The Lord of the Rings: Tactics

by Electronic Arts

Product Features

• Lead and develop the Fellowship or Shadow
• Customize characters and a rich system of items, upgrades and skills
• Guard your characters, seize high ground, set ambushes and trap enemies
• Multiplayer supports up to four players via WiFi
• Film clips from all three New Line Cinema's Lord of the Rings films

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000AOEUYS
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4 x 0.8 inches ; 2.9 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: September 8, 2006
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,597 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #10 in Video Games > Sony PSP > Strategy
  • #41 in Video Games > Sony PSP > Adventure
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Return to Middle-earth in this tactical RPG where you decide the fate of The Third Age. Build a fellowship of heroes or create the ultimate force of evil with hundreds of skill, weapon, and ability upgrades at your disposal. Send your heroes and villains from The Lord of the Rings into battle across legendary locations from the film trilogy and J.R.R. Tolkien’s fiction. Seize the high ground, set traps, and ambush the enemy in intense single-player battles or strategic multiplayer skirmishes. The board is set, the pieces are in motion. Middle-earth awaits you.

Features:

• Play as the 12 heroes and villains of Middle-earth: build your fellowship for good or evil in your quest to capture, or destroy, The One Ring.
• Fight across Middle-earth: engage the enemy in battle arenas that re-create locations from all three The Lord of the Rings films as well as J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary books.
• Gain a strategic advantage: hundreds of in-depth skill options and an item-based battle system offer a variety of character-customization options.
• Deep tactical gameplay: a simultaneous turn-based encounter system for multiplayer delivers a gripping four-person combat experience unrivalled by any previous tactics game.
• Multiplayer innovation: good and evil fight on the same side for the first time in an exclusive Wi-Fi multiplayer mode.

Product Description

Lord of the Rings Tactics puts players in the universe of Middle-Earth, for adventures that go beyond the books and films. This tactical RPG game lets players guide Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Frodo, Gandalf and Sauron, among others. In turn-based action, you'll use your strategic abilities to gain advantage over the enemy and determine the future of Middle-Earth. Simultaneous turn-taking in single and multiplayer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm addicted, December 27, 2005

By 

W. Wehrs - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: The Lord of the Rings: Tactics (Video Game)

I've been skeptical about the LotR games since I bought the PC version of Fellowship of the Ring -- not a bad game, but definitely not what I was expecting. I waited a couple of days before opening this one because I was preparing myself to be let down. Wow! Was I wrong...

LotR: Tactics is a turn-based, combat-centric strategy game based on the movies more so than the books. If you leave all the geeky fact-checking behind (trust me, I know how difficult that is... the LotR movies without Tom Bombadil??? Arwen with a sword???) and just concentrate on the game, you'll get much more enjoyment out of it.

There are six playable heroes - Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf, Sam, and Frodo - that appear in the Fellowship portion of the game, some are required for certain missions, others are selectable. I haven't played the other side yet, but you are also able to run the game playing the evil forces (cool!). Each character has skills that can be upgraded by purchasing buffs between battles, and all characters have access to a common pool of items you can purchase. Each character is ideally suited for one specific purpose, but mastering the game requires knowing the right combinations of skills that will accomplish goals fastest.

The combat system is pretty straightforward, as is the movement system. It is imperative to master movement strategies, as this will determine what skills and attacks are usable in various situations. Characters typically move 3 spaces per turn, but may have their movement limited by the movement of opponents or other characters. When a player character moves into contact with an opponent, the move ends for that character, which may impact other movement for the round. Because the game simultaneously moves all players/opponents, the axiom applies that the best laid plans go out the window when the battle starts.

After moving, a character can elect to attack, use an item, or make use of a skill. A melee attack can be waged against an opponent in base-to-base contact with a character, while a missile attack (bow & arrow or thrown object) can be waged against remote targets, subject to line of sight. Any character can use an item purchased between battles, but forfeits the right to an attack on that turn. Just so, skills may be used in place of an attack, with a wide variety of results, based on the character performing the act. The skill may be a special attack, a magic spell, a performance booster for one or more characters, or a special ability (Legolas and Aragorn can do light healing and provide fear resistance bonuses to allies). Each skill use requires action points (AP), which each character has to a certain degree. Controlling AP use is almost as important as monitoring character health.

Unlike real-time strategy games, the turn-based format is fantastic for a handheld console. RTS would require a larger view area or constant panning, with little time to actually enjoy the game. The turn-based design allows the player to get a larger scope of control with a big-picture mentality. It also gives you the essential time you need to link movements and skills together. Fans of CCGs will quickly master the integration of these skills into unique and devastating combinations.

The controls are very easy to grasp, and the tutorial does a fantastic job of showing you almost everything you need to play the game. Graphics are excellent, despite a couple of comments I've read elsewhere. Try using the joystick to zoom in and out on characters, or to rotate your battlefield view; make sure to scan the battlefield for terrain features, layout of obstacles, and premium sniper positions for your archers.

Game play roughly follows the advancement of the story, interspersed by clips from the films. I haven't purchased any UMD-based movies yet, but if the picture is as crisp as the clips in the game, I'll be out picking up some titles this weekend.

Finally, keep in mind that the name of the game is "tactics." This should be enough to remind you that it centers on combat, uses only items and skills related to combat, and features playable content only related to battles.

I've had this game for five days now, and have stopped only to sleep and let my battery recharge (much to the chagrin of my wife). To this point, I have only played the hero missions, but I'm preparing to go back now and play as Sauron's minions. Should be a blast. Don't hesitate: pick up this game!!!

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Game...1 Downfall though., November 10, 2005

By 

James DeSantis "Elevate" (Usa, Ny) - See all my reviews

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: The Lord of the Rings: Tactics (Video Game)

Well If you are looking to buy this your already know what Lord Of The Rings Is. So let me start with the Pros.

Pro's -

- Enviroments - Nicly done.
- Attacks - Normal and Bow attacks are nicly animated.
- Spells - Most you will want to see more then once, very few are boring and lame.
- Story - Well it's Lord Of The Rings for a handheld, it's good but nothing more.
- Length - Well let me say it's not a short game, but not a 40+ hour game either, you will get a good 15-30 hours out of it mattering how much you play and what you do.
- Battery - Really good, last a good 3-5 hours.
- Loading times - maybe 10-15-20 seconds at most, but the nicly done loading screens will atleast be there.

Con's -

- Character Models - Well i know it's PSP and it's a handheld but must games have low looking versions of a ps2 while this has PS1 gphrics *Sorry For Any Spelling Mistakes* for models.

Yeah it's not a big Con but somtimes with these nicly looking spells you wanted those ps2 G's to kick in. Owell this game is still great and probebely the best RPG out there as of now 11/11/05...Hope you enjoy! :)

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good effort by EA, April 21, 2006

By 

Noel Bell (Midwest) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: The Lord of the Rings: Tactics (Video Game)

This is a great game for the psp. For those of you that are Final Fantasy fans this game plays like Final Fantasy Tactics.
You can play either the side of Moria or the Fellowship. Some reviews call this a short game. If you only play it once with out getting everthing for your heros, it is. However I'm taking the time to get everthing and the memory stick claims I have about nine hours play time. I still don't have all the Moria skills. I still need to lv the side of the fellowship and get there skills. I belive you could spend 20+ hours to get everthing.
The graphics on this game is the best i've seen on a handheld. The sound is great as well. The game also has clips from all three movies.
Now the down side. As you work your way through the game, all your heros gain exp. It don't matter if they was in combat or not. However, you still have spend the credits on your heros skills. The highest lv you can go is lv 15 which = 8,700 exp.
Over all this was a great effort by EA.