Not so "Precious" (The Lord Of The Rings: Conquest (PS3))

Member Name: P1RAN

Product:	The Lord Of The Rings: Conquest (PS3)
Date:	20/06/09 (6 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Makes good use of the films visual images of scenes.

Disadvantages: Doesn't take long to complete

Have too many games of Lord of the Rings games already been created? Is there anything else left in the gaming market?
Lord of the Rings: Conquest is without doubt an undemanding game to get through though the creation of the battlefields, based on the movies, must be appreciated. While not as life-size as they should be, there are enough of the original creations to bring back good memories from the films and books.

You're able to attack any type of enemy you come into contact with, whether you're an Ork attacking an Ent or an archer attacking an Oliphaunt, there's always a way to take an enemy down though it may require pressing the correct buttons in time.
Online play is difficult to get into unless you're an experienced player and the hits are out of synch to actual time thus making it trickier to defeat other players.
One of the more unnecessary parts of this game is the way an opponent can come up and attack you from behind while you're in the middle of a combo, disrupting your combo, saving the enemy and losing you health. If you're in any mode above casual (heroic or legendary) you'll find this happens a lot.

Through each mission you have a limited number of respawns, gaining more as you complete tasks set. Like in the Star Wars Battlefront games there are points which allow you to play as heroes: Gimli, Aragorn, Farameer, Aragorn and Frodo or villains like Saruman, the Witch King and even Sauron. All their attacks are more powerful then ordinary stooges and the creators have bothered to give them each unique moves.

The biggest part of this game is unquestionably the alternate ending created, where evil takes over Middle Earth and you take part in spreading it across the lands, ultimately leading you to the shire where Gandalf makes his last stand. Footage from the films is clumsily put together to create the image of Middle Earth's destruction and Lord Sauron's reign as ruler of the world. Don't expect any original properly animated cut scenes.

In the end unless you're a hardcore Lord of the rings fan who enjoyed the instant action (online) play in Star Wars: Battlefront or online play in general, this is probably just a rental game to swiftly go through the story mode and enjoy the alternate storyline. Otherwise it's definitely worth the purchase. This may indeed be another step too far for Lord of the Rings games.

Summary: A game for lord of the rings fans only, probably best to rent only