Lord of the Rings: The Third Age - for XBOX

[Nuzzolese]

I had so much fun playing this! I'd never rented a game before and I usually suck at them because I just mash buttons and hope something happens. But this one is more like Final Fantasy or something, one of those role playing traveling map games.

The plot is kind of silly. The idea is that your band of players is following along behind the characters in the movie, and sometimes intersecting. It's two player, but you have a group of people, you just have each person operate two characters and then trade off on any guest characters.

I bet people who play a lot of video games wouldn't like it, because they're snobby, but I LOVED it. Anybody?

[Bob]

i didn't like it because i play lots of video games and i'm snobby :(

BUT i will tell you that if you liked that, you would probably also like final fantasy 10, because that's the game that the third age seems to want to be. i'm not an RPG buff, i usually lose interest pretty fast, but FF10 is accessible enough for a casual gamer to get into. the voice acting is generally pretty bad (although the guy who does the voice of bender on futurama does a few voices), but the gameplay's great. i don't think it's out for xbox though, it's a ps2 game. maybe it's on other systems by now, i haven't checked.

[Nuzzolese]

I think my brother has FF10. It seemed alright I guess.

One thing that was really impressive with TLOTR game was the epic scenes, or short videos, which I never watched because my team mate didn't want to. I thought they added to the game a lot. It's an easy game to play and figure out too. When I started to play World of Warcraft I got kind of lost, and I gave up.

By snobby I just mean, your palate is more refined.

[RaZoRbLaDe KiSs]

"One ring to rule them all..." Haha.. Elias. (y)

[ericlee]

yeah, I've got that game and was hooked on it for a couple of days. I haven't finished it yet but it's on my agenda.

It's better than the other LOTR based games mainly because the other games are targeted more for promotion instead of gameplay. I mean c'mon, beat certain levels and OOOHHH, you can onlock a scene from the movie, OMG!!1!!11

Yeah, the graphics are great as well as the gameplay so, I'd give it a 6. It didn't get good reviews in the gamer mags because the judges are snobby nerds who play alot of other games.

[Nuzzolese]

Well, after 19 hours and 20 minutes of play on Easy mode, we beat the game. It wasn't 19 straight hours, the saved info tells you how long you've played.

And being more experienced, I have to say that this game isn't actually that great. It's really fun and enthralling but I'm a small step higher on the video game snob ladder.

Here's a few things about it. The game advertises that you can create and custom your own characters but really you are given a limited choice of stat points and weapons and armor. And if you don't chose to equip (customize) yourself to maximum, you'll die, so that isn't much of a choice. The map and progression are so set and rigid, you have no choice on how to play.

For example, you can't keep currency and go into a town and buy potions or armor or something. You're stuck with what they give you.

The middle of the game is really tough, but the end is actually pretty easy. You won't get killed off but it gets tedious. Just attack, revive, attack, revive, attack revive....

The Dark Lord of so and so wasn't even the toughest battle. All he did was spirit attacks, no melee. So he'd just incapacitate you for doing any spirit attacks yourself, meaning you were left to hit him with melee over and over and over. There are so many ways to revive dead characters in the midst of battle. Of course, we were on Easy mode but I bet the difficulty of different attackers remains in the same proportion compared to one another.

One odd thing; the knight character, the main one you start out with, is a total player. He kisses two different girl characters who both seem to be in love with him!

[paul jones]

I've just started on Tiger Woods PGA Tour '06 and it's not a good idea to try and putt when you've had a few drinks

[Bob]

yeah, it's not that great, really.

seriously, final fantasy 10, if you can. i think it's right up your alley. it's maybe a little harder, but still not frustratingly hard. it's very accessible.

no 2 player option, but you can always just MST3k the plot and cutscenes with a friend for entertainment.

[mickill]

I'm more into games like Tetris and Rampage, namsayin?

[Nuzzolese]

I nayasayin, mic. You like Dr. Mario?


Spanks, Bobble. 2 player is really important to me though. I don't want to play ALONE! I'm not going to be IGNORED, Daniel. I'm doing a sort of rent-to-own xbox deal so I don't know if I'm going to keep it after this week. I stole it from my bf's stepdad and if after this weekend he says "just keep it" , I'm keeping it. fingers crossed! But renting games is expensive! I thought it would be like renting a movie.

[mickill]

I don't like Dr Mario as much as Tetris, but isss aiiight.