The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age
Encyclopedia
The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age is a role-playing game
by EA Games for all three of the late sixth-generation game consoles
. The player controls a core group of characters that are used during the adventure, levelling up according to experience gained from battles and quests.
, who is travelling to Rivendell to find Boromir
, one of the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring. On his way to Rivendell, he is attacked by a group of Ringwraiths and almost killed, but is rescued by a female elf named Idrial, who is a servant of Galadriel
. They share a vision of Gandalf
the Grey, who tells them that Boromir is travelling with the Fellowship, and that they are headed in the direction of Moria
.
On Berethor's way to Moria, he meets with Elegost, a Dúnedain
Ranger not entirely unlike Aragorn
. Following that, they meet with Hadhod, a dwarf who is also loosely based on Gimli
. After Boromir's death, the group is charged with helping what is left of the Fellowship to save the world of men in Middle-earth
. In another change to the plotline, they help Gandalf to slay the Balrog
at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. They continue through the land of Rohan
, meeting along the way Morwen, a lady of Rohan who has lost her family to Saruman's attacks, and Éoaden, a member of Théoden
's Royal Guard. They arrive at Helm's Deep
and aid Aragorn, Legolas
and Gimli to fight off the Uruk-hai
as they storm the fortress.
After this they journey to Osgiliath, and with the help of Faramir
, defeat Gothmog
the orc commander, as well as several Ringwraiths, where a major spoiler is revealed. They eventually fight in Minas Tirith
and finally help Éowyn
defeat the Witch-king on the Pelennor Fields. After defeating the 8 remaining Nazgûl, the party heads to Mordor, where they face off with the Eye of Sauron itself, and destroy it. After this, the game is beaten.
The game also includes an evil mode for each area where you can fight as the scripted (not random) enemies and win unique and often powerful items for your team.
, owned the rights to the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy
and not the book
of the same name - thus the only devices available to the creators were what could be found in the movies, or something in neither book nor movie. Thus everything had to, in some way, be tied to the movies in order to prevent a lawsuit from the owners of the rights to the book. Each of the game's main characters was based on a minor character or extra from the films.
The game's combat system was, by and large, very similar to Final Fantasy X
s Conditional Turn-Based Battle System (CTB), where the players have turns in which they can attack. It also featured a 'level-up' system much akin to Final Fantasy X-2
. Once again, some reviewers thought this to be derivative and unoriginal, while others welcomed a combat system like that in Square Enix
's games. Either way, the game experienced good success during the holiday season of 2004. IGN awarded the game with a score of 8.5 out of 10 and GameSpot a 7.7 out of 10
. Nonetheless, there are also some minor deviations such as Helm Hammerhand having a warhammer and the use of the term "she-elf", which never appears in the books (though it is used to refer to Liv Tyler's Arwen in the films). Other errors include the pronunciation of "Dúnedain" as rhyming with "pain" — whereas it should rhyme with "dine", as Tolkien writes in one of his appendices.
Also there are spelling differences; Arnor appears as 'Anor' in some places and Eowyn
in combat is spelt Sield Maiden, not Shield. Kingsfoil and athelas are suggested to be two separate plants, but in the books they are alternate names. Also, the party is present at key plot moments, so they can participate in events which in the books are solo fights, or non-fights. Examples include interactions with the Balrog, the Witch-king, and the Eye of Sauron.
(Xbox 360 and PC special edition) as homemade heroes. Berethor and Morwen are Heroes of the 'Men of the West', while Hadhod is the hero of the Dwarves and Idrial of the Elves:
The two other fellowship-members of The Third Age are not in the game; they can be made in the hero-builder, though the system is very limited.
Role-playing game (video games)
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
by EA Games for all three of the late sixth-generation game consoles
History of video game consoles (sixth generation)
The sixth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at the turn of the 21st century. Platforms of the sixth generation include the Sega Dreamcast, Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Microsoft Xbox...
. The player controls a core group of characters that are used during the adventure, levelling up according to experience gained from battles and quests.
Plot
The plot of The Third Age involves Berethor, Captain of the Citadel Guard of GondorGondor
Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
, who is travelling to Rivendell to find Boromir
Boromir
Boromir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the first two volumes of The Lord of the Rings , and is mentioned in the last volume, The Return of the King....
, one of the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring. On his way to Rivendell, he is attacked by a group of Ringwraiths and almost killed, but is rescued by a female elf named Idrial, who is a servant of Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
. They share a vision of Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
the Grey, who tells them that Boromir is travelling with the Fellowship, and that they are headed in the direction of Moria
Moria (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
.
