This is most definitely the edition to have at the time of this review. Well, don't bet on it, Bilbo. The more skill with which the player kills, the more experience they acquire. The extras or trailers, appendices etc are missing from the set, the only little minor issue I have is no extras but audio commentary only. The game was published on all platforms by Electronic Arts. Starring: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies. [33], Game Informer's Matthew Kato scored the PlayStation 2 version 9.25 out of 10, calling the gameplay "every bit as fast and furious as Mark of Kri's, without some of the thinking involved. He had mixed feelings about the integration of film footage; "the quality of these recreated scenes isn't always as good as it could be, thanks to some less than cutting edge rendering. [14], The game was officially announced on February 19, 2002, when EA revealed that although it would be multi-platform, it was initially being developed by Stormfront Studios for the PlayStation 2. must have added an extra aiming reticule for the archery, increased the frame rate from 30, sculpted a few more polygons on the main heroes and adversaries, and added reflections to the underwater orcs and other badly realized reflections. They kill Lurtz and set out in pursuit of Merry and Pippin. In the United States, it was the highest-selling Lord of the Rings game released in the 2000s for consoles by July 2006, and the highest-selling version of The Two Towers. "[45] Eurogamer's Kristan Reed scored it 7 out of 10. Taking the form of wizards, they were led by Saruman. Initially, the defenders are able to hold off the attackers, but the Uruk-hai blast a hole in the outer wall using explosives, through which hundreds of Uruk-hai and orcs flood. to fix the sometimes-problematic archery aiming, increase the framerate from 30, add extra polygons to the characters and foes, and tweak the water reflections so they actually look realistic? Additionally, everything from entire sets and locations to individual weapons and props were being recreated in the game, which was running on a modified version of the Legend of Alon D'ar game engine, with additional technology provided by EA Redwood Shores. DVD comes with contact details for classes/courses and private tuition at a professional DOJO. "[41] GameSpy's Benjamin Turner scored it 3.5 out of 5. The game also features co-op multiplayer through the Game Boy link function.[9]. In the Chamber of Mazarbul, the Fellowship finds Balin's tomb and a record of how the dwarves lost the mine to the goblins. Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy 4K Blu-ray Release Date December 1, 2020 (Extended & Theatrical). In the meantime, Bilbo had left the Shire to live in Rivendell, and upon the advice of Gandalf had (very reluctantly) given the Ring to his nephew, Frodo Baggins. "[48] GameSpy's David Hodgson scored it 3 out of 5. The Council of Elrond then form a fellowship of nine to bring the Ring to Mordor to destroy it; Frodo (who will carry the Ring), Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli. The film will be available to rent digitally beginning Feb. 12, with Digital HD and 4K UHD purchases available March 16. After the women and children retreat deeper inside, the defenders move to the courtyard to attempt to defend the door to the Great Hall. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is an action hack and slash video game developed by Stormfront Studios for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.A 2D Game Boy Advance game of the same name was made by Griptonite Games, a port to the GameCube by Hypnos Entertainment, and to mobile by JAMDAT.A version for Microsoft Windows developed by Ritual Entertainment was cancelled during development. Cheap Blu-ray movies and deals. However, the elves were unaware that Sauron, Morgoth's closest ally, had survived his master's defeat, and in the guise of Annatar had been the one who taught the Elven-smiths, led by Celebrimbor, how to forge the Rings, whilst, in secret, he forged his own One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom, a Ring far more powerful than any of the others. One of the active skills, for example, is "Summon"; Gandalf summons a Great Eagle, Aragorn summons either Legolas or Gimli; Legolas summons Gimli; Frodo summons Sam, and Éowyn summons Éomer. However, Sauron hid from Gandalf, waiting for four hundred years before returning. That said, it's still a nice way of introducing a new scene." Before Boromir, dies, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli reach him and vow to avenge his death. Each character also has a ranged attack, a "killing move" (which can be used to instantly kill downed enemies), a parry (which can deflect enemy attacks), a knock back (which pushes nearby enemies away), a jump back (in which the player character jumps back away from the enemy) and a devastating attack (a charged fierce attack). This brings them to Fangorn Forest, where they encounter a wizard. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Blu-ray reviews, news, specs, ratings, screenshots. [10] Additionally, each character is more skilled at a particular type of combat; Aragorn is the bestest melee fighter, Legolas is better at ranged combat, and Gimli is a balanced character with nice melee and ranged attacks.