The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

"A thoroughly fun yet difficult adventure in Middle-Earth."

A thoroughly fun yet difficult adventure in Middle-Earth. The only reason I say this is because the word I would like to put in instead of ''difficult'' would be too long for the tagline. Before I begin this review that may help some prospective buyers in their decision to purchase this game, let me tell you one thing. Do not, under any circumstances, play this game if you get frustrated and go on temper tantrums easily. This is one of the toughest games to face my lil' old Xbox. With that, here's the review.

STORY: 10/10
By reading this, you should know what this game is about. However, there are always parents who have absolutely no idea what to get their kids for gifts for the holidays, so they'll have no idea what this is. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (ROTK) is a game that follows the the storyline of the ever-popular movies. It's the third installment, and in it, you can play as just about every main character in the movie: Frodo, Gandalf, Aragorn, Sam, Legolas, Gimli, and three unlockable characters.
Playing this felt like I was actually in the movie's deep, moving storyline. The story by the late Tolkein is superb in the books, and it shines in the game. If you refuse to read and play video games instead, this is the closest you'll get to a book.

GAMEPLAY: 9/10
If you've ever played the Two Towers or Fellowship of the Ring for any console, you'll know that this is the exact same gameplay. It's literally a button masher, yet during gameplay, it feels like so much more than that. You spend most of your time killing Orcs, but it's so incredibly fun--and hard. This is the most challenging game I've ever played, and one of the few that I absolutely had to use a code on in order to beat.
As for the controls, they're pretty easy to get used to. You've got your fierce attack, speed attack, parry, physical attack, and special ability--plus the many buyable combos. It's a classic RPG with a points system, and you'll get used to it very quickly, believe me. Oh, and not only is it one player--you can use Co-op mode, for double the fun of killing Orcs!

GRAPHICS: 10/10
This is where ROTK shines. Whether you're viewing one of the exquisite cut-scenes that are sporadically played through the game, watching the unlockable interviews with the actors, or rapidly slashing away at Orcs, you'll always wonder how the graphics remain so smooth and magnificent. The glorious colors and textures make this game seem so real that it's insane.

SOUND: 10/10
Wow, another 10! Trust me, this wasn't intentional. With voiceovers done directly by the actors of the characters in the movie, there's no way you can go wrong. Every level has an exciting and unique soundtrack that keeps with the mood of what you're doing. For example, if you're pressed for time while trying to shoot down a Nazgul, it'll be fast--and while you're just strolling Pelennor Fields, it can be slow and relaxing (until the Orcs attack, that is). Sound. Yet another great part to the game.

Replayability: 6/10
While it's fun going back to earlier stages in the game and trying to increase your character's level, it can get old pretty fast. I beat this game in six hours playing Co-op mode with my friend, and we weren't very tempted to go back and replay that much. If there were more levels than there actually are, it might have been more fun. But once you've raised a character to Level 10, it's quite boring to have to raise one of the three unlockable characters up from Level 1.

Rent/Buy - Rent
This is a definite rent game, seeing how it can be completed(although with much pain and frustration) within hours. The only reason for purchasing it would be because it was at a price lower than 35$, or you're a die-hard Orlando Bloom fan.

Overall - 8/10
I would have given it an 9/10 if I had averaged out the scores, but I just feel that it was only an 8/10 game. This is a great game for a sleepover with a friend, as well as when you're bored and lonely. But if you saw the movie and liked it, then I'm sure you'll fall in love with ROTK.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/23/03