Gunslinger
Mildly Dipped
On an impractical whim, I rented this game for my XBOX. Funnily enough, I have never, ever played any of the LOTR spin-off games (the Tolkien-fan in me just dying every time I see a pixelated Viggo Mortensen having at it with a pixelated orc) and I rarely play any console games outside of Halo and KOTOR.
But I've got to admit that its a cheap fix for the RPG-junkie in me (overriding that impertinent Tolkien fan). Its not an intricate game along the lines of Fallout, rather it goes along the vein of the FF series. And the game practically screams of Final Fantasy influence; for some, that's good while for others, that's bad.
Basically, there's two modes that you'll play in. The first is the adventure mode, which I find is an insulting misnomer. This mode has you walking around the map area, controlling as your avatar one of your party members. This mode is straightforward and there's very little interaction between the world as the map is sorted out into a series of carefully planned out routes, with the background inaccessible and merely there for eye-candy. The other mode is combat mode which is engaged in the typical FF fashion: the screen blurs with a warning and then transports you into a seperate battlefield.
Combat is, like all FF games, turn-based. Controlling a maximum of three characters (with the occaisonal uncontrollable 4th ally thrown into the mix) you'll duke it out with your far share of orcs and other Middle-Earth baddies. Besides normal attacks, you'll be able to access skills that are unique of each character. These skills basically take the place of Final Fantasy's magic powers, either damaging foes, healing allies, buffing or reducing skills, etc. For all practical purposes, your ability points functions the same as mana/magic points in other traditional RPGs. But unique to The Third Age is the way you earn more abilities. Rather than buying spells as in these RPG's, abilities are gained with the continual use of other abilities. For instance, if you constantly use the damage-inducing Guardian Sword skill under the Sword abilities, you'll eventually gain the use of Orc Bane, which does additional damage towards orcs. To further expand the skill tree, you merely need to keep using abilities. Minus the use of these skills, combat is just a slug match between opponents. Most of the enemies you face will be easily dispatched within a handful of direct-damage attacks while boss characters will require some ability skills and more slugging to defeat. As with the FF games, enemies may possess two or more attacks which adds some variety and you'll come across different variances of enemies (i.e. Orc Warrior, Orc Chieftain, etc.), and the game does a fairly good job trying to add variety in foes. There's some nice visceral graphics in combat but they ultimately fall into a pattern of shining lights and fancy posings.
The levels in the game truly lack flavor. As already stated, the levels are straight-forward. The radar-screen takes much of the guess work out of exploring and there isn't much of that in the first place. There will be occaisional quests in the game but they're usually easy stuff like kill bands of orcs, gather relics, etc. and you don't really have to go out of your way to accomplish them anyways. Sometimes, you'll be faced with a crossroad and the ones that lead to dead-ends lead, without fail, to treasure chests. Scattered about these levels, the treasure chests are a good idea to hunt down since they contain healing items and new equipment for your characters. Unlike Final Fantasy games, enemies are not randomly encountered. In the Third Age, you'll usually encounter enemies around treasure chests or junctions around the map. Usually, it's obvious when you'll encounter enemies (Gee, an ominious looking cave, mayhap a troll awaits?) and the game even provides you an indicator to show when you'll encounter a particularly tough band of baddies. But the game tries to cover the beautiful breadth of Middle Earth and you'll find yourself in most of the popular locales of the books.
Storyline-wise, this game would have made Tolkien roll in his grave (if the Peter Jackson movies already haven't, as good as they were). You'll take on the role of Berethor, a guard of Gondor, who is telepathically lead by Gandalf to follow the original Fellowship. It appears old Gandalf the Grey is hedging his bets by assembling two parties. That premise alone is pretty corny. In any case, the brave Gondorian will pickup allies throughout his journey who coincidentally mirror the characters of the original Fellowship. Besides being a warrior of Gondor who possesses more than a passing resemblance to Boromir, you'll find yourself allied with a ranger of Dunedain, a stout ax-wielding dwarf, and an elven warrior. Your party of look-alikes will be about one day or so behind the Fellowship's path (though you'll meet up in time to help the Fellowship for the most blatantly inaccurate battle from the books).
The game provides few extras outside of the normal gameplay. There is an "evil mode" which can be accessed after completing a level, though its more like a bonus side-thought than a whole new game experience. Also, you'll be treated to over a hundred occaisonal cinematics from the movies which reinforces the story and fills in some of the gaps (and hey, its narrated by Ian McKellan). But that's about it.
It may sound like I'm bashing the game but I'm not really that dissatisfied with it. It delivers as a gratiutious Final Fantasy style RPG minus all the minigames and level depth. But I was fully immersed in the game and there's not really any slow moments. It's a game that will provide you with plenty of gameplay. Those who are looking for a game primarily for loyalty to J.R.R. Tolkien may want to look for another game (wait for the upcoming Battle for Middle-Earth). But for those who enjoyed the Final Fantasy series, have at it.
