LOTR The Third Age

[FFanatic Of FFantasy]

Ahhhh.....LOTR In RPG. They say that it going to be better than FF and basically I don't believe that! Do you think this rip off will pay off!???


___________________________________________________
If you ask me on a monday I'll say yess!
If you ask me on a tuesday I'll say yess!
If you ask me on a wednesday...........

[escobert]

I want to get it when it come out. Looks good.

[Doomgaze]

The whole concept sounds like utter crap. A group of random adventurers helping Gandalf fight the Balrog? Yeah, sure. I bet they levelled up by killing Tom Bombadil, that's why he's not in the movies.

[Flashback007]

An RPG based on FF that is beter then FF. The first one who makes that I still have to meet or buy. Altough it seems a good game to me. Only they must keep it "realistic" not killing the Balrog etc. Or fighting Nazgul. And then winning. They should have made a different storyline with different figures and a different time. That would be way better. Or something like the Battlefield series. Can you imagine?? Humans against the forces of Saruman and Sauron?? That would be so cool.

[Psychotic]

I'm not really impressed with it, to be honest. Like SephirothNL, basing a game on FF but then claiming it's better? Sheesh...besides, I think most people would rather play as the film's heroes like Aragorn. Yes, no doubt some people would prefer to, as quoted from EA's site, Play as all-new characters from Middle-earth, but I think the majority would not.

The EA LoTR game I personally am looking forward to is The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth. If that wasn't coming out, then I'd probably rent, or possibly buy TTA, but it is, so there you go.

[Rostum]

The battle system looks like complete garbage, and I'd rather play as the famous adventurers in the books / movies than some random people I've never heard about before.

[TheAbominatrix]

EA doesnt make the claim that it's better than FF, EGM did.

http://the3rdage.com/

I've actually played this game, thanks to Cid. It's really really fun. The battle system is like X's, but it works very well.

The story is basically an 'enhancement' to the LotR story we all know, told from the perspective of other characters who're on their own quests and missions and whatnot. They meet up with the Fellowship once in a while, but not constantly.

I loved what I played, and I cant wait to get the game.

[Big D]

So basically, you get to assemble your own team, and go on your own journey while the Fellowship's off doing their own stuff? Sounds like a great concept.
Also, it's consistent with the stories - you don't alter what's already been established in the books and films, something that can always happen when you're controlling the lead characters in other titles. It's entirely probable that there would have been numerous groups of adventurers out in the world during the events at the end of the Third Age, so it'd be fascinating to have a chance to experience the story from their perspective.

Ashley, do you have any good info from your personal experiences? Details you particularly liked, things you found especially innovative and fun? The more I hear about this game, the more I'm looking forward to it.
However, there aren't any demos out yet, so you're my best hope for now:D

Edit: Been looking over your fantastic website again. Seems like the game has a pre-determined set of characters, but all drawn from different backgrounds... I especially like the addition of more Rohirrim characters. Again... the more I see, the more I like.

[TheAbominatrix]

Well you run into people who end up helping you. Berethor is on a quest from Gondor to find the fate of Boromir, and ends up encountering these other folks with other missions. Like Idrial, who is trying to help her fellow elves, and Hadhod, who just wants to get back to his ancestrial home in Moria.

EA was very very careful not to alter the storyline in any way. Any encounter with the Fellowship stills follows the lines of the movie... for example, when you aid Gandalf in the fight against the Balrog, even if you win, the Balrog still goes down with Gandalf.

Good info, hm... I'm not 100% sober right now, so bear with me.

Well first of all, from what I played it's very much like X. But keep in mind, this was pre-alpha development, before they got our feedback. They seemed very interested in what we had to say. That and the fact that the linearity also had to do with the fact that it wasnt complete. Even though the map is 'linear' like X's, there's still a whole LOT of exploring in every area. Here's a list of my personal favorite things.