On Berethor's way to Moria, he meets with Elegost, a Dúnedain
Dúnedain
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Dúnedain were a race of Men descended from the Númenóreans who survived the sinking of their island kingdom and came to Eriador in Middle-earth, led by Elendil and his sons, Isildur and Anárion...
Ranger not entirely unlike Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
. Following that, they meet with Hadhod, a dwarf who is also loosely based on Gimli
Gimli (Middle-earth)
Gimli is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. A Dwarf warrior, he is the son of Glóin ....
. After Boromir's death, the group is charged with helping what is left of the Fellowship to save the world of men in Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
. In another change to the plotline, they help Gandalf to slay the Balrog
Balrog
Balrogs are fictional demonic beings who appear in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Such creatures first appeared in print in his novel The Lord of the Rings, though they figured in earlier writings that posthumously appeared in The Silmarillion and other books.Balrogs are described as...
at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. They continue through the land of Rohan
Rohan
Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
, meeting along the way Morwen, a lady of Rohan who has lost her family to Saruman's attacks, and Éoaden, a member of Théoden
Théoden
Théoden is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel, The Lord of the Rings. He appears as a major supporting character in The Two Towers and The Return of the King.-Appearances:...
's Royal Guard. They arrive at Helm's Deep
Helm's Deep
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings, Helm's Deep was a large valley in the north-western Ered Nimrais .The valley was described as being blocked over its entire width by the natural series of hills called Helm's Dike and behind that lay the fortress of Aglarond or the Hornburg, at the...
and aid Aragorn, Legolas
Legolas
Legolas is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. He is an Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring.- Literature :...
and Gimli to fight off the Uruk-hai
Uruk-hai
The Uruk-hai are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth. They are introduced in The Lord of the Rings as an advanced breed or breeds of Orcs that serve Sauron and Saruman...
as they storm the fortress.
After this they journey to Osgiliath, and with the help of Faramir
Faramir
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Faramir is a fictional character appearing in The Lord of the Rings. He is introduced as the younger brother of Boromir of the Fellowship of the Ring and second son of Denethor II, the Steward of the realm of Gondor...
, defeat Gothmog
Gothmog (Third Age)
Gothmog is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears briefly in The Return of the King, the third volume of The Lord of the Rings as originally printed....
the orc commander, as well as several Ringwraiths, where a major spoiler is revealed. They eventually fight in Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
and finally help Éowyn
Éowyn
Éowyn is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, who appears in his most famous work, The Lord of the Rings. She is a noblewoman of Rohan who describes herself as a "shieldmaiden".-Literature:...
defeat the Witch-king on the Pelennor Fields. After defeating the 8 remaining Nazgûl, the party heads to Mordor, where they face off with the Eye of Sauron itself, and destroy it. After this, the game is beaten.
Character history
- Berethor was banished from the realm of GondorGondorGondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
by DenethorDenethorDenethor II of the House of Húrin is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Return of the King, which is the third and final part of his novel The Lord of the Rings. In the novel, he is the 26th and penultimate ruling Steward of Gondor....
after showing cowardice in a battle at Osgiliath. This cowardice was not his fault, as a NazgûlNazgûlThe Nazgûl are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
stabbed him with a Morgul Blade, causing him to lose his mind and flee. He begins to remember it when Éaoden, who also fought at the battle, remembers him being there, and all the rest come to him in the presence of the Witch-king. A free wanderer, he came under the control of SarumanSarumanSaruman the White is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but later on aims at gaining...
, who gave him orders to seek out Boromir, "for he possesses an item of great value to me, the One Ring", to quote the game. Saruman deluded Berethor so that neither he nor the player of the game know that he is under Saruman's control until the Helm's DeepHelm's DeepIn J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings, Helm's Deep was a large valley in the north-western Ered Nimrais .The valley was described as being blocked over its entire width by the natural series of hills called Helm's Dike and behind that lay the fortress of Aglarond or the Hornburg, at the...
chapter, when Saruman is overthrown. Until this point however, there is absolutely no indication of this; Berethor behaves like a noble Gondorian, not one possessed by Saruman. He can wield both a sword and shield.
