| The Lord of the Rings: Tactics | |
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| Developer(s) | Electronic Arts |
| Publisher(s) | Electronic Arts |
| Released |  November 8, 2005 |
| Genre | Tactical RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Multiplayer |
| Ratings | ESRB: Teen |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation Portable |
| Media | UMD |
The Lord of the Rings: Tactics is the first tactics title for the Sony PlayStation Portable. It features characters from the popular fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. However, it is a direct adaptation of Peter Jackson's movie adaptations, and has characters that resemble the movies' depictions of them. This game was published by Electronic Arts.
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Gameplay
The gameplay takes place on an isometric grid. The game's characters move at the same time, rather than manipulating each entity, one by one. This is meant to add strategy and depth to the game. Another featured of the game is called the Zone of Control. The Zone of Control means that if the player's character is next to his opponent's square on the grid, they must stop and fight. By using the Zone of Control, combined with the simultaneous movement, the player can trap an enemy unit. This requires the player to think ahead, about what their opponent may do. The player begins small, and eventually gets to controlling a handful of "heroes", who progressively get more powerful. These are combined with a number of warriors. The user may play as six members of the Fellowship or the minions of Sauron.
Reaction
This title is regarded as a mediocre tactics game[1][2][3]. Some of the main complaints that ultimately hamper the potential of this game are:
- The bizarre camera that isn't under the player's control while their decisions are being resolved
- The lack of depth and character customization that have become the signature of tactics-RPG style hybrids
- The length of the game was only enough to last an average gamer about 10 hours, which for a tactical-RPG is quite short.
- A sudden burst of difficulty at the end, that seemed almost like a stunt designed to save the game from being called "too easy"
- There are concrete numbers that express how much damage the player's characters can do, but insufficient information is given as to what affects them
The positive aspects include:
- Interesting new mechanics offer more variety in gameplay
- The aesthetic quality of the scenery was quite good
- The player could play as the good or evil sides, giving more content to fans of the series
- There were several different tasks that the player may have to accomplish during a mission, changing things up a little, and keeping the game from getting boring
Playable characters
Protagonists |
Antagonists |
