The Third Age is a treat for the eyes and ears. The visuals are fantastic, much like the other The Lord of the Rings games. It's a phenomenal re-creation of Middle-earth that fans will totally drool over. There are occasional hiccups in animations and an odd texture here and there, but most people won't notice or care. The soundtrack is straight from the movie, which is just awesome. The voice acting is good and the sound effects are tight. Overall, the production values of this game are exemplary.

Character and story are two vital parts of RPGs. The Third Age fails in both departments. One of my favorite parts of The Return of the King is that I got play as characters I liked. Blowing up all kinds of bad guys with Gandalf was an absolute thrill. Doing the things that he did in the movies was awesome, and taking him to places where he never was in the trilogy totally satisfied my inner geek. The cast of The Third Age really didn't do a thing for me. The moments that were supposed to be thrilling felt hollow and the excitement seemed force. The characters and story just didn't do a thing for me, which is a shame because the gameplay, graphics, and sound were excellent.


There are better RPGs on the market. There are better LotR games on the market too. If you've exhausted all those possibilities, then give The Third Age a shot. At this time, with so many fabulous games available, only the most hardcore LotR fans should buy this game immediately. It's worth experiencing, but I'd wait for the post-holiday price cut.