But I've got to admit that its a cheap fix for the RPG-junkie in me (overriding that impertinent Tolkien fan). Its not an intricate game along the lines of Fallout, rather it goes along the vein of the FF series. And the game practically screams of Final Fantasy influence; for some, that's good while for others, that's bad.
Basically, there's two modes that you'll play in. The first is the adventure mode, which I find is an insulting misnomer. This mode has you walking around the map area, controlling as your avatar one of your party members. This mode is straightforward and there's very little interaction between the world as the map is sorted out into a series of carefully planned out routes, with the background inaccessible and merely there for eye-candy. The other mode is combat mode which is engaged in the typical FF fashion: the screen blurs with a warning and then transports you into a seperate battlefield.
Combat is, like all FF games, turn-based. Controlling a maximum of three characters (with the occaisonal uncontrollable 4th ally thrown into the mix) you'll duke it out with your far share of orcs and other Middle-Earth baddies. Besides normal attacks, you'll be able to access skills that are unique of each character. These skills basically take the place of Final Fantasy's magic powers, either damaging foes, healing allies, buffing or reducing skills, etc. For all practical purposes, your ability points functions the same as mana/magic points in other traditional RPGs. But unique to The Third Age is the way you earn more abilities. Rather than buying spells as in these RPG's, abilities are gained with the continual use of other abilities. For instance, if you constantly use the damage-inducing Guardian Sword skill under the Sword abilities, you'll eventually gain the use of Orc Bane, which does additional damage towards orcs. To further expand the skill tree, you merely need to keep using abilities. Minus the use of these skills, combat is just a slug match between opponents. Most of the enemies you face will be easily dispatched within a handful of direct-damage attacks while boss characters will require some ability skills and more slugging to defeat. As with the FF games, enemies may possess two or more attacks which adds some variety and you'll come across different variances of enemies (i.e. Orc Warrior, Orc Chieftain, etc.), and the game does a fairly good job trying to add variety in foes. There's some nice visceral graphics in combat but they ultimately fall into a pattern of shining lights and fancy posings.
The levels in the game truly lack flavor. As already stated, the levels are straight-forward. The radar-screen takes much of the guess work out of exploring and there isn't much of that in the first place. There will be occaisional quests in the game but they're usually easy stuff like kill bands of orcs, gather relics, etc. and you don't really have to go out of your way to accomplish them anyways. Sometimes, you'll be faced with a crossroad and the ones that lead to dead-ends lead, without fail, to treasure chests. Scattered about these levels, the treasure chests are a good idea to hunt down since they contain healing items and new equipment for your characters. Unlike Final Fantasy games, enemies are not randomly encountered. In the Third Age, you'll usually encounter enemies around treasure chests or junctions around the map. Usually, it's obvious when you'll encounter enemies (Gee, an ominious looking cave, mayhap a troll awaits?) and the game even provides you an indicator to show when you'll encounter a particularly tough band of baddies. But the game tries to cover the beautiful breadth of Middle Earth and you'll find yourself in most of the popular locales of the books.
Storyline-wise, this game would have made Tolkien roll in his grave (if the Peter Jackson movies already haven't, as good as they were). You'll take on the role of Berethor, a guard of Gondor, who is telepathically lead by Gandalf to follow the original Fellowship. It appears old Gandalf the Grey is hedging his bets by assembling two parties. That premise alone is pretty corny. In any case, the brave Gondorian will pickup allies throughout his journey who coincidentally mirror the characters of the original Fellowship. Besides being a warrior of Gondor who possesses more than a passing resemblance to Boromir, you'll find yourself allied with a ranger of Dunedain, a stout ax-wielding dwarf, and an elven warrior. Your party of look-alikes will be about one day or so behind the Fellowship's path (though you'll meet up in time to help the Fellowship for the most blatantly inaccurate battle from the books).
The game provides few extras outside of the normal gameplay. There is an "evil mode" which can be accessed after completing a level, though its more like a bonus side-thought than a whole new game experience. Also, you'll be treated to over a hundred occaisonal cinematics from the movies which reinforces the story and fills in some of the gaps (and hey, its narrated by Ian McKellan). But that's about it.
It may sound like I'm bashing the game but I'm not really that dissatisfied with it. It delivers as a gratiutious Final Fantasy style RPG minus all the minigames and level depth. But I was fully immersed in the game and there's not really any slow moments. It's a game that will provide you with plenty of gameplay. Those who are looking for a game primarily for loyalty to J.R.R. Tolkien may want to look for another game (wait for the upcoming Battle for Middle-Earth). But for those who enjoyed the Final Fantasy series, have at it.