- Idrial of Lothlórien encounters Berethor as he is travelling to Rivendell in search of Boromir. She saves him from the Ringwraiths and accompanies him for the rest of the game as a love interest before Morwen joins the game, and a little after. Idrial only wields one sword, whether it is elven or not. She is a servant of GaladrielGaladrielGaladriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
and she uses spirit powers in combat, mainly healing powers and water based attacks, similar to the ring that Galadriel bears Nenya and a water stallion attack similar to ArwenArwenArwen Undómiel is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium. She appears in his novel, The Lord of the Rings, usually published in three volumes. Arwen is one of the Half-elven who lived during the Third Age.-Literature:...
- Elegost is a ranger of the Dunedain and is friends of Hadhod. He is encountered in The Pass of Caradhras when Berethor attempts to rescue him from attacking Wargs (although Elegost dispatches them easily enough without help.) He accompanies Berethor to an elven healing altar where he tells him of a Mordor orc, his friends, Hadhod (who isn't named yet), the battle in the pass, and the map given to them from ElrondElrondElrond Half-elven is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Hobbit, and plays a supporting role in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...
at the Council of Elrond. He wields both a bow and a sword, but in gameplay, he only uses his bow.
- Hadhod's sons were killed by Trolls in Moria and he had a dream of once owning the fabled Mithril Warhammer of Helm HammerhandHelm HammerhandHelm Hammerhand is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. His story appears in the appendices of The Return of the King, and he is referred to briefly in the main story of The Lord of the Rings.- Literature :...
, a king of Rohan who accepted this warhammer (though rarely used it) forged by the Dwarves as a sign of friendship between the people of Rohan and the Dwarves. Hadhod has since occasionally tried to find information about its resting place. Hadhod is in fact distantly related to Gimli, himself being a member of the Clan of Fundin, who was father to BalinBalin (Middle-earth)Balin is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He is an important supporting character in The Hobbit, and is mentioned in The Fellowship of the Ring.-In the books:...
and Dwalin. Hadhod can wield either a battle axe, or a war hammer.
- Morwen was originally a woman of Gondor. She was pledged to be married to a soldier (later revealed to be Berethor) but was banished to RohanRohanRohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
along with him and set up a new life in this kingdom. Chance reunites the two in the quest — about the only bit of romance in the game, although Berethor and Idrial kiss twice. She can wield two hand axes at one time.
- Eoaden is a Rohirrim Outrider, and is the last of the party to join. he joins after you rescue him from 2 wargs who attack him (much in the same way as GamlingGamlingIn J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Gamling is a Man of Rohan. He appears in The Two Towers, the second volume of The Lord of the Rings. An older man , he was from the Westfold....
and Háma who are attacked in the movie) and proceeds to Helm's Deep with you. After the battle, the group heads for Osgiliath where Eaoden reveals that he fought in the earlier battle for the city (with Boromir when the east bank was lost) then remembers Berethor being there when he says "They shall find us of superior quality". When he hears this his memory comes back to him and reveals that not only had Berethor and himself fought there before, but that Berethor fled from battle (making them the two soldiers who survived the earlier battle with Boromir and Faramir by swimming across the Anduin with them.) Eoaden wields a spear, but once far enough into the game, he can start using a small buckler.
List of locations
- EregionEregionIn the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Eregion or Hollin was a kingdom of the Noldorin Elves in Eriador during the Second Age, located near the West Gate of Moria under the shadow of the Hithaeglir . Its capital was Ost-in-Edhil...
: The first location the company visits. It is the land next to RivendellRivendellRivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...
on the way to the Misty MountainsMisty MountainsIn J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
. Some important sites to visit are the Elven outpost, the Elven sanctuary, and the Moria Western Gate. The Boss Battle is against the Watcher in the Water. Enemies: OrcsOrc (Middle-earth)In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
, TrollTroll (Middle-earth)In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Trolls are large humanoids of great strength and poor intellect.While in Norse mythology, the Troll was a magical creature with special skills, in Tolkien's writings they are portrayed as evil, stupid, with crude habits, although still intelligent enough to...
, Watcher in the WaterWatcher in the WaterThe Watcher in the Water is a fictional creature in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium; it appears in The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of The Lord of the Rings...
, Wargs. - Western MoriaMoria (Middle-earth)In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
: The group travels through the halls of Moria, intent on reaching Balin's Tomb, to meet up with the Fellowship. The final battle is a fight with goblins in a hall in Balin's Tomb. Enemies: GoblinsOrc (Middle-earth)In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
, Watcher in the WaterWatcher in the WaterThe Watcher in the Water is a fictional creature in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium; it appears in The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of The Lord of the Rings...
