The Lord of the Rings, The Third Age

"A good game, but it has a one major flaw."

First off, let me start off by saying that this is my first review, so I hope you understand if the quality isn't that good. On with the review!

The Third age for GBA is a SRPG, similar to games like Fire Emblem or Advance Wars. However, there are a few differences in other SRPGS, which I'll note in my review.

Music/Sound: 7.5/10 Great music for a GBS game. Despite tis limitations, the music is damn good, and does its best to recreate the music from the movies, and for the most part, it succeeds. The music is especially good with headphones. The sound is good, but for the most part, isn't memorable. There are a few exceptiions however, such as Saruman's SWANK laugh.

Graphics: 8.5/10 The graphics are very clear, great looking, and realistic. They are also in sharp contrast to other GBA SRPGS, which have more bright and cartoony graphics. Personally, I prefer the more simple graphics, as they help you to see clearer, and its easier to tell the difference between sprites than it TTA. This can be problem for new players who are having trouble with memorizing characters and units. Despite these few flaws, the details in maps are great, and the backgrounds during battles are also great looking.

Gameplay: 9/10 As noted before, the game is a SRPG with a few key differences. The biggest difference is the command point/flank system. Instead of moving all of your units each turn, you can only move so many in each flank(flanks are vertical columns which split the maps into 3 sections). How many movements you get for each flank is determined by your hero in each flank, and their command points. For examples, Legolas' CP is 0-3, which means he gets to move 0-3 units on his flank each turn. Some people like or dislike this feature. I personally like it, as it forces you to not waste movement, and adds an extra bit of strategy to playing. Also, you win missions by earning points for completing objectives, such as defeating a hero, reaching a flag, or lasting until a certain turn. This is different from other SRPGS because you don't actually have to accomplish all your objectives to win, which can give some variety to missions. Finally, characters don't level up, but instead gaining experience for defeating enemies. The experience can be used as currency to buy weapons, items, and skills.

The game is fairly long, it has 25+ missions, and you can play them all as good or evil(there are big differences in most missions.)

The games biggest flaw is that it is not user friendly, and csan be confusing for people new to the genre. For example, if a unit is damaged, it doesn't show exactly how much HP is left, but rather forces you to take an educated guess based on an energy bar. The same can be said for spirit points, which allow heroes to use special skills. There is no numerical value to how much spirit points your group has left. There are other problems too, such as not being able to see the name of a unit wtihout looking in the glossary, and not given exact stats, such as a difference in melee and ranged attacks. This can be frustrating for new users. One more thing to note, your heroes do not level up in a traditional sense, as exp. is used more like currency to buy weapons, items, and upgrade skills. The game is also considered by many to be fairly challenging, although I didn't find it particularly hard.

Others: 7/10 The game doesn't give you a complete story of the movies. Instead, it just gives you general information surrounding the most important battles of the movies. So if you haven't seen the movies or read the books, you probably won't have a clue what's going on. The game also supports link up, wireless, and hotseat multiplayer, and you can replay any battle already unlocked in the main game. There are a few unlockable levels and heroes which can be earned through beating the game on various difficulties.

Final Thoughts: This game may not be for everyone. If you haven't seen the movies, you won't have a clue what's going on, and if you're new to the genre, the poor interface may frustrate and confuse you. However, if you're a LOTR/SRPG fan, the game is a must buy.

Overall: 8/10 (Not an average)

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/22/05, Updated 03/16/05