Tolkien purists beware: This game will make you believe thatThe Two Towers actually did end with the battle for Helm’s Deep and that Frodo and Sam had yet to meet the great spider Shelob (and that they did indeed end up in Osgiliath, all literary evidence to the contrary).
In the upcoming Xbox release of The Lord of the Rings™, The Return of the King™, Electronic Arts and Hypnos Entertainment have partnered up to great effect with incredible support from New Line Cinema and Wingnut Films. Picking up where The Two Towers (both the game and the movie) left off, the continuation of the Tolkien trilogy does justice to the overall story and leaves very little to the wanting in game play.
Cutting from a long introductory collage of movie clips right into gameplay, you fight as Gandalf the White in the final moments of the skirmish for Helm’s Deep (just before all the Urukhai run away). Finally, the architect of the entire Fellowship comes out and gets his hand into the game! With staff and sword, you will fight your way free of the siege, using some well-scripted siege equipment to cause massive mayhem.
Following your introduction to the experience awards and level-up system that will look somewhat familiar to veteran players, you are right back into the main story lines (where the next movie, Return of the King, will actually take off). That’s right. Storylines. Plural. More than one. In fact, EA and Hypnos are offering us three different paths to take, with 10 playable characters to choose from as we explore and then re-play each one from different points of view.
From “Helm’s Deep” you can move on to the “Road to Isengard” and “Path of the Wizard,” in the guise of Gandalf the White, of course. Or choose the “Paths of the Dead” (very ominous) where you will be able to travel along the epic fantasy quest as Legolas, Gimli or Aragorn (or in multiplayer, you can go in as a team). And, finally, there is the starting adventure of “Escape from Osgiliath,” which leads right into the “Paths of Hobbits.” You guessed it. Good old Sam and, after your first visit to the Crack of Mount Doom, you can come back and play as poor, bedeviled Frodo.
Each path takes you further and further along the final adventure as Aragorn struggles with his destiny to take up the reigns as Gondor’s king and Gandalf the White rallies help from every corner to come to the defense of Middle Earth against Sauron’s massive armies. It is an epic tale full of heroism and sacrifice, with forces on the march and dark magic threatening to sweep the land.
Yet, through it all, as Gandalf is wont to remind us, all they do is buy time for a pair of struggling hobbits who will decide the fate of everyone. Frodo must get the One Ring to Mount Doom, there to destroy it in the fires from which it was forged. Only in that way will Sauron’s power be finally cast down. If Frodo fails, then Middle Earth falls. In this way, the mighty tale really does break down into very simple lives making the most difficult of choices.
Also, the actions of others involved become so much more significant as we see that every choice, and every sacrifice, has a very real effect. When the final battle rages in front of Minas Tirith and over the Pelennor Fields, there is still the final chapter to be told on Mount Doom. Just as in Tolkien’s vision,Return of the King brings it all down to the wire in three story lines that rely very much on one another.
There are many stories intertwining through Tolkien’s work—heritage, bravery, prophecy, and fate. All powerful tales. And, Hypnos has done its best not only to bring them to Xbox, but also to do so in such a way that you will never forget. Relying heavily on cut scenes from the first two movies as well as many scenes straight out of the soon-to-be-released third installment, the blend of movie scenes and high-quality graphics lends itself to putting you right into the tale.
Get ready to play one of the greatest adventures ever written.
