This turn-based RPG should appeal to most Lord of the Rings or RPG fans, despite a few disadvantages.

User Rating: 7.5 | The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age PS2
Unlike many of its predecessors, this Lord of the Rings-based video game is not an action game, but rather a turn-based role-playing game putting you in control of a party of characters following the path of the fellowship through Middle-Earth. It is built upon two game modes: adventuring and combat. The adventuring mode puts you as one of the six available characters exploring the various game areas, following a general path towards your current quest's objective, which is usually explained in one of the many cut scenes in the game. As you travel through these areas, you will be alerted of nearby enemies and, after reaching a destination or waiting long enough, will engage in a combat encounter. These encounters are the main part of the game, where you will control your different characters, and use their different available powers and equipment to win the battle.
You are given a large amount of skill development for each character, and can customize each one in a variety of ways. Different abilities can be advanced after each level up, and you can also choose what new powers you want to gain on each character's unique skill tree by using skills of that type more often. There is also a large amount of equipment to be found for each character throughout the game.
There are some downsides, however. Several parts of the game, such as Moria, will quickly grow repetitive and boring, as you fight the same enemies countless times. The largest downside, though, is a lack of character interaction, which is replaced by video cut scenes narrated by Gandalf, that explain what is happening, but take away from the realism of the game. Furthermore, the videos are just different segments from the movie pieced together. Besides these two problems, there is almost nothing negative about the game besides a few delays in game speed, and flaws in the actual Middle-Earth lore only the most devout of Tolkien fans would care to mention. And even then, I think they would like the game nonetheless.