| Introduction
With the second installment of Lord of the Rings
(LotR) making the headlines at the moment, it seems
fitting that we should review the game of the movie.
This, however, isn't the only LotR title available for
GBA, as there is another version by Universal based
on the first book. The main difference is that EA snagged
the movie rights while Universal only has the licensing
deal for the books. This means that EA gets to use images
from the movie both in-game and for packaging and advertising
purposes, so there's a good chance that fans of the
movie would want to get this version instead.
GamePlay
Your first task is to select which of the five characters
you wish to play in order to complete your journey.
This actually makes for an interesting feature as each
character not only takes you through a slightly different
story line, it also means that you have significantly
different strengths and weaknesses at your disposal.
The Two Towers is set in various environments recognizable
from the two movies and also features a wealth of evil
characters you'll need to defeat in order to progress.
It's all pretty straightforward stuff though with the
odd button or switch opening a door and various rooms
littered with bonus items and traps.
Refreshingly, there's also a strategy element, which
involves equipping yourself with new weaponry and clothing.
This is extremely important because unless you upgrade
your abilities you'll find the latter levels almost
impossible and may find that you need to reload from
a saved position or even to restart. This is because
you can only carry a certain number of items at any
one time which means you have to carefully consider
exactly what you'll utilize and just as important, what
you're about to discard.
Multiplayer fans are also catered for and one option
allows for two to play a co-operative game in one of
the areas from the main single player game. An excellent
feature here is the ability to use your own saved character
which can be a good or a bad thing dependent on how
efficient your character has become in all round combat.
This is incredible fun and adds significantly to the
overall value of the package especially when you consider
the fact that only a single copy of the game is required
to enjoy it.
The save function is reasonably intelligent and the
cart allows you four slots although it never saves your
exact position but rather the beginning of a section.
I don't need to tell you just how frustrating this is
when after battling with a rather annoying Orc, you
find yourself back at the beginning and having to fight
again. It's only a minor quibble though and it's important
to remember that the battery backup also remembers everything
else about your character such as strengths, weaknesses
and everything you're equipped with.
Controls
As with all well designed isometric titles the controls
become second nature very quickly, leaving you to battle
it out in Middle Earth with little fuss. It really is
a case of using your primary weapon in order to defend
yourself and occasionally your special ability when
you're in a bit of a tight spot. The various menu systems
are well designed and very intuitive to use, meaning
you'll spend a lot less time fumbling about trying to
equip your character and a lot more time fighting evil.
Graphics
Visually the game's isometric engine is very pleasing
although never outstanding. Forged from a mix of pre-rendered
backgrounds of various locations from the movies and
rendered sprites, the action moves on at a fair old
pace with little evidence of slow down even when you're
attacked by an apparently endless band of Orcs.
There's also a technically impressive, but short,
FMV intro comprised of clips from the Two Towers trailer
with the front-end presentation incredibly slick and
user friendly. Overall not the best we've ever seen
but it certainly does its job.
Sound & Music
The audio in this title is actually quite subtle
and takes the approach of a movie score rather than
a straight GBA soundtrack. What this means in gameplay
terms is that almost every scene or area has a piece
of music that perfectly complements the on screen action
without overwhelming it.
There are also some choice samples of clashing sword
and grunts to complete what is an exceptional sounding
game. On a final note, and before the SP strips us of
this feature for some time, this really is a title where
headphones are a must. You'll not only struggle to hear
some of the quieter effects through the tiny GBA speakers
but the whole experience is much more thrilling with
the rest of the world closed off.
Final Comments
You could be forgiven initially for placing LotR
firmly in the 'hack and slash' department and we were
even thinking about a less than generous rating. Spending
a little more time with it, however, reveals a clever
mix of battling and strategy with the choice of five
characters giving it considerable replay value. Add
to this the multiplayer option and you see a movie tie-in
that might actually be worth your time and money. If
you are considering a LotR game for your GBA then this
is undoubtedly the one you're looking for and not simply
because it has the official movie license but because
it really is a lot of fun.
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