here is much more to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy than just swordplay, but Electronic Arts and developer Stormfront Studios have done such a good job with this game that all you’ll care about is skinning orc hide. Better yet, because of the balanced and effective use of scenes from the movie, you still get a good flavor for the drama and tension inherent in Tolkien’s arching story – even if some important bits from both movies have been left out. Between utilizing the films, the actors’ voices, and offering extras, Two Towers is a blueprint on how to make a very good movie-based game. Of course, you can’t forget the gameplay.
This title is far from a mindless brawler. Its pace is expertly mapped out. You start out enjoying a few combos here and there, and can even let your bow hone in on some eye sockets. By the time you reach Moria, though, you’ll stand defiantly in the door to Balin’s Tomb and welcome the hordes of orcs that will pour in on you. As you level up, the combos never become overwhelming. When you reach the Helm’s Deep stages and the odds mount, they will fly from your fingers, and are the only way you’ll survive and advance. If you really get on a roll, your sword will start to glow, and for a short time, getting Perfect-grade strikes is easier – which earns you more experience points.

As you progress, varied objectives will help further spice things up. The first of the three Helm’s Deep stages has you running around battling foes and kicking off ladders from the stronghold to stem the tide of orcs. There’s no boss battle; your enemy is time. Similarly, you’ll sweat it when protecting the citizens of Rohan from wave after wave of attackers. The action was also diversified by some clever camera angles, but there were more than a few times when I would get confused by them or be surprised by off-screen enemies.

The problem with all of this frenzied combat, however, is your bow. While I loved integrating arrow strikes while swinging my sword, I really wanted a hard lock-on. Too many times I would either slip off of a target, or wouldn’t fire on the obvious enemy.

Still, Two Towers is easily a game I could see myself playing through several times over just to get all three characters’ combos and to unlock the secret stages – a pretty strong testament to deliver to an action title. The thing is, EA has created an experience that manages to extend itself beyond that limited video game genre, and one which stands out in a Lord of the Rings universe already filled with failures.   

KRISTIAN BROGGER   8 This is a brawler; there can be no doubt about that. Because of this fact, players are going to be dying a lot. To think someone will plow through this game without their character going to that big J.R.R. Tolkien place in the sky is simply shortsighted. This fact should spawn a developer to inject a number of different save points into the title, but they are conspicuously missing. To be sure, it’s a lot of fun to upgrade your attacks and perform eye-widening combos, but once you’ve sliced through innumerable soldiers, the boss battles can go beyond frustrating and into the realm of infuriating. This, and the fact that for some odd reason you can’t jump up a two foot embankment to dispatch missile enemies is enough to give me pause. The game does look fantastic, however, and the extras are cool. Having the cast available to do voice work adds a lot of depth as well. Too bad the gameplay couldn’t match the presentation.