The Lord of the Rings™: The Return of the King™ features the same intense third-person action that gamers loved inThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, game, only better. The combat is smoother, the environments better looking, and the enemies are tougher. Gandalf needed eight other members to complete his fellowship to defeat Sauron. Thanks to the new game’s Co-op mode, you can do it with just one.
You have the same objectives in Co-op mode as in single player. The strikes, parries, and combos are also identical to the ones you use in the single player mode, but the similarities end there. Although the AI is sharp enough to back you up when you’re playing alone, it really can’t compare to another live adventurer. Your strategy and tactics change dramatically, making it easier and tougher to beat the game. In other words, it’s an extra layer of gameplay and a major dose of replayability.
In the first level of Aragorn’s path, for example, you must walk the Paths of the Dead, defeat the reanimated fallen warriors, and marshal them into an army under your banner. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are all available as playable characters, but the smartest choice for cooperative players is Strider and the elf. Both Aragorn and Legolas have good ranged attacks, and as you progress through the level, you’ll need the reach. Let the box control Gimli and take a tall guy.
The Paths of the Dead is a mist-shrouded cave with plenty of cracks and ledges that can disguise your foes. Go in swinging as Aragorn to trigger the waves of undead spirits—you’ll see them flying around as ghostly specters before they incorporate and come after you. After the fight starts, they’ll all come from the same handful of spawning points, so set up Aragorn and Gimli near these points and have Legolas snipe from a safe distance. Unless your team is getting chewed up by the undead, keep Legolas back and resist the urge to charge in: Stay out of range until his arrows are exhausted, and then switch with Aragorn. The longer the battle goes on, the more effective this tactic is.
Remember to think like a team before, during, and after the battle. After you clear a level and receive bonus points, always purchase combos and other attack upgrades for the entire party. You don’t want to advance each player individually, because if one becomes much more powerful than the other, you might as well be playing single player. The weaker member will be killed or left out of the combat, and where’s the fun in that?
Co-op strategy isn’t all about swinging swords and shooting bows, however. There are fewer health power-ups than in the single player game, which means you have fewer resources with more people using them. Always check with your teammate before taking the health because they might need it more than you. Managing the team’s health is a crucial part of combat, as well: If you’re nearly full and your partner isn’t, then you should be the one up front, ready to take the first hit for the team.
Finally, the Paths of the Dead level features a white-knuckle charge through a collapsing tunnel, and if either player gets tagged by a falling boulder, the mission fails. Consider this a friendly reminder from the designers: Even in Co-op, each player has to carry his own weight. Sometimes, by design or by circumstance, you will be in a situation where it’s every man for himself, and the only thing between you and certain doom is your own skills.
