The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age

My general overall experience with Lord of the Rings: The Third Age was great. I loved it. This is definitely a game to get that LOTR fan in your family or community. With a familiar world to explore and many ways to do so, you'll play The Third Age over and over.

While the game is a little bit on the simple side with its RPG elements, The Third Age offers up a compelling blend of great gameplay, fantastic graphics and sound, and a faithful representation of the Lord of the Rings universe.

The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age is a great additional to the PlayStation 2 role playing genre. The Lord of the Rings franchise lends itself excellently to videogames, and EA Redwood Shores took advantage of that quality very well with this game.

Although the Lord of the Rings: The Third Age might leave some RPG fanatics itching for more of a challenge, it's a well-balanced title that's a great pick for any fan of the books or movies.

For the most part, The Third Age rips gamers from their living rooms and dumps them in a detailed rendition of Middle Earth. EA Redwood Shores has faithfully recreated everything from the glowing majesty of Rivendell to the murky depths of Helm’s Deep. Suffice to say, this is one of the best looking games based on Tolkien’s classic trilogy. But, as gamers everywhere know, looks aren’t everything. It’s one thing to have video games look as good as the movies they’re based on, but what good is any of it if the actual gameplay isn’t enough to keep you playing. Thankfully, this combat heavy RPG delivers the goods, although some die hard RPG fans may be put off by its overly streamlined approach. The action is fast, with no lulls in gameplay from beginning to end. Plus, the Co-Op mode and Evil Mode make great additions to a game already packed with a ton of Tolkienesque goodness.

For the most part, The Third Age rips gamers from their living rooms and dumps them in a detailed rendition of Middle Earth. EA Redwood Shores has faithfully recreated everything from the glowing majesty of Rivendell to the murky depths of Helm’s Deep. Suffice to say, this is one of the best looking games based on Tolkien’s classic trilogy. But, as gamers everywhere know, looks aren’t everything. It’s one thing to have video games look as good as the movies they’re based on, but what good is any of it if the actual gameplay isn’t enough to keep you playing. Thankfully, this combat heavy RPG delivers the goods, although some die hard RPG fans may be put off by its overly streamlined approach. The action is fast, with no lulls in gameplay from beginning to end. Plus, the Co-Op mode and Evil Mode make great additions to a game already packed with a ton of Tolkienesque goodness.

What's the difference between an Xbox RPG and a PS2 RPG? Xbox RPGs are real-time adventures with a wide-open storyline (choose good or evil sides, commit kind or cruel acts, etc.). PS2 RPGs are generally turn-based games with separate screens for battles and a single-path storyline that drives the player's interest.

It's proven fact that nerds and dweebs have established "dream unions." Such unions usually come in the shape of fantasy matches - Aliens Versus Predators and Obi Wan Kenobi Versus Luke Skywalker, for example. And while many of these imaginings will never see the light of day, some eventually transcend the barriers of geek fantasy into reality.

Outside of the fancy franchise milking exterior you may find an entertaining, while lacking, role playing game. It’s fun and will keep you playing for at least 30 hours if you go everywhere, find everything and kill everyone. If you’re a big fan of the franchise or if you’re looking for a quick diversion in between this year’s big name RPGs like Baten Kaitos, Tales of Symphonia or even Mega Man X Command Mission, you should definitely pick this one up. If you’re looking for something along the lines of last year’s Return of the King, you may want to pass this one by and wait for the next Lord of the Rings video game. Will there be a next one? Is dwarf tossing fun?

As far as Lord of the Rings games go, this is by no means the worst and is worth at least a few rentals just to see the movie clips and hear Gandalf's extra commentary. In terms of a proper RPG, though, Third Age falls into the 'average' category, with some nice ideas, but not enough perfection execution to compete sufficiently...

Mit der Ankündigung des Titels "Der Herr der Ringe: Das 3. Zeitalter", ging der Wunsch vieler Fans in Erfüllung. Ein Rollenspiel, welches auf Tolkiens "Der Herr der Ringe" basiert. Ob das Spiel den Erwartungen gerecht wird, lest ihr hier....