, Wargs, TrollsTroll (Middle-earth)In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Trolls are large humanoids of great strength and poor intellect.While in Norse mythology, the Troll was a magical creature with special skills, in Tolkien's writings they are portrayed as evil, stupid, with crude habits, although still intelligent enough to...
. - Eastern MoriaMoria (Middle-earth)In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...
: The group finds and escapes Balin's Tomb. They make for the Bridge of Khazad-dûm to escape, killing nine Trolls of Moria. The area is left after defeating the BalrogBalrogBalrogs are fictional demonic beings who appear in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Such creatures first appeared in print in his novel The Lord of the Rings, though they figured in earlier writings that posthumously appeared in The Silmarillion and other books.Balrogs are described as...
(with Gandalf's help). Enemies: BalrogBalrogBalrogs are fictional demonic beings who appear in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Such creatures first appeared in print in his novel The Lord of the Rings, though they figured in earlier writings that posthumously appeared in The Silmarillion and other books.Balrogs are described as...
, TrollsTroll (Middle-earth)In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Trolls are large humanoids of great strength and poor intellect.While in Norse mythology, the Troll was a magical creature with special skills, in Tolkien's writings they are portrayed as evil, stupid, with crude habits, although still intelligent enough to...
, GoblinsOrc (Middle-earth)In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
. - East Emnet Gullies: The group breaks upon this natural maze of rock. They proceed to find scattered Elf Scouts, who guard the borders of Rohan. The final battle is fought against a band of Uruk-hai Scouts who have captured a Rider of Rohan. Enemies: WargWargIn Norse mythology, a vargr is a wolf and in particular refers to the wolf Fenrir and his sons Sköll and Hati. Based on this, J. R. R. Tolkien in his fiction used the Old English form warg In Norse mythology, a vargr (often anglicised as warg or varg) is a wolf and in particular refers to the...
, OrcsOrc (Middle-earth)In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
, Uruk-haiUruk-haiThe Uruk-hai are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth. They are introduced in The Lord of the Rings as an advanced breed or breeds of Orcs that serve Sauron and Saruman...
. - Plains of RohanRohanRohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy . It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry....
: The challenges in this vast plain primarily involve finding Rohan Soldiers. Near the beginning, the player meets MorwenMorwenMorwen is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. She is featured in The Silmarillion, The Children of Húrin and The Wanderings of Húrin.-Character overview:...
, a warrior searching for her family. Once the soldiers are gathered, they travel to the village of Snowbourne, which is besieged by Uruk-hai and Men of Dunland. The party activates switches to open the gates. They find Gríma Wormtongue and do battle against him and his two Uruk Bodyguards. After travelling through a series of caves they find Morwen's family dead as well as the final party member, a Rohan Outrider named Éaoden. The "boss" is Sharku, commander of Isengard's Warg Riders. - Helm's DeepHelm's DeepIn J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings, Helm's Deep was a large valley in the north-western Ered Nimrais .The valley was described as being blocked over its entire width by the natural series of hills called Helm's Dike and behind that lay the fortress of Aglarond or the Hornburg, at the...
: The area begins with the party talking to various members of the Fellowship. Once night falls, a series of lengthy battles begin with LegolasLegolasLegolas is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. He is an Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring.- Literature :...
, GimliGimli (Middle-earth)Gimli is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. A Dwarf warrior, he is the son of Glóin ....
, and AragornAragornAragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
, battling Uruks that are invading the keep. They do such things as help Legolas keep the wall free of Uruks, help Gimli defend the breach in the wall, and help Aragorn hold the main gate. The exit battle is fought against trolls and Uruk Berserkers. Once left, the area can't be restored to the daytime version. - Osgiliath: The area begins with you fighting a series of set battles culminating with you fighting Gothmog, Orc commander, for the first time (with Faramir by your side). Then you set about helping out Faramir's Rangers who are ill equipped at this sort of fighting, You soon meet Gothmog again but Faramir is still by your side. Soon after this Idrial is kidnapped and dropped on an island in the middle of the Osgiliath river. The next part of the game shows Idrial fighting by herself and the other five fighting their way through the sewers to save her. In the end only Berethor can reach Idrial in time and they both fight the Witch-king, who has made a timely arrival to kill Idrial. During fighting, Berethor discovers he cannot hurt the Witch-king, as he still has a piece of Morgul Blade stuck inside him. After (painfully) removing it, the pair fight off the Witch-king and escape the city on a commandeered Orc landing raft.
