The Lord of the Rings, The Third Age

 Xbox
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 29 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 29
  3. Negative: 4 out of 29
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  1. EdM.
    Nov 8, 2004
    5
    Monotonous with no character interaction. Cut away scenes narrated nicely by Gandalf which barely fit the story being told and are often out of order. Wait for KOTOR II.
  2. J.S.
    Jan 27, 2005
    5
    Tolkien would roll over in his grave if he knew how far fetched his universe had been stretched. Over the top effects and poor writing make this a "must not have" for any true fan. Gameplay and graphics are average.
  3. notsolittlejon
    Feb 8, 2013
    7
    A moderately fun turn-based RPG that felt somewhat held back from reaching its full potential. It was fun to follow just behind the fellowship's great adventure and see some of the sights of Middle-Earth, but I feel it could have been more successful if it had been designed as a real-time hack and slash game (such as Lord of the Rings: Return of the King) rather than the turn-based randomA moderately fun turn-based RPG that felt somewhat held back from reaching its full potential. It was fun to follow just behind the fellowship's great adventure and see some of the sights of Middle-Earth, but I feel it could have been more successful if it had been designed as a real-time hack and slash game (such as Lord of the Rings: Return of the King) rather than the turn-based random encounter engine. Still a good game though.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

63
#63 Best Xbox Game of 2004
38
#38 Most Discussed Xbox Game of 2004
50
#50 Most Shared Xbox Game of 2004

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. AceGamez
    80
    A stylish RPG that authentically represents Middle Earth from the book and the film trilogy. Whilst the gameplay is both enjoyable and addictive, it is also very traditional in style and does nothing at all to further the genre.
  2. Eurogamer
    70
    It's too easy. Yes, there's a Hard mode, and Evil mode if you can be bothered to play through it that many times, but if you've got a solid grounding in role-playing games, you'll walk through it.
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  3. games(TM)
    70
    Sadly, the adventure itself is far too linear; there's little in the way of side-quests, and you have no freedom over where you go or what you do. If you can overlook this, though, The Third Age does mix a neat battle system with a great franchise to provide a surprisingly enjoyable adventure. [Dec 2004, p.107]
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