Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, The

Just RPG

The game definitely has replay value. You'll want to go back and finish every mission, smite every foe and look for every treasure chest.

Game Chronicles

A great game that will likely appeal to action gamers more than role-players.

GamerFeed

The amazing graphics, phenomenal special effects, voice acting, and of course, the soundtracks from the movies steal the show. Beautiful, rewarding, and brimming with personality.

Xbox Evolved

Even if you despise LOTR, you will love this game, includes all new characters and features.

GameBiz

It's not quite the free-range RPG that we've been hoping for where we can prance along the fields on horses playing as Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli permanently, but its close enough to make for a great game.

Xbox Solution

The voice-overs in game are done well, they sound as if you were watching the movie.

My Gamer

Nothing short of impressive. It spans all three films and, not only relates the story that we already know, but also spins a new one too. There are no real areas of weakness here.

IGN

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.

Game Informer

Filled with amazing battles and worthy strategy, and anchored by strong gameplay. [Dec 2004, p.166]

GameZone

I didn't keep track of the time I spent with The Third Age, but one thing's for certain ' you can't beat this game in a few nights.

Team Xbox

A solid RPG experience for anyone even remotely interested in Tolkien's famed trilogy. Newbies will be able to easily navigate the various menus and execute battle commands with ease, and RPG vets will find plenty of depth in the amount of weapons and abilities that each character possesses.

Worth Playing

While not immense, the replayability is significant due to increases in difficulty level and the sheer size of the game.

AceGamez

A stylish RPG that authentically represents Middle Earth from the book and the film trilogy. Whilst the gameplay is both enjoyable and addictive, it is also very traditional in style and does nothing at all to further the genre.

Gamer.tv

It's involving, very, very slick, and you really do feel part of an ongoing quest. Oh yeah, and there's no hobbits either.

Cheat Code Central

Gamers weaned on games like "Final Fantasy" who recognize that Tolkien's masterpieces are largely responsible for the genre they love and admire, probably won't be too pleased with the dumbing down of their favorite gaming conventions in The Third Age, but may want to experience the battles nonetheless simply due to their commitment to the subject matter.

Yahoo! Games

The game lacks the complicated character advancement common in the genre, but it's fast-paced, looks and sounds great, and will keep casual RPG and Lord of the Rings fans happy.

MS Xbox World

However the linear nature of the terrain, lack of depth for the characters and the story means that it doesn't quite get top marks. A solid and entertaining title that simply lacks overall ambition.

BonusStage

You have a fun combat system, great character customization, gorgeous graphics, and enthralling audio. But on the other hand, the pathetic story, unbalanced difficulty, repetitive second half of the game, short game length, and unforgivable bugs and glitches really drag down what is largely an enjoyable game to play.

Xbox World Australia

It is, however, a little deceptive to be labeled as a role-playing game. It feels more like a linear turn-based action adventure where you are always moving from one battle to the next.

GameSpot

While there are some rough edges, the result is mostly a nice little role-playing jaunt into the world of Tolkien.

RPG Fan

It is a good RPG for the casual gamer and maybe for the Lord of the Rings modern-media fan, but anyone who seriously enjoyed, say, "Xenogears" will have an incredibly difficult time enjoying this little scrap of meat. It's pretty, it sounds nice, and it has all the trappings of a Lord of the Rings product, but it ultimately lacks substance.

TotalGames.net

A title that's finally worthy of the licence it's based on and in the world of videogames, that's a very rare occurrence.

Gaming Age

You will not find much of a challenge, or even a particularly long adventure as far as RPGs are concerned. What you will find is a game that will make you lose track of time, as you will be too engulfed in the experience.

Detroit Free Press

Unfortunately, the switch to turn-based play also means a severe reduction in how much fun it is to play cooperatively with friends. Basically each person trades off controlling one of the characters you're fighting with, which sounds like more fun than it is.

Loaded Inc

A capable but not spectacular turn-based RPG.

Computer and Video Games

Stays faithful to the movie licence and dishes up hour upon hour of orc-slaying fun. It's not really doing anything new as far as RPGs go but, what it does do, it does well. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Eurogamer

It's too easy. Yes, there's a Hard mode, and Evil mode if you can be bothered to play through it that many times, but if you've got a solid grounding in role-playing games, you'll walk through it.

Extreme Gamer

The overlapping storyline, basic role-playing elements and dulled out graphics are crippling downfalls, but even so the game is entertaining.

GameSpy

For most of the game I felt like I was too powerful and things never really felt challenging. Again, I'm thinking that this is partly by design since the game has a mainstream license and will attract many casual gamers.

Total Video Games

This is a game that will be either loved or hated by fans of both Lord of the Rings and the RPG genre in general.

games(TM)

Sadly, the adventure itself is far too linear; there's little in the way of side-quests, and you have no freedom over where you go or what you do. If you can overlook this, though, The Third Age does mix a neat battle system with a great franchise to provide a surprisingly enjoyable adventure. [Dec 2004, p.107]

GamePro

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.

Official Xbox Magazine

This Frankenstein-like "FF meets LOTR" formula ends up satisfying no one. [Holiday 2004, p.70]

Play Magazine

Better suited for those who want to play an impressive companion piece to the movies rather than play a compelling RPG. [Dec 2004, p.62]

Electronic Gaming Monthly

An RPG that deftly copies "Final Fantasy X" but is burdened with a story that plays more like a "deleted scenes" bonus DVD than anything coherent. [Holiday 2004, p.104]

Xbox Nation Magazine

As a game, it's safe and absolutely unambitious. [Jan 2005, p.96]

netjak

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.

Game Revolution

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.