-Encounters are story related. Random battles are not in the level (until you complete it and choose to return later).
-Little details, like when your character is shot with an arrow, the arrow remains in the character for the duration of the battle.
-Over 1/2 million different armor combinations (including matching sets that unlock new abilities) to customize your character.
-Character specific skill trees.

And, best of all, an awesome cast of characters and a great storyline. At the very least we wont have to listen to the constant bitching of 'omg the guys look like girls/the girls look like whores'. Check out the site I posted, and I'll elaborate more once I get home (and my internet actually works, we had a big storm and it messed things up, I'm typing from Mandee's right now).

I'll be happy to field any questions, and anything I cant answer, I'll ask our contact at EA.

[Big D]

Ah, so you got to play the game while it was still in development...
I've read through all the major sections on your site. I like the idea of the character-specific ability trees - seems to provide the freedom of FFX Sphere Grid, while still ensuring that the characters each have their own specific set of skills.

Any info on Wizards? I'm hoping that either Radagast the Brown, or one of the Blue twins might show up, seeing as they did absolutely nothing in the books.

I'm a big fan of 'underdog' characters... where the original LotR stories focussed on the greatest heroes and the greatest quest, TTA turns the spotlight to a less significant, but no less real crew with their own objectives and motives. Nice.

Edit: How's the voice-acting? I heard a few lines during a brief preview on Gamer TV, and it didn't seem all that remarkable... but then, I didn't get to hear much at all.

[Flashback007]

Well, I didn't see it like the descriptions above, but if the game is like that and it's coming out on the PS2....well i guess I have to make room for it :D

[kikimm]

Rip off? I don't see any rip off here....

But I'm really, really excited about this game. I love the books, and the movies, so anything LotR related is a-okay by me. And I actually like the fact that you play as different people, but who were "there" in the movie. I think it's a cool twist that sets this game apart from the other LotR games.


:D

[Ryth]

I bet it'll be a real good game but not at the same calibur as Final Fantasy I do wish you could make your own characters.

[TheAbominatrix]

Ah, so you got to play the game while it was still in development...
I've read through all the major sections on your site. I like the idea of the character-specific ability trees - seems to provide the freedom of FFX Sphere Grid, while still ensuring that the characters each have their own specific set of skills.

Any info on Wizards? I'm hoping that either Radagast the Brown, or one of the Blue twins might show up, seeing as they did absolutely nothing in the books.

I'm a big fan of 'underdog' characters... where the original LotR stories focussed on the greatest heroes and the greatest quest, TTA turns the spotlight to a less significant, but no less real crew with their own objectives and motives. Nice.

Edit: How's the voice-acting? I heard a few lines during a brief preview on Gamer TV, and it didn't seem all that remarkable... but then, I didn't get to hear much at all.

There are a few skills that more than one character has, but for the most part they're very character specific. By the time I was done with FFX, all my characters had the same abilities. My own fault of course, but I've always prefered character specific things, in which FF has been rather lacking for quite some time.

If you didnt see the characters in the movies, they wont be in the games. It sucks, and it's a let down for the hard-core LotR tabletop guys behind this (you should have seen the table set up, I think there's some pictures on EA's official site, in the community day section), but that's copyright laws for ya, or whatever. I didnt see any wizards, excluding of course Gandalf and Saruman.

I agree about the underdog thing, my main enjoyment in this comes from the different perspective this game offers. I've always wondered what everyone else in Middle Earth was doing at the time. How long before they knew what was happening? What'd they think? Didnt anyone else want to do anything about it? That sort of stuff.

The voice acting seems pretty decent. Of course the voice overs by Gandalf are beautiful, the voice actors for the characters seem pretty good. It's not anything that knocked me out of my seat, but they seem to fit; in particular I remember Idrial's voice, it seemed very fitting of an Elven maiden.

As for the comment about 'making your own characters' from Sephiroth., I cant really thing of any traditional RPG that lets you do that, so why would this one? Anyway, Battle for Middle Earth should satisfy that craving, and in TTA, the characters are pretty customizable, and the armor is so extensive that you can really have a hand in the way your character appears.

