One of the best "film to game" installments ever made. You actually get the feel of fighting for middle earth.
User Rating: 10 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King PS2
LotR: RotK is perhaps one of the most fun games that has been made for the PS2. Granted if your not a fan of the movies, you may be biased against it, but even if you are you would be hard pressed to discount how good of a game it is. Playing as either Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, or Sam, you embark on seperate paths that utimatly end in the same place: the Dark Lords backyard. The split progression is rather ingenious. It allows you to see the "flow" of the game, as well as the movie, as you progress towards saving the world. The only downside is that it adds some difficulty to fight and battle your way through hordes of enemies, as a hafling. But for those strategists out there, you can usually sneak your way about thanks to the halfling's magic cloak given them by the elves which make them invisible. However you will have to fight Shelob, the huge spider from the third movie, as Sam which can be very challenging. The animation is outstanding in the game. And the feel of battle is very real. Much of the same mechanics and moves are similar to those featured in the previous game, but are done much more smoothly and precisly. The enemies and environments are extremly realistic to the movies. So much so that you get a sense of being in the movies, more so than any other game of its kind to date. The number of unlockable content will be a plus to avid fans, but overall it does not add much to gameplay. There are a few unlockable characters, but their fighting styles are the same as other characters. There are also two unlockable stages that can add a lot of challenge to the gameplay. The addition of the online and multiplayer modes is what pushes this game over the top. If you play single player, the AI will control the people fighting along side of you. But in multiplayer, you and a friend can choose to be two different heros and fight side by side on a single screen. The animation stays crisp without any drag time. And the battles are spatial enough so that you dont feel "cramped" fighting closely with someone else. When all is said and done, this is a great game. The events and characters place you in the middle of the epic movies and the feeling of battle is enjoyable. The graphics are great, the story is epic, and the victory is surreal. And being able to do all of this with a friend right beside you is the best part of all. Its a fantastic journey.
