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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Image:ROTK box art 2.jpg
Developer(s) EA Redwood Shores
Publisher(s) Electronic Arts
Platform(s) PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, GBA, PC, Mac, Mobile phones
Release date GameCube, PS2:
NA November 5, 2003
EURNovember 14, 2003
JPN January 8, 2004
Xbox:
NA November 5, 2003
EURNovember 14, 2003
PC
NA October 31, 2003
EUR November 14, 2003
Genre(s) Action, Hack 'n Slash
Mode(s) Single player, Multiplayer
Rating(s) ESRB: Teen (13+)
PEGI: 12+
Media CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, GameCube Optical Disc
System requirements Intel Pentium III or AMD Athlon 700 MHz CPU, 128 MB RAM (256 MB when using Windows XP), 2 GB hard disk space, DirectX 8.0 compatible graphics card, DirectX 8.1 compatible sound card[1]
Input methods Gamepad, keyboard, mouse
For the Game Boy Advance version, see The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Game Boy Advance)

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (also known as ROTK) is a third-person hack and slash game released for the Playstation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox and PC. A hack-and-slash RPG version was developed for the Game Boy Advance. Released in late 2003 to coincide with the release of the film of the same name upon which it was based, the game was published by EA Games and developed by EA Redwood Shores.

Contents

[edit] Gameplay

Described by the developers as a modern version of Gauntlet, The Return of the King is a hack and slash action game.[2] The game is very similar to its predecessor.[3] Players must progress through the game by completing objectives....???? Environments are occasionally interactive, enabling the player to perform actions such as throwing spears and firing catapults.[4]

Each character has their own set of combos and attributes. After the end of each level the player can upgrade their characters' abilities and combos using experience points earned in the game. The number of experience points available to the player depends on the efficiency of their kills in the game.[3] Interviews with the cast from the films and similar DVD-style extras are also unlocked as the player progresses through the game.[4] Unlike The Two Towers, The Return of the King features a co-op mode, allowing two players to play through the Path of the King storyline together.[3] The PS2 version also has online multiplayer options with USB headset support.[5]

The Return of the King is split into three separate mission arcs, each with its own individual set of characters. The Path of the Wizard follows Gandalf, The Path of the King follows Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli (the player chooses one of these to control) and The Path of the Hobbits follows Frodo and Sam (initially only Sam is playable).[4][3] Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and Faramir are unlocked as playable characters once the game has been completed.[citation needed]

[edit] Plot

Todd Arnold, senior producer of The Return of the King, stated that the game was not intended to re-tell the story of the film, "...but to provide the player with an opportunity to be the hero and come as close as possible to living through key moments from the film. We constructed our levels around this objective, conveying just enough story to set up the action and provide context for what the player is doing."[6]

Reviews of the game acknowledged this lack of plot detail. Liberties with the plot are taken,[5] and critics noted that there was little footage which could spoil the film for those who had not seen it.[3][7] GameSpot's review said that "if you didn't know anything about the story of The Return of the King, then the story of the game may be hard to follow, though you'll still get the gist of it... in case you don't want any aspect of the movie spoiled for you, it'd be wise to hold off on playing The Return of the King until after you've seen the movie."[3]

[edit] Synopsis

The first level sees the player assuming the role of Gandalf at the end of the battle of Helm's Deep.[8]

[edit] Development

Following the success of the video game tie-in of The Two Towers, a video game adaptation of The Return of the King was announced on April 25, 2003.[9][10] While The Two Towers was released on the three major consoles (the PS2, GameCube and Xbox) but not the PC, The Return of the King was released on the PC in addition to the three major consoles.[2] EA announced that the game would offer three separate story branches rather than one and that eight playable characters would be on offer rather than the three of The Two Towers.[10] Parts of Howard Shore's score and footage from the films were slated to feature, and members of the cast from the films would lend their voices to the game.[11]

Image:ROTK spear.jpg
The player wielding a spear, one of many interactive environment objects.

Developers working on The Return of the King described the game as "bigger and better" than The Two Towers.[12] "In The Two Towers the player would occasionally run into 10 or 15 enemies," said lead game designer Chris Tremmel, "In The Return of the King there are areas where the player faces up to 40 orcs... Fans familiar with The Two Towers will find that the combat experience in The Return of the King feels familiar but much deeper."[13] Before creating levels, the developers would initially write in-depth level designs out on paper, going into details such as combat setup, special props and enemy types. The levels would then be created in the game environment.[14]

Executive producer Glen Schofield stated that the biggest challenge the developers was facing was "just trying to match the breathtaking look and feel of the movies". EA Redwood Shores worked closely with New Line Cinema to make the games as authentic as possible, using the actual reference photos, drawings, models, props, lighting studies and motion-capture data. "We even hired the same stunt doubles from the movie to help us render the most realistic movements in the game," noted Schofield.[15] Partner Relations Director Nina Dobner said that "we want the game to not just look like the films but to be exactly like the films." No details in the game are made up, she commented. "When we were reproducing Minas Tirith... we felt the team would benefit from being able to see and feel a piece of the actual movie set. Unfortunately, the set had already been dismantled. So, while in New Zealand, I searched the various warehouses to find remnants of the dismantled set. After much work, I returned to San Francisco proudly bearing four bricks from the Minas Tirith set."[16]

