The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Gimli sees the orc on the trail
ahead and, with a cry, rushes forward to the attack. As the hapless creature
falls beneath the fury of Gimli’s axe, another orc descends the wall behind
Gimli. The dwarf is oblivious to the new threat, but his companion sees it, and
quickly notches arrow to bow.

As the orc sneaks quickly up to
attack the dwarf from behind, it senses something and turns – just in time to
catch a shaft in the forehead. The force of the blow twists the dead creature
through the air as though a discarded rag doll.

The duo resumes the march, clearing
the path to the Gates of Moria. They pause now and again to listen, their breath
steaming upon the chill air. Many battles lie ahead, and many dangers that will
require more than one arrow delivered on target.

The Lord of the Rings, The Two
Towers, a PlayStation2 release from EA Games in conjunction with New Line
Cinema, is a graphical masterpiece that encompasses both the first and second
books of J.R.R. Tolkien’s amazing trilogy. But if you are expecting an adventure
game that forces you to solve puzzles as you walk the path of the ring-bearer,
you will be disappointed. This is a combat game – pure and simple. You encounter
hordes of enemies that you must wade through in order to get to the boss
monster. The only puzzle you will have then is how to kill it.

Take, for example, the tentacled
monster that lies in the lake near the Gates of Moria. If you are playing as
Aragorn, Legolas or Gimli, you can’t just waste projectile weapons firing in the
water. If you stand there, the creature’s tentacles will whip you to death.
Therein lies the extent of the puzzle. Figure out how to attack and score hit
points against an elusive and powerful monster. And while that tactic may work,
you will have to come up with another plan when you encounter the chained
monstrosity in Balin’s Tomb.

The game begins with the prologue
and a tutorial of sorts. You take on the persona of Isildur during the first
battle for the freedom of Middle-earth with Sauron. This will get you in the
fighting frame of mind. Then, after you accomplish that task and are scored for
your effort, you are whisked off to Weathertop and into the skin of Aragorn as
he battles the Ringwraiths to protect Frodo.

There are 13 levels in all, which
will take the game player all the way to Helm’s Deep. Players are scored on
killing moves, from fair to perfect, and you rack up points, which you can use
if you successfully complete a level to buy special moves or increased health.

What sets this game apart from the
other current Lord of the Rings game is the use of New Line Cinema movie
footage. The game will show a scene from the films (yes, LOTR movie fans, there
are scenes from the next release included in here), and then transposes that
over to the game version. Gimli may be talking about going to Moria when the
game moves from movie footage to game animation. However, the designers of this
game have done a remarkable job in keeping the animated characters looking like
their movie counterparts. And the voices are used, as well as music from the
LOTR film.

The scene described at the start of
this article referred to two parts of the game – a cutscene (the orc’s lobotomy)
and actual game play. The details are so good in this game that you will see
breath exhaled from the heroes. The environments are terrific as well.

The game does have a fair amount of
arcade power-ups, which are necessary. You can run out of projectile weapons
(arrows for Aragorn and Legolas, and hand axes for Gimli), but you will find
supplies cached in the environment. And some kills will release glowing green
vials, which restore health. And the game is linear in regards to how each boss
is killed. If you find the key as Aragorn, then the same method works for both
Gimli and Legolas. The only challenge is to score higher with either.

The way you kill translates to the
points you get for successfully completing a mission. Those points can be used
to purchase special moves. Gimli can get a War Rush, Legolas may benefit from
Elrond’s Swift Terror, while Aragorn can get his sword to glow for a brief surge
of power with the Ranger Fury move. You can also purchase a permanent increase
in health.

The Two Towers is a combat game,
with more swordplay, whirling blades and dynamic fight sequences than several
games combined. The graphical elements are stunning, and the game is an absolute
joy to play. While every Tolkien fan may not favor the movie version of this
remarkable tale, this is certainly a game that will strike a strong chord among
those who love combat games.

This game is rated Teen for blood
and violence.

Gameplay: 8.5

The game is very linear in regards to the
boss monsters, and the path you can take from point A to point B. However,
tactical elements come into play: positioning yourself and selecting opponents
to attack are key to scoring well. The game has numerous cutscenes – some which
can’t be bypassed if you need to retry a level.

Graphics: 9.85

This game is breathtaking graphically. The
attention to detail is amazing and the animation is stunning. The environments
are exquisite.

Sound: 9.8

Howard Shore’s movie score powers that
portion of the program, and the voices of the movie actors are used. This is a
game that is tied in strongly to the theatrical films – both the first and the
upcoming second one.

Difficulty: Medium

There are three difficulty levels, and the
game is played from a third-person perspective. The camera doesn’t always help
the view, and at times it is hard to tell how close you are to an opponent
directly in front of your avatar.

Concept: 8.5

The game is a tactical combat game tied
closely to the movies. You only control one character during a fight, but others
are there fighting as well, and you can align yourself to make use of other
character’s fighting tactics. The control elements of the game, and the player
interface are designed to make getting into this game quick and easy.

Overall: 9.75

There are a few elements that pull this game
back, such as the linear aspects, and having to wade through cutscenes again to
repeat a level. The game may not have much replayability other than to improve
your score.  When it comes to the graphical elements, this game is easily
head-and-shoulders above others in the genre. From the spark of a parried
attack, to the whirr of a blurred blade slashing through the air and a kick that
knocks opponents back and off-balance so the killing blow can be struck, this
game is a visual delight. The sound elements only add to the overall effect, and
make The Two Towers a fantastic outing.