Some more things I liked, now that my mind is clear -
-The armor includes all the things recent FF's have been lacking; helmets, full armor, greaves, etc, and they actually appear on the character at all times, even in the cutscenes.
-Lots of customization in general
-All the neat things more 'hardcore' RPers want, but enough normalicy to entice first timers. Your starting characters are rather basic, you aquire cooler (in abilities and what not) people as time goes on.
-Very faithful to the LotR story

And more to come, I'm sure.

[Doomgaze]

As for the comment about 'making your own characters' from Sephiroth., I cant really thing of any traditional RPG that lets you do that, so why would this one? Anyway, Battle for Middle Earth should satisfy that craving, and in TTA, the characters are pretty customizable, and the armor is so extensive that you can really have a hand in the way your character appears.

AGH. Have you ever even PLAYED a traditional RPG? Final Fantasy isn't one of them.

[TheAbominatrix]

AGH. Have you ever even PLAYED a traditional RPG? Final Fantasy isn't one of them.

Oh bite me with the semantics.

[Necronopticous]

Oh bite me with the semantics.

Careful, he'll stone you with large D20's!

[TheAbominatrix]

Careful, he'll stone you with large D20's!

Not as long as I know his terrible secret.

[m4tt]

I've wanted this game since I first read about it. And after hearing about what Ashley has learned, I want it even more.

[TheAbominatrix]

I got my advanced copy from EA the other day, and this game is just... incredible. I absolutely love it. I posted my initial thoughts on the site www.the3rdage.com

and I'm now better equipped to answer any questions anyone has.

[escobert]

You got an advanced copy I envy you :(

[Flashback007]

Argh, I hate the stupid Dutch game production things here. They bring out GTA: San Andreas and Lord of the Rings: the Third Age on the same time. :mad2: That really I hate. Although I need to be carefull with my money.

[Shlup]

I want my advanced copy, dammit. :aimmad: Stupid EA...

[SomethingBig]

The whole concept sounds like utter crap. A group of random adventurers helping Gandalf fight the Balrog? Yeah, sure. I bet they levelled up by killing Tom Bombadil, that's why he's not in the movies.
Sounds like FFX to me.

I remember laughing the first time I heard about this game. I've never been particularly fond of RPG's that have not been made by Japanese people. The fact that it was a Lord of the Rings RPG made by EA, who have created the hack 'n' slash LotR games, only added to my laughter. However, after hearing about what it was going to offer, my laughter turned into awe. I loved the movies and the fact that this game will feature side stories compels me even more. I can't wait to get my hands on this game. I hear it has a combo system like in FFX-2. Is this true, Abominatrix? Because if it is, I will definitely buy this game.

[TheAbominatrix]

I've yet to play X-2, so I dont know... do you mean combos between the characters? If so, I havent experienced it yet, but Im only 10 hours or so in. If you want, you can check out the forums on our site and ask our EA contact, we have a special thread for that.

There's a little detail I shared with Mandee last night, and I wanted to tell you all as well because I thought it was just awesome. Your party spends a lot of time just behind the Fellowship. Finding their campsites and such. Well in Moria, does everyone remember the scene where Merry (or Pippin, I forget) reaches out to touch that skeleton that's sitting on the edge of this well-like thing? The head breaks off and the entire body falls, and Gandalf yells at him for it. Well when I was in Moria, I was running down this hall and this skeleton falls right in front of me and I hear the echo of Gandalf yelling. It was awesome.

[SomethingBig]

I'll try to explain the combo system. When one character attacks immediately after another character(like a split second to a second after the preceding character), a combo is formed and additional damage is added to the regular damage and the same goes for the next character and the next.

[TheAbominatrix]

Ah, understood. No, there's nothing like that yet. I dont know if it'll appear later.. the game doesnt throw everything in at once, I think in an effort to help the LotR game fans that are used to the action games.

[m4tt]

I reserved my copy at gamestop yesterday. :love:

[Big D]

What's the replay value like? Is there a lot that you can unlock, or do differently each time you play?
Finding new plot twists, or new ways to do things every time is one the good aspects of the FF series. Does TTA do this as well?

