LOTR - The Third Age Takes Tolkien Toward RPG?

Thanks to 1UP for its article discussing the announcement of Electronic Arts' Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age, "a new console RPG based on Peter Jackson's movie trilogy [and J.R.R. Tolkien's books]", and due out later in 2004. A GameSpot interview with producer Steve Gray has more information, as he notes that "the combat is turn-based... if you have played Final Fantasy it will feel familiar to you", and says of the game structure: "You travel on a sort of 'S' curve that weaves in and out of the path of the Fellowship through the story of the trilogy. At times you'll be behind or 'next to' them; at other times you'll be in the same time and place as members of the Fellowship." He also teases the game's bad side: "The main focus of the game is the quest on the side of good, but you can also unlock evil encounters, and we think players will really enjoy playing on the side of Sauron in addition to playing as good guys."

Comments

Re:Players on the side of Sauron?

[wcbarksdale]

This is hardly the first LOTR game to give players that option.

Re:Did you hear they're not changing the story?

[Vaevictis666]

Something to keep in mind, with all the LOTR games coming out (or are already out) there are two franchises here - one company has rights to profit off of the movie situations and events, another one gets the materials in the books. If you want, have a look at which publisher has done what LOTR game releases in the past two years. I believe EA has had all the console action titles based off of the movies, which means they have no tom bombadil or hobbion end-game to use in the game. If I'm bass ackwards and they have the rights to the book versions, then it's all perfectly good and we can have a full game out of it.

Not that Tom is hugely relevant to a darkside RPG with the scope of the novels, but what the hey.