AbstractIntense, large-scale action with tons of swordplay set in over 12 scenes and environments from the film.
ESRB rating
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Blood, Violence |
Full descriptionThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a beat-'em-up action title that follows events from the first two films in the movie trilogy, which is based on the novels of J.R.R. Tolkien. The game is inspired by the battle scenes found therein. The story is told through footage from the movie that slowly melds to in-game cinematic screens, all explaining the origin of The Ring and those who covet it. Players choose from three warrior characters, patterned after their on-screen personas: Legolas the Elf, Aragorn the Ranger, or Gimli the Dwarf. Then, embark on a quest that spans a multitude of levels. Players will revisit such familiar locales as Fangorn Forest and the Mines of Moria.
In each of these areas, players are beset by hordes of enemy orcs and other such assailants, in addition to fearsome boss creatures. Far from helpless, players are able to parry blows and execute melee (quick and fierce) and ranged attacks, as well as a number of combination attacks. These combination attacks reward players with varying grades; the more frequent and lavish the combo, the better the grade and the more points earned. At the conclusion of each level, players can use these points to increase character attributes or purchase new combination maneuvers.
Twelve missions make up the bulk of the gameplay, with additional branching paths added to the main mission structure at various junctures. Throughout these worlds, players will encounter familiar NPCs and even occasionally fight alongside the likes of Gandalf. The disc also offers unlockable extras, such as interviews with some members of the film's cast, extra characters, and sneak peaks of the second movie in the trilogy.
If a classic comes to videogames and only one system gets it, everyone loses out. This was most likely kept in mind when EA and Amazement Entertainment decided to port The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers to PlayStation 2. The former Xbox exclusive will have players battle as Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli against hoards of Orcs, Cave Troll and Saruman across 16 strategy-based missions. Unlike the Xbox and GBA games, the PS2 version will have all its development handled internally by EA?s Stormfront Studios. Those familiar with the LOTR series will be right at home with the plot as its based on the second book.
Editorial reviewSource:
AmazonDear Peter Jackson and company: Please accept this thank-you for making the last couple of weeks feel like Christmas. Your game
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is such an unbelievable treat that we've been playing it nonstop. Every person who has seen the spectacular graphics agrees: whereas others may have created a crappy movie tie-in game, you folks have made a game that captivates and frustrates us in all the right ways. It was especially nice of you to let us play as either Aragorn, Gimli, or (our favorite) Legolas. Having the actors--including Sir Ian!--voice all the battle cries really makes a huge difference. The first time we got to unlock one of the video extras (an interview with Elijah Wood), we thought, "This is as much fun as eating candy."
We apologize for the rumor that seems to be sweeping game sites--we're not sure how it got started. There's no way to play the game in four hours, unless maybe you set it on "easy," but probably not even then. (We are playing through with all three characters, of course.) Maybe Diablo fans are unimpressed with the skimpy inventory management, but we think that's just nitpicking. But don't think we write fan mail every day! There are some things we would have done differently: while we like movie scenes interspersed with game scenes, we are really tired of watching some of the intro cinematics over and over again. And why can't we trade in some of the skills we bought for new ones? By level 9, we really wished we had bought differently. And what was the deal with the ending--couldn't afford the real actor's voice for the final scene? That seemed distinctly out of character with the rest of the game.
But we love being able to tear into a crowd of Orcs, as well as the nuances of certain timed and more strategic missions. While it may not be a game we play repeatedly once we're done, we'll treasure the fond memories of the time we had together. As with everything associated with LotR, the magic touch for fans is in the details. It's great to look into the stream in Fangorn and pick out the reflection of Treebeard; we wish every game got it the way this one does. Thanks again for your terrific title.
Best wishes,
The Amazon.com Video Game Editors
--Jennifer Buckendorff
Play as Legolas the Elf, Aragorn the Ranger, and Gimli the Dwarf
Purchase new moves and strengthen existing abilities between levels
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