Publisher: EA, www.ea.com
Ages: ten and up.
Parental
Advisory:
Fighting game
Based on the amazing movie of the same name, Electronic Arts' The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers is an action-packed fighting game that lets players battle the evil forces of Mordor. Here, gamers get to play as each of three heroes from the film: Aragorn the human ranger, Legolas the elf, and Gimli the dwarf, each with different fighting styles and upgradeable combat moves. As in the book and movie, the game is all about protecting that Ring of Power and somehow restoring peace to Middle-earth.
The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers is an excellent third-person action game that lets you wield weapons and apply blocks, parries, thrusts, and special moves, as well as use long-range weapons (Legolas and Aragorn use bows while Gimli throws hatchets). The title lets gamers earn experience points to upgrade a character's abilities and weaponry.
Interestingly, while the game is named after the second movie, it features elements from the first film, and the thirteen levels include the Mines of Moria from the Fellowship of the Rings, walls of Helm's Deep from the Two Towers, and more. Bosses include the Cave Troll, the Watcher, and Lurtz, and players battle numerous enemies that include the Uruk-Hai, spider-like Moria orcs, and more.
The game's visuals are stunning and feature accurate character models and detailed settings that are reminiscent of those in the films. The Two Towers game also features sound effects from the films and voice-overs from the real actors: Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), Orlando Bloom (Legolas), John Rhys-Davies (Gimli), and Ian McKellen (Gandalf). The game is somewhat short, but may be played again as a different character, which offers new challenges. For fans of the film, the game also includes a video interview with members of the cast.
The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers is a first rate game that will appeal to those who like action games and especially to those who like action games and love the Lord of the Ring movies.
2/12/03 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
