Advanced Search >
Help Me Search

Games

Sony

PS3 | PSP | PS2 | PS One

Microsoft

Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo

Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64

Other Platforms

PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

Upcoming &
Recent Releases

sort by namesort by score

84 AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! -- A Reckless Disregard for Gravity
80 AI War: Fleet Command
79 Aion
xx Aliens in the Attic
xx All Aspect Warfare
66 Ashes Cricket 2009
xx Assassin's Creed II
xx Bass Pro Shops: The Strike
91 Batman: Arkham Asylum
82 Battlefield 1943
69 Bionic Commando
xx Black Mirror 2
79 Bookworm Adventures 2
84 Borderlands
xx Cabela's Outdoor Adventures 2009
xx Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
72 Champions Online
73 Championship Manager 2010
70 CITIES XL
xx Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
xx Crane Simulator 2009
62 CrimeCraft
xx CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Deadly Intent
53 Darkest of Days
xx Diablo III
xx Digger Simulator
xx DiRT 2
xx Disciples III: Renaissance
81 Divinity II: Ego Draconis
92 Dragon Age: Origins
xx Dragons Rage
51 Dreamkiller
xx EA Sports GameShow
67 East India Company
xx East India Company: Privateer
xx Elven Legacy: Ranger
74 Empire: Total War - The Warpath Campaign
xx F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn
72 Fallen Earth
68 Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta
xx Family Feud: 2010 Edition
53 Farming Simulator 2009
xx Fatale: Exploring Salome
76 FIFA Manager 10
70 FIFA Soccer 10
89 Football Manager 2010
xx Foreign Legion: Buckets of Blood
xx GearGrinder
61 G-Force
xx Gratuitous Space Battles
82 Gridrunner Revolution
xx Guild Wars 2
xx Guitar Hero World Tour
77 Hearts of Iron III
xx Hei$t
66 Heroes Over Europe
xx Hysteria Hospital: Emergency Ward
xx International Cricket Captain 2009 - Ashes Edition
xx James Cameron's Avatar: The Game
xx League of Legends
xx Left 4 Dead 2
80 Left 4 Dead: Crash Course
xx LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
xx Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood, The
60 Lucidity
86 Machinarium
xx Madballs in Babo: Invasion
73 Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim
74 Mini Ninjas
xx Mystery of the Mary Celeste, The
xx Mythos
xx Nancy Drew Dossier: Resorting to Danger
78 Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships
xx Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy
xx NBA 2K10
xx NBA 2K10: Draft Combine
83 Need for Speed SHIFT
76 Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
69 Order of War
81 Osmos
xx Painkiller: Resurrection
xx Price is Right: 2010 Edition, The
69 Pro Cycling Manager: Tour de France 2009
78 Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
xx Puzzle Kingdoms
67 QuantZ
xx RACE On
37 Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger
83 Red Faction: Guerrilla
86 Resident Evil 5
77 Risen
xx Rogue Warrior
xx Rubber Ninjas
xx Runes of Magic Chapter II: The Elven Prophecy
xx Saboteur, The
xx Sacred 2: Ice & Blood
xx Saw
86 Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, The
72 Section 8
xx Shattered Horizon
xx Sims 3 World Adventures, The
xx Star Trek: D-A-C
47 Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes
xx Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Ultimate Sith Edition
xx Stateshift
xx Storm of War: Battle of Britain
xx Sudoku Ball Detective
xx Summer Athletics 2009
xx Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
77 Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 2: The Siege of Spinner Cay
82 Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 3: Lair of the Leviathan
80 Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 4: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood
xx Texas Cheat 'Em
xx Time of Shadows: Dawn of Magic 2
83 Torchlight
80 Tropico 3
xx Twilight War: After the Fall
69 Twin Sector
xx Urban Empires
xx Venetica
78 Void, The
72 Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures Ep 4: The Bogey Man
xx WarpForce
44 Watchmen: The End is Nigh - Part 2
xx Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Journey
74 Wolfenstein
xx World of Zoo
79 Zuma's Revenge!

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

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

EMAILPRINTpc

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The
78
7.9 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 18 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 17 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >

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]

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...

90

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.

Read Full Review >
90

GMR Magazine

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

Read Full Review >
89

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.

Read Full Review >
87

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.

Read Full Review >
86

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.

Read Full Review >
85

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.

Read Full Review >
83

ActionTrip

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

Read Full Review >
83

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]

80

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.

Read Full Review >
80

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.

Read Full Review >
80

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.

Read Full Review >
80

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]

80

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.

Read Full Review >
77

GameZone

Has terrific graphics but suffers from clumsy gameplay.

Read Full Review >
76

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.

Read Full Review >
60

Computer Games Magazine

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

58

PC Gamer

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

43

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.

Read Full Review >

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.

Popular on CBS sites: Fantasy Football | Madden NFL10 | PGA Championship | iPhone | Video Game Reviews | US Open | Antivirus Software

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use