[11]. However, in doing so, he expended a great deal of his power, and lost the ability to ever again assume a pleasing disguise. "[38] GameSpot's Ryan MacDonald scored both the Xbox and the GameCube versions 8 out of 10, calling it "a traditional hack-and-slash action game that features great gameplay mechanics, stunning visuals, and lots of extras. [24], In September, EA revealed more information about the PlayStation 2 version, including a full list of levels. RotK has plenty of action, little grey matter. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Blu-ray Release Date March 4, 2019 (Theatrical Edition). Although it was being developed by Hypnos Entertainment rather than Stormfront, it would be a direct port of the PlayStation 2 version. The better the player has performed during the level, the more upgrade points that will be made available. He is overwhelmed by the numbers, and is fatally wounded by the Uruk-hai leader, Lurtz. As such, although Sauron's physical form was vanquished, his spirit, bound to the Ring, survived. EA also explained they had full copyright clearance to use the films' score and sound effects. Combos, as well as health increases, and stronger ranged and devastating attacks must be purchased between levels in the skill upgrades screen. The Two Towers received a generally positive response, with critics praising the re-creation of sets and scenes from the films, and the epic scope of some of the battles. Charged with finding the most exciting voices in international and independent film, Focus World is proud to present ½ Revolution, a stunning, action-packed document of the first days of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution from a unique, on-the-ground perspective. [22], On July 24, EA announced the game would also be released for GameCube. HDR Format: Dolby Vision/HDR10 Passive skills include the ability for Aragorn to wield two swords at once, to hit enemies with his shield, and to throw his sword at nearby foes. 1/2 Revolution. What a journey. He also says the forces of good have one major advantage over Sauron; the Ring is hidden, and that they should attempt to destroy it has not entered Sauron's mind. Some, however, criticized the game for being too short and the combat overly repetitive. Every time the player increases in level, they can attribute points to strength, accuracy, health, defense, and courage. As soon as he put it on, the elves became aware of his ruse, removing and hiding their Three Rings, which Celebrimbor had forged without Sauron's aid. Aragorn successfully drives them off but not before Frodo (Elijah Wood) is stabbed by the Witch-king with a Morgul-blade. With that in mind, it's surprisingly fun to roam throughout the lands of Middle-earth, slaying orcs and goblins. After a lengthy battle, the sheer numbers of attackers prove too much, and everyone retreats inside. Sixty years later, Gollum was captured by orcs, and taken to Mordor, where he was tortured into revealing the owner and location of the Ring; Bilbo Baggins of the Shire. In November 2003, EA released a sequel, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. [7] EA chose not to publish a game based on Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring film, instead incorporating some of the plot and footage into their The Two Towers game, which was released a few weeks after Vivendi's The Fellowship of the Ring game, a licensed adaptation of Tolkien's novel The Fellowship of the Ring. Saruman's army is decimated. We knew early on that the best way to deliver that to players was to center the game on an action experience. Then you're smoking more pipe-weed than the whole of Hobbiton. There's a ton of texture problems, poor contrast, and less detail than what's found on the PS2. Jackson reportedly spent an entire year remastering his movies from the original Super 35mm negative and the "film outs" of the digital special effects, working alongside original colorist Peter Doyle. The Return of the King (2003) Unsure of the origin of the evil power in Dol Guldur, the wizard Gandalf was sent to investigate. Length: 179/235 mins. New Line Cinema sent EA a copy of the script for Fellowship, as well as storyboards, concept art, and some very early trailers. He called the game "an engaging, action-packed adventure that admirably re-creates the captivating atmosphere of the films. In total, including footage from the film edited into the game, there would be about forty minutes of FMV content. It does nothing new and there are a lot of problems that detract from the experience." [55], GameSpot named The Two Towers the second-best Xbox game, and second-best GameCube game, of January 2003. [19] At the E3 event in May 2002, EA made available a brief playable demo of the PlayStation 2 version, featuring gameplay from the final Helm's Deep level, with Aragorn as the playable character. Thus began the Dark Years, when Sauron took possession of the remaining sixteen Rings, giving seven to the dwarves and nine to men in an effort to corrupt them. The dwarves proved relatively immune to the powers of the Rings, acquiring only a greed for gold, and becoming unconcerned with events in the wider world. "[39], Game Informer's Justin Leeper scored the Xbox version 9.25 out of 10, calling it "a tremendous game [...] the graphics are outstanding, and the seamless integration between real-time and FMV cutscenes will take your breath away. They also explained the game would feature a series of unlockable "DVD style extras," including exclusive interviews with Peter Jackson, Barrie Osborne, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom and John Rhys-Davies, which wouldn't be available anywhere else, and which would focus on the making of the game. Initially believing it to be Saruman, they soon realize it is Gandalf, who has been resurrected by the Valar. In the game's main opening level, however, set at Weathertop, only Aragorn is playable. Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli race to Edoras, where Gandalf frees Théoden from Saruman's spell, and it is decided that the inhabitants of Rohan shall make for Helm's Deep, a fortress which has never been breached. Originally released in North America for the PlayStation 2 in October 2002, it was released in November 2002 for the Game Boy Advance, in December 2002 for the Xbox and GameCube, and in May 2003 for mobile. "[58] Maxim's Alex Porter was less impressed, scoring it 6 out of 10, and arguing "the graphics and sound (enhanced by the actual voices of the movie's stars) [are] well-rendered and intricate [...] but players [will get] bored with repetitive thrusting and parrying. The game features levels taken either directly from scenes in The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers films, or based closely on elements from the films. After slaying the creature, they continue into Moria. [29], The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers received "generally favorable reviews" across all systems; the Game Boy Advance version holds an aggregate score of 78 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on fifteen reviews;[30] the GameCube version 82 out of 100, based on thirteen reviews;[31] the PlayStation 2 version 82 out of 100, based on thirty-two reviews;[32] and the Xbox version 79 out of 100, based on seventeen reviews. As they are ambushed by a group of Uruk-hai, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas (Orlando Bloom) protect Frodo, giving him time to escape with Sam. The game is presented against the background of the history of the One Ring. [61] The PlayStation 2 version also received a "Double Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[62] indicating sales of at least 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom. However, he points out that Sauron fears Aragorn, as he knows of Aragorn's bloodline, and that he can inspire the men of Gondor. However, in order for the One Ring to be powerful enough to control the other Rings, Sauron had to transfer most of his power into it. However, realizing that if they did not join together, Sauron would destroy both men and elves, Elendil, High-King of Arnor, and Gil-galad, High-King of Noldor, formed the Last Alliance of Men and Elves, and attacked Sauron in his fortress, Barad-dûr. In an October 2002 interview with IGN, producer Scott Evans addressed why the development team had decided to make an action game, as opposed to a role-playing game, arguing, our core design goal was to immerse players in the world of Middle-earth and allow them to relive the most memorable moments of The Lord of the Rings films. Each movie in the trilogy had a theme. Around the same time, the One Ring was found by a Hobbit named Sméagol, who became utterly corrupted by it, living in the caves of the Misty Mountains, and physically transforming into a creature known as Gollum. [9], Although all three characters have different weapons and combos, their basic fighting style is the same. The Two Towers (2002) He was critical of the FMV footage, and concluded "The Two Towers isn't the best action game you'll ever play, but it is the best action game based on The Lord of the Rings. The Two Towers also attracted considerably better reviews. After 30 minutes of gameplay in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, I was having a lot of fun and was prepared to sing praise to the game. [16] On May 16, EA announced a Game Boy Advance version, developed by Griptonite Games, in which players could control Frodo, Aragorn, Legolas, Gandalf and Éowyn. Several more visits to both the sets and Weta followed, and as late as July 2002, Stormfront remained in regular contact with the production team to ensure the game matched the finished film as closely as possible.[8]. A 2D Game Boy Advance game of the same name was made by Griptonite Games, a port to the GameCube by Hypnos Entertainment, and to mobile by JAMDAT. "[40][42] IGN's Hilary Goldstein scored it 7.6 out of 10, writing "while The Two Towers is fun, it's not really one of the better action games around. After a tutorial level in which the player controls Isildur during the Battle of the Last Alliance, the game begins with Aragorn, the protagonist of the game, (voiced by Viggo Mortensen) stating "I am Isildur's heir. He too was critical of the length, but called the game "a traditional action game with a terrific gameplay system that encourages you to battle it out like there's no tomorrow. This is a four disc extended version of Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. To be clear, this review is for the Lord of the Rings trilogy bluray 15-disc extended edition box set. Back in the DVD days, I used the fight in Balin's Tomb (Chapter 29 of the Theatrical Fellowship) as a 5.1 system showoff scene, and it's obviously more demo-worthy now with immersive audio. