The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age

PUBLISHER: Electronic Arts // DEVELOPER: Electronic Arts // PLAYERS: 1-2 // LIVE: No // MSRP: $49.99 // ESRB: E

The ones most likely to be let down by The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age��Electronic Arts�� first big foray into console RPGs��are, well, RPG fans themselves. Too tightly fettered to its licenser, Age joins Star Wars: Rogue Squadron and Enter the Matrix as the latest in an uneven line of high-profile��but underwhelming��tie-ins. Like the inevitable amusement park ride, Age reflects a wealth of talent and resources; but as a game, it��s safe and absolutely unambitious.

In the pedestrian sense, Age does the job just fine, with plenty of stats to balance and abilities to acquire. Those new to the genre will appreciate its user-friendly approach to a familiar formula: Explore before engaging in combat three abreast, mixing up magic, melee, missiles, and eventually, more complex stratagems. Ultimately, though, it��s a frills-free rehash of older��and superior��games.

Quest goals are arbitrarily applied, side quests are simplistic and implied, minigames or similar diversions from all the slashing and spellcasting are nonexistent. Character customization is almost entirely additive; rarely is the best option for gearing up any less than obvious. Similarly, experience points and new, more powerful gear come far too frequently��more nuisance than welcome reward.

Predictably, enemies are almost entirely limited to bigger and badder variants on familiar faces. Even the most fearsome of the film fellowship��s foes lose their majesty��any fan of the films will easily predict who and what will show up when. Which isn��t to say the many races and places of Peter Jackson��s Middle-earth aren��t accurately��and admirably��represented. The most attention has been lavished on such blockbuster beasties as the balrog, ents, and nazgul, and it shows. The environments, especially, capture the look, feel, and scale of the movie��s set pieces to a T, although some lack the minutiae that really bring worlds to life.

But behind the polygons, particle effects, and gratuitous cameo appearances lies an RPG engine with a sound but derivative system that genre fans will find tried, true, and a little bit impressive. As an Xbox RPG, the stakes are even higher. The few role-playing options already available on Xbox are as innovative, good-looking, and memorable as those any console has to offer. Age pales when held up against the evolutionary gameplay and moral urgency of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic or Fable��not to mention the variety and visual splendor of any recent Final Fantasy game.

Throughout the game, players contend at every turn with repeated reminders (in the form of repurposed movie clips) that each in-game scenario has a cinematic correspondent. Interacting with Aragorn, Legolas, and others finds their lines from the film spliced and shoehorned into awkward, new, and needless dialogues with the player��s party, and the games�� heroes spout out, word for word, much of the movies�� most memorable dialogue upon reaching key locales.

And while the in-game voice casting is quite good, any palpable sense of emotion, conflict, or drama��the things that make up a good story��is lacking. But the most egregious shortcoming is that so much of the content, including scenarios, sounds, set pieces, and the story (flimsily intertwined with the plot of the films), reflects a world limited solely to the 558 minutes filmgoers have come to know as Rings canon��no more, no less. Simply put, Age suffers from a shortage of any sense of mystery.

As an (almost absolutely) literal re-creation of the films�� rich sense of splendor, Age nails its mark. And so it should: Merging the world��s most popular fantasy game series with the world��s most popular fantasy film series is about as safe as bets come. Nonetheless, Xbox owners should expect more.

06 OUT OF TEN

IT��S BAD TO BE THE BAD GUY

Far from being fully fleshed out,The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age��s evil mode feels like nothing more than the leftover remnants of a more ambitious plan. Completion of each in-game level enables players to revisit past conflicts with orcs, goblins, wargs, and even the balrog at their command, with special items as the trophy. Sadly, it��s impossible to pick and choose teams or places, leaving the player to wage the same brief, easy, and uncompelling battles ad nauseam.

Packed with plenty of special effects to enliven the events onscreen, The Third Age looks quite good�Cfor a PlayStation 2 game.

Copyright © 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Xbox Nation.