[TheAbominatrix]

I cant really say that too concretely, not until I beat the game, but from my impressions now, it seems to have some decent replayability. Maybe not something you can do over and over, but it shouldnt be a one shot game. There's the Play as Evil deal, where you choose an area and fight as a few different enemy sets (including Moria's Balrog) and spend time anhilating your usual party.

I dont think there will be a whole lot of plot twists except for in character development, considering we all know the story pretty well by now. But there's already some interesting things going on within the party, so that should prove to have some neat twists.

[Loony BoB]

I've heard nothing but rave reviews about this game. That's two reviews, but they were both rave reviews! So it looks good, I might buy it and maybe even play it someday.

[TheAbominatrix]

I've heard nothing but rave reviews about this game. That's two reviews, but they were both rave reviews! So it looks good, I might buy it and maybe even play it someday.

xD I've heard nothing but good things myself.

I, personally, have only one gripe with the game. When I was in Moria, the movie cut scenes with Gandalf narrating seemed to be insinuating that I'd be visiting Lothlorien, most especially since I had an elf of Lorien with me. I was really excited, I wanna to go to the golden wood and explore and talk with the elves. But after the amazing battle against the Balrog, I was set out right at the Plains of Rohan... past the point in the books/movie where the group travels to Lothlorien, and I was still trailing behind the Fellowship. It straight-out skipped it, and I was very disappointed. Maybe I'll get to visit there later in the game, I hope so.

There arent a lot of towns/leisure times in the movies or in the games, and it makes sense, but I do wish that element was there. I know from what I got to play at EA that I do get to talk to folks at Helm's Deep, but seeing as my game keeps freezing (most likely the fault of my PS2) right after the little screen announcing my arrival to Helm's Deep, I wont know for sure until then.

Otherwise, I'm addicted to this game. I just gave Mandee her copy tonight, so feel free to bug her for her impressions as well.

[Shlup]

Justin's playing it while I work on the site a bit. It looks pretty rockin'. I really like the voice acting and the environment of the game. Its weird... but it looks cool.

[SomethingBig]

I just gave Mandee her copy tonight, so feel free to bug her for her impressions as well.
That looked like hug, at first glance.

You wouldn't believe how hyped I am with getting this game. *Weeps* It looks and sounds so unbelievably good.

[Chris]

I'm planning to get this game eventually...but moneys right tight at the moment...so...

$49.99 is a lot, especially when you've spend all of your money on a trip to Asia (which I'm beginning in about two months).

[Big D]

I pre-ordered today. It's out on Thursday, but you still save ten bucks by pre-ordering at Central Park Interactive:D

Originally deleted by Loony BoB
Mark your spoilers!:(

[m4tt]

I still have to pick up my pre order... Ugh I'm so lazy. I'll pick it up this weekend, hopefully by then I'll be finished by the main story of GTA.

[Big D]

xD I've heard nothing but good things myself.

I, personally, have only one gripe with the game. When I was in Moria, the movie cut scenes with Gandalf narrating seemed to be insinuating that I'd be visiting Lothlorien, most especially since I had an elf of Lorien with me. I was really excited, I wanna to go to the golden wood and explore and talk with the elves. But after the amazing battle against the Balrog, I was set out right at the Plains of Rohan... past the point in the books/movie where the group travels to Lothlorien, and I was still trailing behind the Fellowship. It straight-out skipped it, and I was very disappointed. Maybe I'll get to visit there later in the game, I hope so.In the preview on Gamer TV, they showed one of the movie clips from the game - and it was a scene of several Elves in Caras Galadhon. I don't think they'd bother showing film of Lothlorien unless it was actually going to be in the game, so here's hoping.:)
Besides, it'd be good if your characters get to visit the places at different times to the Fellowship. The chances of two groups meeting up that often are pretty low. I prefer the idea of seeing their own stories unfold, rather than them just intersecting with the Fellowship's journey.

