The Lord of the Rings: Tactics

 PSP
Metascore
64

Mixed or average reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 28
  3. Negative: 4 out of 28
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  1. AceGamez
    50
    Feeling heavier than the ring bearer, I can barely lift my digits to tell you that with clunky gameplay, poor graphics and badly paced sound, The Lord of the Rings: Tactics is only really going to be enjoyed by the most hardened of Lord of the Rings fans.
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  2. Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK
    60
    Take away the goodwill generated by the movies and the flaws in Tactics begin to show. There's fun here, but not a lot of it. [Dec 2005, p.100]
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  3. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    60
    A by-the-book tactical RPG that takes no chances, but can be engaging. It's also short (campaigns under 15 hours) and whoever heard of a short RPG?
  5. GamePro
    70
    Tactics probably would've been a better game if it had left out the half-baked RPG elements, and focused on more varied units and capabilities.
  6. GameSpot
    65
    While the memorable battle sequences from the movie trilogy would lend themselves perfectly to a strategy game, this one just isn't put together well enough to do full justice to the source material.
  7. GameSpy
    60
    A disappointing package that seems to have received even less development time than most of the PSP launch titles.
  8. PSM Magazine
    70
    The chance to play as the Fellowship or the Host or Mordor is a very cool thing. [Holiday 2005, p.94]
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  9. Next Level Gaming
    65
    This game is simply trying to cash into the Lord of the Rings franchise, so lets be smart enough and not fall for that old trick, just walk on buy this one on the store shelves.
  10. Cheat Code Central
    74
    The four-player mode is a great addition and will certainly beef up the replay value.
  11. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    53
    As an "Final Fantasy Tactics Advance" derivative, and despite a few graphic and camera glitches, Tactics delivers a competent and, at times, engaging ride through Middle-earth. [Jan 2006, p.129]
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  12. Gaming Age
    67
    The only glaring issue is that the game does feel far too familiar. Veteran gamers may find the game too mediocre and boring to even last through the entire adventure.
  13. Eurogamer
    70
    While in terms of accuracy to the world it's the least accurate LoTR licence yet, in other areas it's terribly close to the books. It's slow-paced. It's a little unwieldy. It's hardly glamorous. However, it's also something which wraps you up in its own world for hours at a time.
  14. Game Informer
    68
    Lacking the foundation of gameplay to offer the kind of choices that strategy fans have grown accustomed to, LOTR: Tactics is a disappointment. [Jan 2006, p.155]
    All this publication's reviews
  15. Total Video Games
    70
    Taking away the Lord of the Rings license you'll still find a solid, if a little predictable (and sometimes frustrating), tactical-RPG - add the Hobbits and the Goblins and it's a PSP title that RPG loving fans of the series will enjoy.
  16. Computer and Video Games
    70
    The film's distinctive environments are employed to great effect - hills and ridges mean characters with different specialities come into their own when used properly, and the buildings and natural obstructions add to the game's surprising depth. [PSW]
  17. PALGN
    60
    Unfortunately the battles just feel small and scaled back in this game.
  18. Game Chronicles
    71
    I can think of a dozen things that would have made this game better, or at least more attractive to the casual gamer, but for those who love the Lord of the Rings and need a solid strategy fix on their PSP, this will easily fill that need for a few months to come.

Awards & Rankings

54
#54 Best PSP Game of 2005
41
#41 Most Discussed PSP Game of 2005

User Reviews

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User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 29 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 29
  3. Negative: 2 out of 29
  1. DominikCZE
    Nov 16, 2013
    7
    A fun tactical game that I've spent a lot of time on. The PSP didn't have many good games back then, but this was definitely one of the betterA fun tactical game that I've spent a lot of time on. The PSP didn't have many good games back then, but this was definitely one of the better ones. The graphics were good for a PSP and the gameplay was a standard turn-based RPG with no major issues that I recall.… Full Review »
  2. LeoM.
    Dec 24, 2006
    5
    A really good game but can get a little boring after a while.
  3. JohnL.
    Mar 1, 2006
    8
    This game is really good. The graphics are pretty good (The textures are really ugly, but the characters are animated smoothly). The sound is This game is really good. The graphics are pretty good (The textures are really ugly, but the characters are animated smoothly). The sound is pretty good too. Each campaign (good and evil) lasts at least 12 hours, and multiplayer is extremely fun. My only problem is some levels are way too hard, compared to the rest. Another problem is how few units you control which causes Helms Deep and Minis Tirith to feel really screwed up. The graphics are amazing at how much detail there is, like when you fight in front of Minis Tirith you can see the whole city even if you can't play on it that level.This is a must buy for fans of Lord of the Rings (me) or strategy.… Full Review »
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