The Lord of the Rings, The Third Age molds Middle-earth into a traditional turn-based frame, and while the results aren't all that great, the game carries some pretty good features and should appeal to fans of the source material.

The Lord of the Rings, The Third Age molds Middle-earth into a traditional turn-based frame, and while the results aren't all that great, the game carries some pretty good features and should appeal to fans of the source material.

The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy has proved to be fertile source material for video game adaptations, spawning hack-and-slash action adventures as well as a soon-to-be-released real-time strategy title. The Third Age, however, is a turn-based, console-style role-playing game that takes a slightly different path from its film-faithful cousins. Instead of featuring the original cast of characters and following their journey as it was laid out in the films and novels, The Third Age introduces a new cross-cultural group of travelers as they put their own stamp on the history of Middle-earth. While there are some rough edges, the result is mostly a nice little role-playing jaunt into the world of Tolkien.

Although The Third Age is an interesting take on The Lord of the Rings, it doesn't seem to work as well as the The Two Towers or The Return of the King. While the game does a nice job of allowing the player to view Middle-Earth, it just doesn't seem to work well in other areas.

There are better RPGs on the market. There are better LotR games on the market too. If you've exhausted all those possibilities, then give The Third Age a shot. At this time, with so many fabulous games available, only the most hardcore LotR fans should buy this game immediately. It's worth experiencing, but I'd wait for the post-holiday price cut.

It's hard to find fault with the concept behind Third Age; from a marketing perspective, Final Fantasy and LOTR probably seemed like a perfect match. But you can't crudely shoehorn two disconnected franchises together without bringing something unique and worthwhile to the table. Truly voracious fans of both LOTR and Final Fantasy will likely enjoy Third Age, but discriminating role-players should probably grab for a different ring.

It isn't Tolkien. It isn't even always consistent. Yet, Lord of the Rings: The Third Age does exactly what it sets out to do and no more by laying down a passable combat engine and little else. In a way it's almost refreshingly straightforward, but it certainly isn't worth paying out full price for, considering the flaws and the fact that you'll beat it in, oh, under a week.

If you enjoy the more traditional style RPG games you will probably love The Lord of the Rings: Third Age. That is, if you're not a die-hard fan of the series. The overlapping storyline, basic role-playing elements and dulled out graphics are crippling downfalls, but even so the game is entertaining. Overall, Lord of the Rings: Third Age is an average attempt with a timeless license. Next time let's have a new adventure.

After two successful action games sporting The Lord of the Rings license, EA brings the Peter Jackson version of Middle-earth to an RPG setting. On paper it's a perfect fit; you have a genre that's perfect for fantasy settings coupled with one of the most popular fantasy settings of all time. Unfortunately, the melding wasn't as successful as the mystical pairing of chocolate and peanut butter. That isn't to say that The Third Age is bad, which certainly isn't the case.

It's no secret that The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age used the Final Fantasy series as its chief gameplay inspiration. Problem is, it takes more than formulaic adventuring and dusty turn-based combat to craft a role-playing title worthy of the LOTR name.

It would be impossible to argue that EA had done a bad job of its partnership with New Line and the Lord of the Rings films so far. The Two Towers and The Return of the King were shining examples of the handling of film licenses, if not the brightest instances, showing a commitment to the property's assets and the mirroring of the movies themselves in taking a full action stance. Everyone wants to be Ian McKellan in a huge beard with a death wish, don't they? It turned out they did. The games were huge successes, and rightly so.

LOTR: The visuals may be fabulous, but the dusty turn-based combat system will only appeal to role-playing diehards. It's no secret that The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age used the Final Fantasy series as its chief gameplay inspiration. Problem is, it takes more than formulaic adventuring and dusty turn-based combat to craft a role-playing title worthy of the LOTR name.

After two successful action games sporting The Lord of the Rings license, EA brings the Peter Jackson version of Middle-earth to an RPG setting. On paper it's a perfect fit; you have a genre that's perfect for fantasy settings coupled with one of the most popular fantasy settings of all time. Unfortunately, the melding wasn't as successful as the mystical pairing of chocolate and peanut butter. That isn't to say that The Third Age is bad, which certainly isn't the case. The game is a very solid RPG that dazzles in some places and disappoints in others.

