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CNET editors' rating:
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Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 10/23/2002
- Released on: 09/26/2002
- Originally published on GameSpot: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Xbox) Review
J.R.R. Tolkien's seminal fantasy work The Lord of the Rings has generated an astounding amount of new interest recently for a series of books released half a century ago. Most of this attention is focused on New Line Cinema's production of three films based on the trilogy, but some of the Rings buzz is now spilling into video games as well. Not surprisingly, games based on the first book (and movie) in the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, have begun to appear, and one of them has landed recently for the Xbox. Interestingly, the Xbox rendition of Fellowship is based directly on the first book of the series and shares no overt ties with the movie released last Christmas. Unfortunately, it seems that even the blessing of Tolkien Enterprises isn't enough to save the game from its bland design and tedious gameplay.
At its core, The Fellowship of the Ring is a simple hack-and-slash adventure game.
If you've read The Lord of the Rings, seen the first movie, or even lived for a little while in a world where Tolkien's epic is so pervasive, you should be at least somewhat familiar with the storyline of The Fellowship of the Ring. The game stars diminutive Frodo Baggins, a hobbit who has undertaken a quest to destroy the One Ring, a magic ring that contains all the power and malice of the dark lord Sauron. Frodo is joined by his friends Sam, Merry, and Pippin, the crusty but benevolent old wizard Gandalf, the ranger Aragorn, the warrior Boromir of Gondor, Gimli the dwarf, and Legolas the elf. Together, these eight must accompany Frodo as he bears the ring to Mount Doom, the only place in Middle-earth where it can be destroyed. Of course, Frodo and his friends will have to evade the forces of the enemy and seek out friends among the free peoples of Middle-earth.
The Fellowship of the Ring is set up much like a typical Zelda-style third-person adventure game. It lets you assume the roles of three of the fellowship's members at various times of the game--Frodo, Aragorn, and Gandalf are all playable at times dictated by the storyline. Each of the heroes has the same basic moves, like attacking with a sword or walking stick, jumping, and using common inventory items. All three characters have unique gameplay aspects, as well. Frodo can sneak past enemies, as hobbits are wont to do; Aragorn has a bow with multiple types of arrows; and Gandalf has command of a range of magic spells. Each hero also has access to a few character-specific items, such as Frodo's ability to use the One Ring to become invisible. Overall, the three playable characters are distinct enough that the gameplay feels fairly varied throughout.
Though it has all the familiar adventure-game trappings, The Fellowship of the Ring is hardly the best game you'll play in that category. For one, your objectives are never more complicated than "take item X to place Y" or "escape the current area," and as such, they can get pretty predictable after a while. The early parts of the game, which you play as Frodo, are especially bad about sending you on too many fetch quests. For another, the fighting system is rather clumsy, and you'll find yourself cursing as enemies get in cheap hits and unfairly block your own attacks. Perhaps the only enjoyable aspect of the game's combat involves Gandalf and his magic, but you play most of the game as Frodo or Aragorn, who are limited mainly to frustrating melee combat. The game's lock-on feature, which is somewhat reminiscent of the one used in the Zelda games on the N64, is effective only when it doesn't ruin your perspective on the action. A pile of other minor technical issues round out this list, such as a very jerky and hard-to-control camera and some very unpleasant bugs. One of these bugs, a heinous lock-up issue that crops up upon starting a new game, has been addressed by the game's publisher. We observed another lock-up later on in the game, however, as well as a couple of collision-detection problems, such as falling through a seemingly solid floor. In short: Caveat emptor.
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