whos getting excited for lotr?

**Bundy** · 09-11-2002

The books were awesome and so was the first movie. I am excited about this game especially since it follows the books. I haven't seen to much news on it lately but it is supposed to come out 9/24. Should be a good title.

**Highlite23** · 09-11-2002

Bundy, i'm right with you. I really like the books and enjoyed the movie, but havn't heard a thing about the game, anywhere. WHY??

I'm sure some very intelegent addict will come to our aide and enlighten us in some way..................maybe a link or 2

**Bundy** · 09-11-2002

i was over at http://www.lotr.com/frame_main.jsp
and they have some box art images that was posted on 8/30. But nothing any newer than that.

**SkoalMint** · 09-11-2002

Well, I'm not very intelligent, but I hope this enlightens you some. I am also looking forward to this game. It will probably be a "must-buy" for me.

Link for those that want it.

Text for those that don't.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Tolkien's tale of good versus evil, friendship, and hobbits is coming to the Xbox.
By Gerald "Ca$h Money" Villoria | September 6, 2002

One of the most popular written stories of all time, The Lord of the Rings has been translated in dozens of languages, released in both live action and animated film format, and praised almost universally by critics. If you're unfamiliar with J.R.R. Tolkien and his Middle-earth, you should run to your local bookstore, pick up the trilogy, and get cracking on some long overdue reading. Failing that, you can cheat and pick up the newly released DVD version of the film. If you're still in need of an introduction, then the Lord of the Rings can be summarized as a fantasy epic set in the lands of Middle-earth, focusing on the journeys of a diminutive hero, Frodo Baggins, as he and his friends struggle against the Dark Lord Sauron to destroy a magic ring before its powers fall into the wrong hands.

Frodo and the rest of the fellowship will embark on yet another perilous quest to destroy the "One Ring" later this year. This won't be happening in theaters, however, but rather in homes everywhere thanks to the upcoming Lord of the Rings games. Universal Interactive is publishing Lord of the Rings games for two major platforms: the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox. While Electronic Arts is working on games based on New Line Cinema's films, Universal Interactive's developers are instead using the literary work of Tolkien as their source material. They've even brought in experts in Tolkien lore to assist in the creative interpretation of the story, characters, and setting.

Since developer WXP and Universal are using Tolkien's version of Middle-earth as their setting, certain things are shaping up differently from what went on in the films. Characters that didn't appear in the film will be represented in order to flow along with the original storyline, including Tom Bombadil and Goldberry who originally appeared in the "Old Forest" scene. In general, players can expect a much deeper story than what was shown in the film -- one that attempts to cover the entire tale as envisioned by the author.

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This interpretation of Tolkien's story also differs from the film visually, with a strong influence coming from fantasy art. Each of the detailed characters has been modeled with the rich description from the books in mind, most bearing little resemblance to the actors who portrayed them on-screen. For one thing, the hobbits in this version of The Fellowship of the Ring are much shorter than Elijah Wood. The environments are also extremely colorful, although they still bear a great deal of detail. As a whole, The Fellowship of the Ring for the Xbox will bear an appearance almost like that of an animated feature, with less attention being placed on photorealistic appearances, and more on evocative imagery.

Since independent teams are developing the Universal Interactive Lord of the Rings games on the Xbox and PlayStation 2, there are differences between their visions. While both games fall under the action-adventure category of games, the Xbox version focuses on the adventure half of the formula, with its strengths lying in exploration and the game's striking visuals. The game's producers describe Tolkien's first book as a travelogue tale, where the characters are whisked from one exotic locale to the next gathering allies for the approaching challenges -- not the ideal premise for an action-packed adventure.

I was able to check out many of the locations that players can explore. There are eight major locations, laid out in the same sequence as the events of the story. Within each of these eight locales are several sub-levels to explore, each with objectives to accomplish. The environments range from the village of Hobbiton within the peaceful Shire, to the Barrow Downs, and on through the Mines of Moria. While many of these areas are filled with dangerous obstacles and enemies, others set the scene for character interaction and storytelling, including the elven city of Rivendell, where the fellowship comes together. During their journey, the characters will take part in many in-game cutscene situations, where voice actors will relay the over five thousand lines of dialogue.