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings grew to become the epitome of epic fantasy. Arargorn, Legolas, Gimli, Théoden and the remainder of the Rohan warriors prepare to make a suicide charge out of the Hall, but as they do, Gandalf arrives with a vast army of Rohirrim, attacking the Uruk-hai and orcs from behind whilst the others attack from the front. Luckily I kept my old 2 dvd sets and blurays, so the trailers, documentaries, etc still have but would be nice to have more shelf space and just 1 set with all the extras not a book shelf of the same movie. He then rides to Helm's Deep where he awaits the attack of Saruman's army of orcs and Uruk-hai. The trebly scraping of swords offsets the masterful bass, and Howard Shore's musical score sounds pristine. Audio Format Dolby Atmos with TrueHD 7.1 core In the GBA version, each character has fifteen active and passive skills that can be unlocked and upgraded as the player gains experience. To avoid the meter dropping back down, the player must avoid being hit, and must kill enemies using a variety of different methods. It is also the best of the three releases. [15], Evans also explained that from the earliest stages of development, the team had access to rough cuts of the film, digital models and textures from the visual effects department, motion capture data, sound effects, soundtrack material, still photography from the set, Alan Lee and John Howe's pre-production concept art, and material from the props department. Audio is essential to our acceptance of these make-believe worlds, of course, and an inspired Dolby Atmos remix tells us that these caves and castles and valleys and battlefields extend in every direction far beyond the confines of a single set or filming location, no matter how vast. II: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Lord_of_the_Rings:_The_Two_Towers_(video_game)&oldid=1011342002, Multiplayer and single-player video games, The Lord of the Rings (film series) video games, Video games developed in the United States, Video games featuring female protagonists, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using collapsible list with both background and text-align in titlestyle, Articles using Infobox video game using locally defined parameters, Articles using Wikidata infoboxes with locally defined images, Articles using Video game reviews template in multiple platform mode, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering, This page was last edited on 10 March 2021, at 11:03. [23] On August 5, EA cancelled the Windows version when it became apparent that Ritual Entertainment would not be able to have it ready on time. The game was a financial success, selling almost four million units, and outselling Vivendi's The Fellowship of the Ring game, which sold just over one million. This uniformity holds true even across the Extended Editions, assembled and finished by Jackson to better represent his grand vision as well as incorporating more of Tolkien's texts. For fans looking for a way to play their favorite books or movies, this is the best bet at the moment. The characters, the locales, and even the music draw you in and create an exciting experience that will have you playing through the entire quest several times. Meanwhile, during the Third Age, a still weakened Sauron covertly established a stronghold at Dol Guldur. Cheap Blu-ray movies and deals. The game is an adaptation of Peter Jackson's 2001 film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and his 2002 film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, which was released shortly after the game. The Council drove Sauron from Dol Guldur, unaware that he knew the Ring had been found. They also stated they had begun preliminary work on an as yet untitled RPG game based on all three films, slated for release in 2004 (this game would ultimately become The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age). As a result, there is a consistent look and sound among all, despite rapidly evolving technologies of the era, including the transition from analog to digital color timing mid-saga. Director: Peter Jackson Aragorn allows Frodo to leave with the Ring and make his own way to Mordor. "[36] IGN's Douglass C. Perry scored it 8 out of 10. He concluded "even though The Two Towers is far from "boring," it does get a little repetitive in its hack-and-slash design. Originally conceived as a simple sequel to his popular children's book, The Hobbit, J.R.R. Echoes, chirping birds, off-screen voices, and all-encompassing wind add touches of realism, while utterly fantastic screaming dragon-things swirl down from above. He was critical of the targeting system, the camera, the rigid linearity of each level and the inability to issue commands to AI controlled allies. Isildur is also a playable character in a tutorial level set during the Battle of the Last Alliance. They revealed that players would be able to control Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli in full 3D environments taken directly from the films. [15] In the case of animating the character of Aragorn, the developers even had Viggo Mortensen and the film's swordmaster, Bob Anderson, came into the studio and perform some of the sword fighting techniques from the film, enabling the development team to recreate the physicality of the character exactly, frame by frame. The party reluctantly decide the only way past the Misty Mountains is to go under them, via the goblin mines of Moria. Blu-ray reviews, news, specs, ratings, screenshots. That's not acceptable for a game coming out two months later and on a system that is easier to program for and can churn