The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

"The One game to rule them all?"

Introduction:

This is certainly an action packed game which throws you into chaos at the drop of the hat. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers for Playstation™2 is a roller coaster of sheer excellence.
It all started with J.RR Tolkien who wrote the famous books and then years later, Peter Jackson converted the book into a film adaptation.
Now the computer game has been made. Developed by EA Games and Produced by New Line Cinemas, The Two Towers instantly tells you that your going to be in for a great gaming experience.

Graphics:

Visuals in The Two Towers are well done and stunning. Every detail of Armour on an Uruk-Hai from the awesomeness of Legolas nailing an arrow into a Cave Troll is included and takes very little to please you.
When you execute an attack combo onto one of your foes, the sequence looks very smooth and well polished.
The locations look fabulous too. For instance when you are in Balin's Tomb battling Goblins, the ray if light shining from outside and focusing on to the centre of the tomb looks impressive in such a dark environment.
Also in the Balin's Tomb level the comparison to the film location is very realistic and lifelike you'd think you've jumped into the screen and joined in with Gandalf.
The texture of your surroundings such as the stone walls of Helms Deep or the detail of Aragorn's Ranger Sword are very rich and clear.
Yes, the graphics in The Two Towers are seemingly amazing and suck you into the screen.

Gameplay:

The controls in The Two Towers are pretty straightforward and very easy to pick up. Just press Circle three times to pull off a basic combo attack.
What makes gameplay in The Two Towers really flexible is the fact that you can choose from three characters to play as- Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. If you like a agile fighter who kills enemies quickly then Legolas is the elf for you. If you rather prefer slaughtering the opposing team with powerful moves then your best bet is Gimli. That leaves Aragorn which is a blend between Legolas and Gimli.
So you can choose the type of fighting style that suits you best which explains the flexibility.
At the end of each level you complete you earn points (Ratings for how well you defeated an enemy). These points go into either 'Poor,' 'Fair,' 'Good' and 'Perfect.' The more 'Perfect' kills you get, the more points you earn. With these points you can buy stronger weapons, more defensive shields and attack combos. As mentioned earlier you can pull off a combo simply by pressing a sequence of buttons e.g. 'Triangle-Square-Cross-Square,' which are simple to remember. Your chosen character grows up levels and makes them stronger.
In conclusion for Gameplay the player will grasp the controls fairly quickly and learn the basics of the game.

Sound:

The sound quality in The Two Towers is very accurate to noises in the film. The highlights of this are the background noises such as people yelling in battles and the clang of swords. Authentic sounds like these give a realistic feel and make you meld into part of the game.
Another great example of audio is that the character's voices are actually done by the Actors themselves which adds a more genuine gaming experience and a slight impression that you're in the film yourself!
Music is taken from the soundtrack of the film and moulds in well while playing through a level, and can sometimes surprise in its dramatic changes when an enemy jumps out at you.
Overall the sound in The Two Towers is very realistic and will make you feel more enthralled into playing the game.

Lastability:

With eleven levels plus one secret level, The Two Towers will keep you busy for hours on end. You can complete the game with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli plus the mystery character that is unlockable.
Throwing in the packed action and frantic battle pace, the Hornburg Courtyard level offers some instant ass-whooping opportunities and is probably one of the most challenging levels in the game, excluding the secret level of course which bears the real test for people who are itching to master this game with each character.
By choosing whatever level you want to play (providing you've beaten them in order first), you can go back repeat it as many times as you like to try and get 'Perfect' ratings if you desire.

Conclusion:

After playing through The Two Towers I can say that I am thoroughly impressed as it is an excellent game which lives up to the expectations of the film's success.
Even if you aren't a Lord of the Rings fanatic you'll enjoy this in a action/adventure type of game.
If you've watched The Two Towers at the cinema then you know which levels to expect.
So overall The Two Towers lives up to the film's standard and is very exhilarating, fun and memorable to play!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/28/03