User Rating: 8.2 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King PS2
By dygel | Review Date:
Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King has a lot to live up to, both as the series' finale and the video game property of one of the winningest films of all time. When it comes to video game properties for films, we should always be conscious of the great horrors that can be produced. After all, the game for Gods and Generals received Gamespot's own dubious honor as being the singly worst game of 2003. I should mention, before I proceed any further, that I have not played either of this games predecessors. Actually, I picked up this game on a whim; a friend of mine had a mind to play some something cooperative, and this floated to the top of the stack at Blockbuster. That having been said... The gameplay is simple, yet familiar. Every character has access to two different weapon attacks, a body-check, and a parry. In addition, each character has ranged weapons, a special attack/effect, and a killing move to use on fallen (but not slain) enemies. With experience, each character is empowered to unlock new combo attacks and individual enhancements. This kind of character enhancement is familiar to most experienced gamers and should take well to younger gamers. But I wouldn't expect anything revolutionary from a movie made into a game. The only real drawback to this tried-and-tested system is in its application. If you've seen the movie (and there's no good reason why you shouldn't have), you'll realize that most of the action that happens in this movie in particular is mass-melee fighting. This means that the game is very condusive to one-combo gameplay; a lot of the combinations that a character accumulates are ignored, since they tend to be a lot less appealing when faced with two, three, or more enemies at the same time. This is not a major drawback, however, as I trust the discerning gamer to be willing enough to interject variety in his use of combos under his own volition. The graphics are of notable quality. Not only do the video game characters resemble the actors from the film markedly, one of the more charming features of the game's cutscenes are the seamless transitions from seeing game engine action to actual film footage and vice versa. Likewise, the sound scores big in this game. The reworking of the soundtrack from the film came out very well, which means this game has a soundtrack that has had a hell of a lot more effort put into it than most video games can lay claim to. The sound effects themselves are also very well done, and the sound really helps immerse you in the game. In fact, the only complaint I have about the sound for RotK is that Orlando Bloom is a rather poor voice actor. Aside from he, the quality of the voice acting is more than you would ever expect from a video game and lives up to what you would expect from Hollywood talent. The replay value of the game is also difficult to asses. It's possible to tear through the game in a single evening, as my friend and I did ultimately. However, I think there's some potent value there, since this is the kind of game you can come back to anytime, to relive your favorite battles. I'll extend the sentimental value of the books (and the film) to the game and presume that this will likely happen more than a few times in a year. All it takes is twenty or thirty minutes to conquer the Black Gate of Mordor... why not do that when I'm feeling bored or listless. Ultimately, this was a quality game, and I'm glad I rented it. I may pick it up sometime when the price goes down, but I'd only wait for that because I'm really cheap. If enjoyed the movie and are wondering if the video game is up to salt, then I would tell you it is. Pick it up, have fun, and enjoy.

Other Helpful Reviews for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Load Comments (0)