- Minas TirithMinas TirithMinas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...
: The party has finally reached the City of Kings, and just in time to fight the city's invaders. The party has to fight its way up the city levels to the Throne Room at the top, to recover the Banner of Elendil, to restore the morale of the defenders. Upon reaching the top level, the party witnesses Denethor (flaming) run screaming off the parapet. Before this they must fight the Witch-king again, with Gandalf's aid, to gain entry to the Throne Room. Inside the Throne Room, they fight a series of small battles with Orcs and Easterlings and finally retrieve the Banner of Elendil, just in time for the Rohirrim to arrive on the Pelennor Fields, to save the day. - Pelennor Fields: This area sees you fighting a new tougher type of orc and coming face to face with multiple mûmakil (at one point you have to face two at the same time). You aid Éowyn in fighting the dismounted Witch-king, and kill him. You also aid Aragorn fight off the remaining eight Nazgûl, with the help of the Army of the Dead. The final battle is even more non-canon than the rest: somehow the party has gotten to the top of Barad-dûr and must square off with the Eye of Sauron itself.
The game also includes an evil mode for each area where you can fight as the scripted (not random) enemies and win unique and often powerful items for your team.
Reception
The story was not regarded as one of the game's finer points by many video game reviewers. However, the fact that the story was not more expansive or creative was due largely to the fact that the publisher and developer, EA GamesElectronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
, owned the rights to the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
and not the book
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
of the same name - thus the only devices available to the creators were what could be found in the movies, or something in neither book nor movie. Thus everything had to, in some way, be tied to the movies in order to prevent a lawsuit from the owners of the rights to the book. Each of the game's main characters was based on a minor character or extra from the films.
The game's combat system was, by and large, very similar to Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
s Conditional Turn-Based Battle System (CTB), where the players have turns in which they can attack. It also featured a 'level-up' system much akin to Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy X-2
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 and is the sequel to the best-selling 2001 game Final Fantasy X...
. Once again, some reviewers thought this to be derivative and unoriginal, while others welcomed a combat system like that in Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
's games. Either way, the game experienced good success during the holiday season of 2004. IGN awarded the game with a score of 8.5 out of 10 and GameSpot a 7.7 out of 10
Deviations from the text
The story is intended to be original and as such is not canonicalMiddle-earth canon
The term Middle-earth canon, also called Tolkien's canon, is used to loosely define the published writings of J. R. R. Tolkien regarding Middle-earth as a whole...
. Nonetheless, there are also some minor deviations such as Helm Hammerhand having a warhammer and the use of the term "she-elf", which never appears in the books (though it is used to refer to Liv Tyler's Arwen in the films). Other errors include the pronunciation of "Dúnedain" as rhyming with "pain" — whereas it should rhyme with "dine", as Tolkien writes in one of his appendices.
Also there are spelling differences; Arnor appears as 'Anor' in some places and Eowyn
Éowyn
Éowyn is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, who appears in his most famous work, The Lord of the Rings. She is a noblewoman of Rohan who describes herself as a "shieldmaiden".-Literature:...
in combat is spelt Sield Maiden, not Shield. Kingsfoil and athelas are suggested to be two separate plants, but in the books they are alternate names. Also, the party is present at key plot moments, so they can participate in events which in the books are solo fights, or non-fights. Examples include interactions with the Balrog, the Witch-king, and the Eye of Sauron.
In other games
Hadhod, Berethor, Idrial and Morwen reappeared in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth IIThe Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II, abbreviated BFMEII, is a real-time strategy video game developed and published by Electronic Arts. It is based on the fantasy novels The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien and its live-action film trilogy adaptation...
(Xbox 360 and PC special edition) as homemade heroes. Berethor and Morwen are Heroes of the 'Men of the West', while Hadhod is the hero of the Dwarves and Idrial of the Elves:
- Berethor is a Captain of GondorGondorGondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...
. - Morwen is a ShieldmaidenShieldmaidenA shieldmaiden was a woman who had chosen to fight as a warrior in Scandinavian folklore and mythology. They are often mentioned in sagas such as Hervarar saga and in Gesta Danorum. Shieldmaidens also appear in stories of other Germanic nations: Goths, Cimbri, and Marcomanni. The mythical Valkyries...
of Rohan. - Hadhod is a Dwarven Sage.
- Idrial is a female Elven Warrior.
The two other fellowship-members of The Third Age are not in the game; they can be made in the hero-builder, though the system is very limited.