The Return of the King went gold on all platforms on October 10, 2003.[17] The game went on sale in North America on November 6,[18] more than a month before the film was released in cinemas on December 16.[19]

[edit] Reception

 Reviews
Publication Score
1UP.com A-[7]
GameSpot 8.0/10[3]
IGN 8.9/10[5]
PC Gamer UK 85%[4]
Compilations of multiple reviews
Compiler Score
Metacritic 78%-85%[20][21][22][23]

The Return of the King was well-received both critically[20][21][22][23] and commercially, with global sales of 2.96m of the PS2 version alone.[24] The Return of the King won in two categories at the DICE 2004 awards: Outstanding achievement in character performance (for Elijah Wood's role of Frodo) and Outstanding achievement in sound design.[25]

As an adaptation, the game was praised as "best movie to game conversion that has come out in a long time"[26] and "[setting] a new standard for video game adaptations of movies."[27] The game's authenticity was commended: "Everything you take in," noted G4TV, "from the beautifully recreated locations to the sweeping cinematic score, feels perfectly suited to the action."[28]

The Return of the King came under fire for its poor camera control. "What's the use of a new graphics engine and character models when the view is from so far away?" asked Game Informer Online.[29] The game's save function was also criticized. PC Gamer UK commented that "You can only save after completing a level... which is not so good when you're forced to slog through the same sequences over and over again."[4] Critics complained about the repetitive gameplay and unskippable cut scenes.[29][30]

Despite critical acclaim and strong sales, Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, stated that the video game tie-in for his next film would not be developed by EA but by Ubisoft. The two main reasons given were that EA was not interested in Jackson's input to the game and that Jackson wanted to work with producer Michel Ancel, having played Beyond Good and Evil.[31]

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Return of the King PC page. IGN. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
  2. ^ a b Brown, Steve (August 2003), “Scoop: The Return of the King”, PC Gamer UK: 8-9 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Kasavin, Greg. The Return of the King review. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2007-11-23.
  4. ^ a b c d e Ellis, Tony (Christmas 2003), “The Return of the King review”, PC Gamer UK: 102-103 
  5. ^ a b c Perry, Douglass C. The Return of the King PS2 review. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-11-23.
  6. ^ Cook, Brad. The Return of the King comes to Mac. Apple. Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
  7. ^ a b Boyer, Crispin. The Return of the King Xbox review. 1UP.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
  8. ^ McAllister, August. The Return of the King FAQ/Walkthrough. GameFAQs. Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
  9. ^ Calvert, Justin. The Return of the King announced. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
  10. ^ a b Perry, Douglass C. E3 2003: LOTR: Return of the King. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
  11. ^ Shoemaker, Brad. The Return of the King E3 2003 Preshow Report. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.
  12. ^ Clifford, Sam. The Return of the King Designer Diary #3. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
  13. ^ Tremmel, Chris. The Return of the King Designer Diary #4. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2008-05-09.
  14. ^ Pettross, Paul. The Return of the King Designer Diary #2. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
  15. ^ Schofield, Glen. The Return of the King Designer Diary #1. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2008-05-05.
  16. ^ Dobson, Nina. The Return of the King Designer Diary #6. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2008-05-06.
  17. ^ Calvert, Justin. The Return of the King goes gold. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2008-05-18.
  18. ^ Calvert, Justin. The Return of the King imminent. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2008-05-18.
  19. ^ The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King page. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2008-05-18.
  20. ^ a b The Return of the King Metacritic page (PS2). Metacritic. Retrieved on 2007-11-23.
  21. ^ a b The Return of the King Metacritic page (Xbox). Metacritic. Retrieved on 2007-11-23.
  22. ^ a b The Return of the King Metacritic page (GameCube). Metacritic. Retrieved on 2007-11-23.
  23. ^ a b The Return of the King Metacritic page (PC). Metacritic. Retrieved on 2007-11-23.
  24. ^ Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (PS2) sales data. VG Chartz. Retrieved on 2008-05-12.
  25. ^ Casamassina, Matt. DICE 2004: The Awards. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
  26. ^ Knutson, Micharl. The Return of the King PS2 review. GameZone. Retrieved on 2008-05-20.
  27. ^ Padilla, Raymond. The Return of the King Xbox review. GameSpy. Retrieved on 2008-05-20.
  28. ^ The Return of the King PS2 review. G4TV. Retrieved on 2008-05-25.
  29. ^ a b Kato, Matthew. The Return of the King PS2 review. Game Informer Online. Retrieved on 2008-05-25.
  30. ^ Catucci, Nick. The Return of the King review. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2008-05-25.
  31. ^ Thorsen, Tor. Peter Jackson displeased with Lord of the Rings games. GameSpot. Retrieved on 2007-11-09.

[edit] External links