16 - THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VIDEO GAMES
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2003
'Two Towers' worth rental, not purchase
The second part of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic trilogy, The Two Towers, can now make its way into the video game systems of the loyal fans who have watched and read it. The fate of countless lives, as well as the fate of Middle-earth, rest solely in your hands.
You must become a strong and intelligent fighter if you are to survive both Sauron and Saruman's minions.
The game starts off exactly as the movie with a blank screen and Galadriel talking about how the Rings of Power still exist.
One interesting feature the game has is
REVIEW
the voices of the actors from the movie (Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn; Orlando Bloom as Legolas). It's always fun to know that actors can take time off and lend their voices to their movies' games.
Chris Moore
cmoore@kansan.com
Contributed art
For people who don't know the tale of The Lord of the Rings, it involves the struggle against the Dark Lord Sauron who means to take control of Middle-earth by regaining his physical form. To get his full power back, he must reclaim the One Ring that Isildur cut from his hand almost 3,000 years before.
A Hobbit, named Frodo Baggins, has come into possession of the powerful One Ring. He must take it to Mordor, the only place where it can be destroyed, and the very place it was forged. Frodo is not alone in his quest. Joining him are eight companions bound to save Middle-earth from the approaching evil of the Dark Lord Sauron.
You control Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli or a secret character (I'm not telling who) as
you progress through countless battles to save Middle-earth. To progress through the game, your characters must become stronger with each battle they complete.
It would seem easier just to be one person throughout the game, but it's better to go through each level with each character. The differences between characters can be handy in battle. Aragorn is the most well-rounded character. Legolas is needed for his speed and quantity of arrows instead of his close combat skills, while Gimli is necessary for his power rather than speed.
You gain experience points after you beat a stage, and the experience points you earn can be used to gain stronger attacks. The points you earn are like currency, and you can buy higher-level combos once you reach more advanced stages. After you beat a stage with one character, you can play it again with another character. This can make the game twice as long.
The game starts with The Fellowship of the Ring. You begin as Aragorn and follow him all the way to the Battle of Helms Deep in The Two Towers. After you play with Isildur, you see Aragorn riding away.
The controls for the game are fairly simple. You can use buttons to pull off devastating combos or the right analog joystick (for the PlayStation 2) to attack. It takes more skill to perform moves with the buttons, but the right analog joystick can be used for swift, berserk attacks.
LORD OF THE RINGS:
THE TWO TOWERS ... B
Now available for GameBoy Advance, GameCube, Playstation 2 and Xbox
Rated Teen for blood and violence
Sells for an average retail price of $50
All in all, the controls are decent, the fights are well thought out and the character selections are good.
The graphics are acceptable, and music and scenes from both movies are included. This game would be a good rental but probably just an average purchase.
Moore is a Tulsa, Okla., freshman in journalism.
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