Le pari de concurrencer les RPG nippons avec un jeu de rôle basé sur le Seigneur des Anneaux était ambitieux, mais le contrat est loin d'être rempli pour Electronic Arts. Si on le dépouille de son habillage luxueux dû à la licence de la trilogie cinématographique, Le Tiers Age affiche des faiblesses que ne pardonneront pas les habitués des jeux de rôle au tour par tour sur consoles. Reste un titre divertissant que ne laisseront pas passer la plupart des fans.

Le pari de concurrencer les RPG nippons avec un jeu de rôle basé sur le Seigneur des Anneaux était ambitieux, mais le contrat est loin d'être rempli pour Electronic Arts. Si on le dépouille de son habillage luxueux dû à la licence de la trilogie cinématographique, Le Tiers Age affiche des faiblesses que ne pardonneront pas les habitués des jeux de rôle au tour par tour sur consoles. Reste un titre divertissant que ne laisseront pas passer la plupart des fans.

Le pari de concurrencer les RPG nippons avec un jeu de rôle basé sur le Seigneur des Anneaux était ambitieux, mais le contrat est loin d'être rempli pour Electronic Arts. Si on le dépouille de son habillage luxueux dû à la licence de la trilogie cinématographique, Le Tiers Age affiche des faiblesses que ne pardonneront pas les habitués des jeux de rôle au tour par tour sur consoles. Reste un titre divertissant que ne laisseront pas passer la plupart des fans.

"Third Age" é uma prova que a criação de um RPG tradicional exige um tipo de experiência e longos cronogramas de produção que não podem ser substituídos por um orçamento generoso. Apesar disso, os não-iniciados no gênero que gostam de Tolkien podem ver isso como uma alternativa light para mergulhar novamente na deliciosa Terra-média.

Even if that fun does wear off after ten or thirty hours, there’s no denying the amusement factor. If you looked around a bit you’d probably find that it’s been reduced in the sales too, which is perhaps the best news for fans.

For such a derivative game, if you have any fondness for Japanese RPGs or Tolkien, Lord of the Rings: The Third Age is actually quite a bit of fun. For others, this will probably just be one more license game they will never bother to play and although I enjoyed it, I can definitely understand that side of things.

The best The Third Age has to offer has already been seen in The Two Towers and The Return of the King action games, both of which benefited from hectic real-time combat and the ability to use actual characters from the movies instead of poorly conceived stand-ins. If you're dying to play a Middle-Earth RPG, we recommend waiting to check out Middle-Earth Online, if it ever comes out. And if you just can't wait to relive all the coolest moments from the films, spare yourself a few bucks and go rent the movies.

Disappointment: that feeling you get when, having asked your parents for a car, you find a Micro-Machine in your Christmas stocking instead. It’s also a word that accurately describes EA’s new The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age for the PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube. As promising as a role-playing game based on The Lord of the Rings mythos sounds, The Third Age’s reality is one of strict linearity, wacky plot foibles, and generic turn-based action.

Jag skulle kunna mala på i all evighet om löjligt överdrivna level up-blixtar, ologisk story och brist på roliga finesser, men jag tror ni fattar vad jag tycker om det här skräpet. Det är en studie i katastrofal berättarteknik, och ett spel som inte på långa vägar lever upp till sitt namn. Tolkien roterar som ett grillspett i sin grav.

Tolkein purists, your bane has arrived and its name is LOTR: The Third Age. In terms of replayability, this title offers very little. Side-quests, story branches, mini-games are nonexistent. The characters can travel back to previous chapters to search for undone quest items, but it is likely that everything will be done the first time through. Overall, LOTR:TTA is a tough to recommend to anyone but masochistic battle lovers.

Aside from the gameplay, there is really nothing that makes this game worthwhile. I had a lot of fun playing it (building characters is something I enjoy immensely, but that's all that this game really has to offer). At the same time I feel like I wasted my life investing 45 hours into this game that tries to be a whole lot more than it really is. Don't even buy a strategy guide. Trust me-believe me when I tell you-you won't need one. This game is so simple it's beyond disgusting. If you want a good turn-based game, play any Final Fantasy. Stay as far away from this one as you can.