"Want a good RPG? Play Final Fantasy and Lunar."

5/10

The lord of the rings the third age isn't what you call a "good" RPG. I found Chrono Trigger alittle better. But that doesn't mean that it's all bad, I found somethings quite cool.

The graphics are cool, and stuff but the game play and all, is horrible.

STORY
6/10

The story isn't that good. All it is, is a man trying to find Borimir because he doesn't know it, but Sauruman is controlling him. Then you follow the fellowship instead of actually playing as them! The you wind up in gondor, fight in Minas Tirith and the end. And it turns out you've lost your memory. So your character Berethor is actually a coward, and he doesn't even know it! Until, the end of the game.

GAMEPLAY
4/10

The game play is pretty good, and all but the game is like FF IV. One level the enemies are weak, the next they're impossible. Also, the battles are completely predictible, EA put a little eye of Sauron in the upper left hand corner to tell you when you get in a battle. Isn't that cool? I thought it was.

The battles are pretty cool though. The status bar from FFX is in this game, and it' improved. It shows actual pictures of the enemies.

The battle leveling up system is very good. To level up spells you have to use another of the same type to earn the new. (In other words, to earn Curaga you must use Cura a certain matter of times.)

However, if you don't keep your dexterty up, you'll be missing every turn. It's SO ANNOYING!!

The game let's you equip your characters with "tons" of weapons and armors, which it doesn't really. And then the ultimate weapons are WAY to easy to get. You just have to do a simple task, or open a chest. Isn't that hard?

Also while you run around "Middle Earth" you run into no towns whatso ever. Common, the whole game you find chests to et all your items and weaopons. Or you fight. There are no shops, whatsoever. Which really ticks me off. >.<

The evil mode sucks. Seriously, you thought there was a whgole side of the story right? WRONG! You sit there as a bad guy doing battle after battle. BORING!

CHARACTERS AND CINEMATICS
3/10

Now for my favorite part. The games romance is the worst I've ever seen in a game. Even Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Completes was better. YOu save a stranger once, in Moria, and she falls in love with you. Then she "kisses" you , but her lips are actually two inches away from his.

The voice acting was not that bad. Some characters it was just pathetic, and other good. Not great but good.

The cinematics are okay, except for there are no high quality ones like in Lunar, Kingdom Hearts, Fire Emblem, and Final Fantasy. They're all the same. And the ending cinematic is so boring, and isn't really and ending. Could EA be making another crappy RPG? Hmm, I wonder...

Music

10/10

The music is straight from the films, you've gotta love it. ^_^

Overall, The Lord Of The Rings The Third Age, deserves a 5 out of 10.

5/10

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 03/01/06