What's the in-game music like?

[TheAbominatrix]

They show clips of a lot of things you never get to see. And I dont mean them meeting up, but the whole time you're trailing behind the Fellowship, trying to catch up because Berethor is on a quest to find Boromir. So, logically, you'd follow the Fellowship through Lorien, but that part is skipped. I do hope I get to go back, though. We'll see.

The in game music is standard fare, basically the music from the movies. It certainly isnt as deep and compeling as a Uematsu or Mitsuda composition, but it's good in it's own right. I just wish there were some happy tunes, though of course that wouldnt fit the game. I just miss the lighthearted sorts of tunes that are in FF games and such.

[Big D]

And I dont mean them meeting up, but the whole time you're trailing behind the Fellowship, trying to catch up because Berethor is on a quest to find Boromir. So, logically, you'd follow the Fellowship through Lorien, but that part is skipped. I do hope I get to go back, though. We'll see.The Fellowship's going to get sundered at Rauros, so there'll be plenty of possible ways the story could go from there. Since Gandalf's got some new lines in the game (thanks to the voice-acting), it's possible there could be some new scenes with him and the party. Like, after he defeats the Balrog and wanders into Lothlorien. That scene wasn't shown in the films, but it'd be an ideal chance for a meeting between him and the new characters.
The in game music is standard fare, basically the music from the movies.I'm glad they're keeping the films' music. Shore's compositions captured the mood perfectly.

[m4tt]

I finally picked up my copy today. I just played 6 hours worth. I just beat the crap out of the Balrog, now I go to bed and sleep so I can play 12 hours tomorrow.

[Ryth]

I sadly heard it wasn't too great like EGM gave it a 7.0, 7.0, 5.0. Eeeehh.

[m4tt]

I'm loving it, but I have a few gripes.

Not being able to use Idrial's curing magic outside of battle really sucks. I don't like having to use 20 Kingsfoil to cure one character after a battle.

Not being able to change your party outside of battle is annoying. I end a battle with a character having low heath, then that character dies on the first turn of the next battle. >=\

Other than those two things, I have no real problems with the game.

[Big D]

The game's a bit limited. I finished the whole thing on Normal diffuclty in about 26 hours. The scenery's perfect; the plot's good, but there's a lot lacking. Very little character interaction and development. An extremely brief, empty ending. The game's got a lot in common with FFX, people claim, but the reality's a little different: TTA copies a small amount of FFX's style, but little of its substance.

But the game's got its strong points. Some great new material based on what's hinted at in the books and films; nice expansive locations to explore, and unique, customisable characters. Good difficulty curve.

But still... the game is clearly a rushed effort. It could've been so much more. With another few months of development - perhaps a full two years of work, like most FF-titles, it could've been the FF-rival they were aiming for. As it stands, though, it comes across as a rather slap-dash affair. I might replay it once or twice, but it's likely I'll trade it in for my next purchase.

I know it sounds like I'm being pretty harsh... TTA is an addictive, high-quality game, which captures the attention and holds interest well. However, as I say, it's just got a lot less than you might expect or hope for. That's probably going to be the last time I buy a game based solely on reviews and previews.

[pooter7799]

no rpg can be better then ff yes the game does look good but it isnt better then ff i even heard that there is no dialouge outside of party members

[TheAbominatrix]

It doesnt have to be better than FF, and it's not meant to be better than FF. And you heard wrong, there is dialouge outside of the party.

And thanks for posting that, D. My game is freezing so I havent gotten too far, but it's good to know. Hope I didnt lead you astray xD

[Az Lionheart]

a very good game which is easy on the eyes.....i have not completed it yet....(silly revision for silly exams).......i am in Rohan before helms deep.........

