The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

"Superficial flaws mask a real gem"

Well, things did not seem to be going well for the video game adaptation of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. After having enjoyed the marvel of the action-adventure romp that was The Two Towers and the passable fair of the so-called original RPG The Third Age, I had thought bathing myself in a game based upon the original literary work would be a worthy treat indeed. Now, I had grown accustomed to Ian McKellen it's true, so perhaps that dampened my initial impressions. The voice work is, to say the least, wretched. Even the 1977 children's cartoon rendering of The Hobbit and it's 1980 sequel that covered the events of The Return of the King turned in superior dramatic performances then some of the terribly forced lines in the introductory scenes of this game. That coupled with the fact that Frodo's little stick was about as useful in combat as, well a little stick, made me think I had a real stinker of a game on my hands.

But it was only as I continued to delve into the game that I realized the true beauty behind it. It is not an action game, something that must be firmly established. The gamer coming on the heals of The Two Towers and Return of the King will find that this entry is not the same as their past adventures. Now, in fairness, this one came first, yet players will find it hard not to hold this game up to the standards of the EA titles. Especially if they were movie buffs.

It is an adventure game and that means a little bit of exploring, a little bit of puzzles, and even a little fighting. But fighting monsters is not the main appeal of Fellowship of the Ring. Rather the goal of the game-makers seems to have been to translate the novel as best they could into a game format. Now granted this required a significant amount of reworking, after all how fun could it be to have an entire level based on Bilbo's 111th birthday? But for the most part, the makers stick remarkably similar to the source material. For those who have been waiting for the day that Tom Bombadil would make an appearance in anything more then the pages of a book, this game will satisfy. Though, depressingly, the shoddy voice acting drains some of the flavor from the game. Still, the developers seem to have gone to extraordinary lengths to put in little touches that will make the player smile. Exploring the Shire in the beginning of the game results in being able to talk with such notable figures as The Gaffer and even Lobelia Sacksville-Baggins who figures into the main quest very, VERY early on.

I would dare argue that the game, much like the novel, picks up considerably once Frodo makes his way to Bree and meets up with Strider. From that point on, characters begin to join that you can use where you'll actually have a shot at combat. No more stick beating for you. Still, the early stages offer an intriguing concept. Frodo, as just a halfling, has to use more then just his weapons to win the levels. Evading enemies, employing the Ring's invisibility power, and using small tools you picked up such as fireworks to deal with the enemies you must result in a game that has a bit more meat to it then a simple hack-n-slash adventure such as The Two Towers.

The makers captured the happy, idealic setting of the shire remarkably. At first the graphics of the game might seem a bit disenchanting. This is not the gritty realism that features so prominantly in the film adaptations but rather a much softer design. It provides a remarkable contrast in such levels as when the Dark Riders pursue you in the Shire.

Unfortunately, as mentioned, the game does have some superficial flaws, chief among them the poor voice acting. The audience of the game comes into question as well. Fans of the films want exciting action games that let them replay their favorite parts of the movie. Fans of the book don't necessarily want a game at all but something that brings the book truly to life. As such, I get the sense that the real appeal of this game is limited to a small few. If you are looking for an exciting action game that throws you in the middle and relentlessly shoves hordes of goblins and orcs down your throat, this is not the game for you. If you're such a stickler to the book that you refuse to watch the movie on the basis of Peter Jackson's giving Liv Tyler a more prominant role, this is probably not the game for you. But, for those who love adventure games, and for those who don't mind a little fuzzy playing with the source material to make for a more interesting game, this might be just what you're looking for.

Sure, the game could be improved. It hasn't entered our hearts and minds of what Lord of the Rings should be, not like the Jackson films, but it could be argued that it is closer to the source then the Jackson trilogy ever was. And it is wonderful. Fans of the book, not obsessive fans mind you, but those who have read the book and may have been somewhat dissapointed with the films, should find some enjoyment hear. Err, you just might want to mute the sound, the dialogue is terrible as I may have mentioned.

Masterpiece? I think not. Very fun? I think so. Do I recommend? Heartily. With the age of the game, it can probably be picked up for only a few dollars used. A good investment for a few days of enjoyable gaming.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/20/06