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Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The

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7.9 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 18 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 17 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: EA Redwood Shores

Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Adventure

Players: 2

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: November 3, 2003

Summary

Return to Middle-earth in the only video game based on the epic final chapter of the highly-acclaimed The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Developed using the same digital assets as the films, The Return of the King re-creates in stunning detail the final events of the War of the Ring. Become the heroes who determine the fate of Middle-earth as you traverse the haunted Paths of the Dead, defend Minas Tirith from the onslaught of thousands of Sauron's minions, and even play co-op multiplayer with a friend as you march against the impenetrable Black Gates of Mordor. Eight playable characters, including Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Sam, and Frodo with exclusive voice-over provided by the films' actors. The fate of Middle-earth is in your hands. [Electronic Arts]

Also On Metacritic

FILM: LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring LOTR: The Return of the King LOTR: The Two Towers

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central GameSpot Guide

Also On The Web: EuroGamer Preview GameSpy Preview Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

1UP

Minor camera issues aside, Return of the King is a refreshing example of competent licensing melded with the hack'n'slashery we all know and love. It's even got me psyched for a movie I couldn't have cared less about a week ago, and I think that's saying something.

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GMR Magazine

Takes everything The Two Towers did well and improves upon it in every way.

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Play.tm

They have concentrated on distilling the best action they can out of Tolkein's, (or should that now be Jackson's) masterpiece and presenting it in a well executed package. Lord of the Ring fans could surely want for nothing more this Christmas.

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IGN

More than just a good hack and slash. It's one of the best. The feature set is excellent and well worth your money.

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Game Over Online

You often feel like you are taking part in some vast battle, man and beast fighting all around you. It’s the kind of fighting game that sometimes almost drives me to get a console, and I wished showed up on the PC more often.

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GameSpy

A highly polished and very enjoyable action title that, while not the equal of its console counterparts, is still a terrific action game on the PC.

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ActionTrip

Probably the most intense PC game I've played this year after "Call of Duty."

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Entertainment Weekly

Fans will find much to enjoy, but don't blame us if you're as haggard as Gollum by the time you actually finish the game. [19 Dec 2003, p.L2T 20]

Yahoo! Games

Rife with action and bursting at the seams with bonus content, the title will also go down in history as one of the most intense products ever created for hobbyists' consumption.

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PC Arena

The gameplay, cool moves, music and smokin’ graphics are all top notch. Even though the game was fairly short and the camera angles annoying, any fan of the franchise would / should probably buy it and those interested wouldn’t be disappointed.

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GameSpot

It's still a relatively simple and short action game at heart, but a solid combat system, some extremely intense and cinematic levels, cool extras that fans of the movies will enjoy, and the option to play cooperatively with a friend all add up to make The Return of the King deserving of its name.

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Computer Gaming World

With all the action and unlockable DVD-like special features, this is not only a good game that drags you right into the movie, it's also a fantastic supplement for die-hard Rings fans. [Feb 2004, p.70]

PC Gameworld

A fairly decent third-person action game, only mildly bungled by some not-so-great camera perspectives, long-winded cutscenes, and a tendency to go overboard with the shear number of enemy forces directed at you at once.

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GameZone

Has terrific graphics but suffers from clumsy gameplay.

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My Gamer

The game doesn’t live up to the qualities resplendent in either the book or the movies, but it’s still a technically competent game and fun to play.

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Computer Games Magazine

There are few games with such radical swings from "amazing" to "sadistic." [Jan 2004, p.64]

PC Gamer

The game's enormous potential is squandered by bad playbalancing. [Jan 2004, p.82]

PC Format

There’s too much replaying of banal levels over and over again until you learn enough button combinations to survive long enough to reach a checkpoint. Sure, there are a few good moments – the sheer scale of the halls of the dead, and the backdrop of hundreds of charging orcs during some of the battle scenes – but the braindead playing of them renders the whole experience futile.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.9 (out of 10) based on 17 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

tired player gave it a3:
If you like frustration, this game is for you. There's no way to save the game in between. So, you must play the entire level before a save is done. And, if you did manage to finish the level and got a save, when you tried to "reload" to continue, guess what, you have to start the level all over again. I don't know how some of these guys are rating the game so high. Perhaps they're playing the "Easy" level. I'm playing the "Normal" level that I normally do for all games I play. This game just doesnt cut it for me. It lacks user control. Don't waste your money and time on this game unless you think I'm full of it...in that case, go buy and find out for yourself...you'll be sorry.

True Player gave it a 3:
If you love frustration, this is your game. I've played many different types of games but this one is the most frustrating game I played thus far. First, if you're really, really, really, really, good, you must finish an entire level before the game is saved. There's not saving the game in betweens. So, say you played for hours but not finished the level, then you're our of luck. You have to start the level all over again. Then, if you did manage to save the game but did not finish the level and decide to get back to it later and "load" the saved game, guess what, you're starting all over...not where you saved the game but...no, no, they don't make it easy for you...not at all. Your only option is to "finish" each levels, that is if you're very, very, very, very, very, and really, really really, really, good. I've made it to defeating the Undead king so far but its running away from the falling rocks that's pissing me off....I have to restart the level if I get killed along the way. Don't waste your money and time on this game...find something else. Unless of course you love frustrations and you think I'm full of it...well, in that case, find out for yourself.

Roger K. gave it a 10:
I think it is great my brother gets frustrated over it because we can't beat the crack of doom but the rest is great.

Christopher T. gave it a 7:
It's an overall good game, very replayable if you have a friend to play with and if you play the multiplayer-mode... but this game based on the film so I can't expect much from single-player which is too short. (The movie is awesome btw.)

Kikkeli M. gave it a 9:
Very, very enjoyable in multiplayer-mode... With my friends, we have hacked so many enemies with big grins in our faces and some times yelled to each other... Anyway, A Plenty to Play For your Money... We Totally recommend this game, but not for single-player.

Mark K. gave it a 10:
Return of the king is a great challange. It's lots of fun and it's hard to stop playing it. My friend has it too and he thinks it deserves more than 10 out of 10.

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Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The

Game Info

Summary

Also On Metacritic

What The Critics Said

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Recent Releases