J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings Volume 1

"I Hope Gandalf Has An Explosion Spell He Could Demonstrate On This Game!"

After the first movie, ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', this game seems to have had more reviews. I can remember when this game had three, and this was about four months before the film's debut. Now, this game has more, and many probably share my same opinion. Now, this game is not BASED on the movie (it came out YEARS before the movies), and based on the books. But boy, was the plot ever butchered! Finding Gaffer's Glasses? Finding the Gateway Gems? Ending in Moria? And perhaps, the biggest crime, the exclusion of Boromir! My favourite character, not here! Oh well, this game still has many more problems as it is. What are they, you may be asking? Find out now, in this review...

Graphics - 7/10
Very good given the game's age. For a mid-90's game, the visuals were good. The backgrounds were well done, the enemies varied. I was looking forward to different shaped Hobbits (the sprites that walk around) on the main screen, but they are only identified by different colours! The portraits aren't all that bad (I hate Sam's picture! UGH!), but could be a lot better. The animations were not all that shabby either. Overall, the game's visuals are quite likeable, I find.

Sound - 7/10
This game excels at creating atmosphere through music. The only bad thing though, is that there is lack of excellent pieces. The first plains level is, simply put, very creepy and ominous. The Shire was also good, conveying the happy atmosphere of the place. Sound effects are good, but nothing stands out as great. The Hobbits' grunts do get very annoying!

Gameplay - 2/10
If you have a Game Genie, PLEASE USE IT! For those that don't, be prepared to suffer!!! If a character dies, there is no way to bring him back, and if that character is needed for a certain part of the story, you're toast! The Fellowship handles like a rusty shopping cart, and many characters seem to wander AWAY from the spots you'd like them to go and get killed! Some of them even stay stuck in a loop! Once you have more than three characters (and if you are playing alone), control is a nightmare! The password system is also very annoying! What couldn't they have a save feature?!

Four words: Avoid at all costs! The game has above-average sound and visuals, but the gameplay is enough to make you hope that the Dark Lord DOES find the Ring and enslaves the world! Take my word for it, STAY AWAY!!!

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 01/01/03, Updated 01/01/03