out incredible graphics with little effort. The party manage to fight off their attackers and get to the exit, but on their way across the Bridge of Khazad-dûm they are confronted by a Balrog, and Gandalf (Ian McKellen) sacrifices himself to allow the others to escape. Men proved less resilient, and the nine kings given the Rings become the nine Ring-wraiths, or Nazgûl, led by the Witch-king of Angmar. "[59], GameSpy's William Cassidy scored the Game Boy Advance version 4.5 out of 5, praising the graphics, sound, combat system and the differentiation between the controllable characters. As it is not an adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Two Towers, the second volume in his Lord of the Rings novel, anything from the novel not specifically mentioned or depicted in the films could not be represented in the game. From Focus Features, the premiere global brand in original and daring cinema, comes Focus World. The alliance was victorious, with Isildur cutting the One Ring from Sauron's hand. Shortly after he first met the hobbits, the group stay at Weathertop for the night, but are attacked by the Nazgûl. "[46], Game Informer's Matthew Kato scored the GameCube version 9.25 out of 10, calling it "a blueprint on how to make a very good movie-based game. "[49] GameSpot's Ryan MacDonald scored it 8.1 out of 10. There are literally no differences between this, the Xbox, and the PlayStation 2 offerings. Legolas can gain a quickdraw skill, as well as the ability to shoot multiple arrows at once. Often, the two characters not chosen as the player character will appear as supporting NPCs. Some time later, Isildur was attacked and killed by a band of orcs, and the Ring was lost in the river Anduin for over two thousand years. Although he was critical of the game's length, he declared "as a game on its own merits, The Two Towers is a solid beat-em-up that's definitely worth owning. Gandalf reported back to the White Council, but Saruman dissuaded them from moving against Sauron. [28] As with the GameCube version, the Xbox version would be a direct port of the PlayStation 2 version. Meanwhile, Gandalf explains there is now an alliance between the two towers of Barad-dûr in Mordor and Orthanc in Isengard, home of Saruman, who has sent out legions of Uruk-hai and orcs to ravage the countryside of Rohan, whose king, Théoden, has been rendered virtually comatose by Saruman's magic. He also wrote "the Xbox version is inferior to the sharp and stunning quality of what was found on PS2. They arrive at the Doors of Durin, but are attacked by the Watcher. But only a few shots simply don't look real, three consecutive VFX Oscar wins notwithstanding. [63] The PlayStation 2 version of the game won "Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering" at the 2003 Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. The player's skill is measured by an on-screen meter which increases as the player dispatches enemies. "[47] GameSpot's Frank Provo scored it 7.5 out of 10, writing "it's mainly a Diablo or Gaunlet clone with story elements from the movie sprinkled throughout. Length: 178/227 mins. Only fierce attacks can break enemy shields. The use of HDR is some of the boldest I've seen, with a dramatic white radiance around elves that almost hurt my eyes (in a good way), and the magical glow of Gandalf's staff that powerfully banishes the gloom in the shadowy mines of Moria. The game then returns to the opening, with Aragorn and Éowyn on the battlements. His biggest criticism was that the game was too short, although he praised the "DVD extras" being linked to level progression. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is an action hack and slash video game developed by Stormfront Studios for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Meanwhile, on the path to Helm's Deep, the travelers are attacked by orcs riding Warg, but Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are able to fight them off. For fans of the book, these longer versions with added story and character subtleties are highly recommended, and each is included in its own two-disc configuration with the Theatrical version. Ultra HD Blu-ray "[34], The PlayStation 2 version also received some non-video game publication attention. The fellowship is then attacked by a hoard of goblins and a cave troll. [64], This article is about the 2002 video game. Soon thereafter, they reach Amon Hen, and the fellowship fragments. For example, the levels during the defense of Helm's Deep are very similar to the corresponding scenes in the film, but a level in Fangorn Forest in which the player fights orcs, Uruk-hai and trolls is original to the game. A version for Microsoft Windows developed by Ritual Entertainment was cancelled during development. Additionally, Frodo has the ability to use the One Ring to turn invisible, but he can only do so for a certain amount of time before attracting the attention of Sauron. With this level of clarity, there's nowhere to hide, and the compositing of live-action and effects sometimes calls attention to itself. With the information given him by Gollum, Sauron, still unable to take physical form, thus sent the Nazgûl to the Shire to retrieve the One Ring. "[57] Entertainment Weekly's Geoff Keighly scored it a B+, calling it "a gaming experience that works with - rather than exploits - the source material. The Two Towers is a hack and slash action game played from a third-person perspective.