[SomethingBig]

no rpg can be better then ff yes the game does look good but it isnt better then ff i even heard that there is no dialouge outside of party members
Pardon my slight disrespect, but I think you should actually play the game before you pass judgement. However, I must agree that it wouldn't be right calling LotR: TA a FF killer, since no 2 FFs are the same, save for FFX and X-2. You can't actually compare LotR to the FF series; it'd be like comparing 2 minutes of the first Spider-Man movie to the entire second movie. I'll admit, though, that I enjoyed LotR far more than I enjoyed FFX. Everything just played out so well and the dungeons are so emersive. Here's the review I wrote for another site:

I rented this game from Blockbuster yesterday because I can't decide whether to get this or Prince of Persia 2 for Christmas. I had my hopes up for a great RPG, and it delivered. Note that I've only played 5 hours of this game.

The battle system is almost exactly like FFX's(no exaggeration) except for Perfect Mode. Perfect Mode is basically your Overdrive(Limit Break, Trance, etc.) system for LotR. Only problem is that the party shares 1 Perfect Mode bar. Once this bar fills, a new option appears on your battle menu and you get to choose from an array of extremely powerful attacks and really helpful skills. Once you use a Perfect Mode skill, the bar goes back to the halfway mark. Why it does this, I am not certain, but I'm not one to complain. The fact that they shared one meter really disappointed me.

The dungeons in LotR are really immersing and this is where it completely destroys FFX. There are tons of twists and turns in the dungeons leaving you with many secrets to find. There aren't that many battles, which I like, because FFX really dished out battles and they got tedious after the first couple hours.

Another thing the "The Third Age" completely defeats FFX in is the level up system. Not only do you level up(as in your stats go up with each level you gain), but you are also given an extra number of points for you to raise your characters' stats, allowing for a good deal of customization.

Whenever you use a technique, you are rewarded with AP(I forget what it was actually called). Once you get enough AP for the next skill, you learn it. Each character class has their own tech classes. For example, human swordsmen's tech class is called "Leadership" whereas elves have "Spirit Powers".

While FFX was pretty much a walk in the park, The Third Age manages to keep a well-balanced difficulty level. It starts off pretty easy in the beginning, but the difficulty starts to rise later on. You won't be button mashing the Attack command, but instead, you're going to need to actually use your head. It's no longer about using the most powerful attack in this game.

Story-wise, LotR pretty much follows the actual movies' plot. You're actually following in the footsteps of the fellowship and will come across places that they've been to. Nothing really new. The story starts off with a young human walking alone in a forest, when he is attacked by orcs. A female elf saves his life and to repay the elf, the human promises to protect her on her journey.

One thing I really enjoyed about LotR is how Gandalf occasionally fills in gaps in the storyline whenever you complete an important task. It really adds to the mood and the story.

If you're a patient gamer and are really into RPG's, then get this game. I must warn you, though, I have played 4 hours in the first dungeon and I'm still only about 60% through it. This game gets an 8/10.

Note: I just barely touched the water. I have not even begun to describe what else is in the game.

[Mikztsu]

For my bad, I bought this game week ago.

This game is bad. Very, very big disappointment. There's no freedom at all, there's very narrow linear path you need to walk, you really cant make any other choices but what equips you use and in what attributes you use your experience points.

This game sure has it's moments if you're LOTR fan, but I myself haven't been able to find those too many. I'll just try to force myself to complete this game.

[Xander]

I rented it but I've only played it for about an hour, and probably won't play it much more since I have to take it back tomorrow. So far it seems okay, very similar to FFX, at least with the map and battles and stuff. I would have liked to have play as one of the proper LOTR characters though =( I got bored pretty quick but then I think that may just be cos I'm bored of RPGs in general and after playing KH I really wanted to be able to jump xD It seemed really linear too but..I guess I haven't really played enough to make a big judgement. It seems okay but I don't think I'll buy it, I'd still probably rather play an FF if I had the choice. But then I'm not a die hard LoTR fan anyway. *shrug*

[Az Lionheart]

i just started to play this again......i am at helm deep omg sooo many this to kill but i am not complaining. i think the characters from the fellowship are to strong. although it is fun to kill a troll in one move with Aragon it seems a bit to easy when they are with you. :D