In order to turn this tale of travel into a compelling game, WXP put together three playable characters each offering contrasting gameplay experiences. Each of the characters is capable of the same basic actions, including movement, a default attack and attack combination, and the ability to use items. These characters take part in a game that eschews the familiar conventions of fantasy role-playing games, such as hit points, levels, attributes, and inventory management. Instead, these characters will evolve through storyline progression and by acquiring powerful equipment, such as when Frodo inherits Bilbo's mithril shirt and magic blade.

Foremost of the three playable characters is Frodo Baggins, reluctant hobbit hero, and the central character in Lord of the Rings. Backing Frodo up with his sword arm and bravery is the once and future king, Aragorn the ranger. Lastly is Gandalf the Grey, advisor and powerful wizard. Thus, Frodo embodies stealth, Aragorn is unmatched in combat, and Gandalf oversees the magical arts.

Frodo Baggins grew up idolizing his uncle Bilbo, who happened upon the One Ring during his adventures in the prequel to the Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit. Frodo has inherited the strengths of his hobbit upbringing, which include a purity of heart, and an ability to stay alive despite insurmountable odds. Hobbits have an unnatural ability to move unheard and unseen, and this is represented in the game by Frodo's ability to move stealthily. By avoiding an enemy's line of sight and listening radius, Frodo can avoid encounters and move on towards the next objective. When necessary, Frodo can also engage the enemy at close range with his short sword, or from a safer distance. Frodo can throw nearly any small object to great effect, including stones and fruit.

As the new possessor of the One Ring, Frodo can call upon its magical abilities as well. When worn, the ring allows Frodo to turn invisible, to slip unseen past any enemy. This doesn't come without a price, as Frodo's purity is drained the longer he wears the ring, and when this special meter becomes depleted, the minions of Sauron will overwhelm him. Luckily, completing objectives and acquiring special items can replenish lost purity. The One Ring is also useful for finding many of the secret areas in the game. When the ring occupies a spot in the dual inventory area, it serves a function similar to a metal detector. The ring begins to spin when approaching a hidden locale, spinning progressively faster as you approach the entrance to the secret area.

Aragorn isn't fit for skulking around corners; instead he faces enemies head-on with sword and bow. Aragorn was the most physically capable of the three playable characters, able to endure and dish out the most punishment. Early into the adventure he can fire off only normal arrows, but as the game progresses he gains access to different types of ammunition, including flame arrows. His magic blade, Anduril, also glows innately when enemies are near.

Gandalf the Grey is the magic-oriented character, with a sizable number of spells at his disposal. He can perform an earth-shaking strike with the butt of his staff, damaging all nearby enemies and exposing the contents of any destructible containers in the vicinity. There are many other spells, including a sleep spell, a confusion effect, healing magic, and other more destructive attacks. Gandalf isn't helpless when his magical energies are exhausted either, as he can swing his enchanted sword Glamdring with efficiency.

I was able to check out some of the areas of the game that bring exciting scenes from the book to life. When you take control of Gandalf on the bridge in Moria, and face off against the Balrog, the scene takes on a totally different nature from what was shown in the film. In the game, the encounter is a fleshed out, protracted affair, where you need to avoid multiple threats while sneaking in your own magical attacks. Encountering Tom Bombadil and Goldberry in the Old Forest is also quite the scene, complete with song and dance.

There are many games based on the Lord of the Rings set for release in the next few months, with different gameplay and visual styles between them. When examining Universal Interactive's upcoming releases, it was intriguing to see all of the scenes that were so memorable from when I read the books that were left out of the film, and to also take a fresh look at the story that provided an interesting contrast to Peter Jackson's vision. It's quite exciting to see this incredible story be given its due -- the team behind this game is going to great lengths to be as accurate as possible in their interpretation of Tolkien's epic, and the results so far are impressive. Keep an eye out for The Fellowship of the Ring when it rides into stores later this year. •

**Dre** · 09-11-2002

Originally posted by highlite23
I'm sure some very intelegent addict will come to our aide and enlighten us in some way..................maybe a link or 2

http://www.xboxaddict.com/forums/sho...highlight=lotr

**GO BUCCS!!!** · 09-11-2002

Originally posted by Bundy
The books were awesome and so was the first movie. I am excited about this game especially since it follows the books. I haven't seen to much news on it lately but it is supposed to come out 9/24. Should be a good title.

yeah this is one of my games i've been waiting for. i hope it's not another flop like all the others that were overhyped. hunter, morronwind, bruce lee. etc..