The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

"The best movie based game ever made"

This is a must own game for any fan of the movie trilogy or the books. When I first picked up this game, I thought it would look disappointing like the last game did (graphic wise). As soon as the intro movie is over, you get totally immersed into the game. At first, I didn't know when the first level begun, it was actually part of the game. I thought it was still a scene from the movie. Yes, this game is like that.

Story: 10/10

As all the stories for the 3 books go, none of them cease to amaze me, just as this game did. It tells the story very well, even a few levels you wouldn't expect are thrown in here. Basically, it's the continuation from the 2 other games, with Frodo on a quest to destroy the evil ring of power while avoiding the evil forces of Sauron. Even though I didn't really follow along with the story, I knew what right away to do. The story in the game might be a let down for a people, considering a few scenes from the movie which were important (well, to me) were missing. The best part though is you can choose from 3 paths to begin with after the first level, thus giving you an opportunity to experience the storyline from three different views.

Gameplay: 10/10

Just simply perfect, no other phrase sums it up like that. This is the best movie based game that I have played. It is very easy to learn the controls, just really simple. Such as X for attack, triangle for a stronger attack, etc. The best part for me was the feature of using both analog sticks for combat. This is a really good feature for all of the people who don't really like using the buttons for fighting. For the gameplay, it is smooth and crystal clear definition of what a Lord of the Rings game should be like. The game to me is very fun to play. If you have nothing to do all day, I'd suggest you just simply play this. I know, since it kept me entertained for quite awhile. It's a hard game a certain points, but overall, it gets easier as you start to progress further into the game.

Graphics: 10/10

Again, perfect. This is the superior version of Return of the King to the other console versions. The graphics are crystal clear and very high detailed models of the characters. What surprised me was even some of the non-important characters, such as the warriors who fight along with you, are very detailed also. From the swords to the gear they are wearing. But the character who looks the best to me is Legolas. The others look very good to, but some of the faces are a bit slanted and with less detail.

Sound: 10/10

The sounds and music in Return of the King capture the essence of what a movie game should sound like. All the music you have heard from the film (even some from the older films) are in here. Such as the unforgettable title them plus really good battle themes. The only problem I had was some of the sound effects could be a bit better. Very minor, but still could be better. Such as how the swords hit the enemies, it could have sounded, how should I say, a bit more realistic. That's really the only problem with the sound to me. The voiceovers are amazing too. The guys at E.A Games got the actors/actresses to do them, which is good considering I have seen imitators do voiceovers in other movie games.

Play Time/ Replayabillity: 10/10

Even if you have finished this game more than once you will still want to come back for more and start another new game. I know I did for sure. Return of the King never gets boring at any point, it will only leave you on the edge of the couch in suspense. How long does it take to complete the game though? For me, it took around 2 days. Some levels are very hard for certain paths, so some will take more than a few tries to get past it. The best part is when you actually beat the game, you unlock a lot of things. I won't spoil it for you though, it's a surprise, that's why.

Pros
- Excellent Graphics
- Fantastic Controls
- Well told story

Cons
- Sound could be a bit improved
- Certain elements of the movie left out

Final Recommendation: Buy

Well it's come down to this, do I buy it or not? I highly suggest that you buy this game as soon as possible. I don't think this way about very many movie games, which is a rare thing. Even if it's still around 50$ or so, I suggest you to buy this. If you aren't too familiar with the movies or books, then you should at least give this a rent.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/14/04