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Lord of the Rings (video game)
Encyclopedia
J.R.R. Tolkien' s The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I is the name of two different video games published by Interplay Productions.
(MS-DOS
) and the Amiga
. It was followed by The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers. It was originally for the Commodore 64
, but the production team switched to the newer platforms.
make more frequent appearance outside of daylight hours, and other enemies receive strength bonuses in the dark.
Departures from the book include new characters and shifts in items to create player "quests"--such as finding the pieces of Andúril scattered across the lands west of Rivendell to reforge Aragorn
's sword, whereas in the book Aragorn had all fragments. The most significant change is in the climax, where Frodo and Sam are carried off by a Nazgûl to the tower of Dol Guldur
, and the rest of the Fellowship must solicit the help of the Elves of Lothlórien and Radagast
the Brown, a wizard, in order to infiltrate the tower and save Frodo before the Witch-king carries him away to Mordor
. Strangely enough, events in Lothlórien are actually quite true to the book, including the mirror of Galadriel
and a quest to find all the gifts she gives the Fellowship.
, and progressively acquires the remaining members of the Fellowship; Samwise Gamgee
, Peregrin Took
, Meriadoc Brandybuck
, Aragorn, Legolas
, Gimli
, and Gandalf
(Boromir
strangely only makes a single brief appearance). With the addition of extra controllers and the SNES Multitap, the game supported up to four players (provided there were currently four characters in the party). Any characters not controlled by the player(s) are controlled by the computer A.I..
The game progresses through a series of "fetch quests" in which the player must explore vast environments to retrieve items relative to the game's story. These items are often simple trinkets that have been misplaced by the game's non-player characters (NPCs). Much like the book, the game begins in the Shire, the land of the Hobbits. The game's plot takes the player to various locations from the book, such as the village of Bree, the elven city of Rivendell
, and the Mines of Moria. Unlike the book, however, the finale of the game is the fight between the Fellowship and the Balrog creature in the Mines of Moria (the first volume of the book ends significantly later).
Although the game is entitled Lord of the Rings, Vol. I, no sequel was ever released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
#169 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 4 out of 5 stars. The sequel, The Lord of the Rings: Volume II, picks up where Part I left off, but due to poor sales a third installment was never released.
The SNES version of the game was poorly received in a 2004 1up.com review, citing poor AI and hours of "lengthy and boring" fetch quests.
Based on 24 reviews of the game at GameFAQs.com, the game received an average rating of 4.875 out of 10. Many reviewers described the game as "pointless" and "stupid", especially in reference to the game's "fetch quest" structure, and poor A.I. which causes characters to "...frequently wander off and die, or [to] get stuck on the scenery [to be] left behind." The game is also criticized for its expansive environments that are extraordinarily difficult to navigate. The game was originally packaged with maps of the major dungeons of the game, but due to most used game retailers not requiring such materials as part of a trade-in, most people purchasing the game secondhand had no access to such information.
Personal computers
The game was released in 1990 for the IBM PCIBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, is the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It is IBM model number 5150, and was introduced on August 12, 1981...
(MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
) and the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
. It was followed by The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers. It was originally for the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, but the production team switched to the newer platforms.
Overview
The PC game is an RPG wherein the player, after an opening cinematic, takes control of Frodo Baggins just outside of Bag End. From here, the player gradually "recruits" various members of the Fellowship, and while the game can be completed by following the novel for the most part, many side-quests also exist to entertain the player. The game world was quite large and featured a cast of characters from both the text and outside of it; character interaction is carried out through "questioning" other characters by typing keywords in a box. The player can swap whoever leads the "fellowship", equip other party members with a range of weapons and armour, distribute skills among the group, cast spells, and perform various skill-based actions. While following a somewhat linear plot, gameplay is quite open and players can revisit old areas and, potentially, discover new situations and characters, creating a fairly dynamic game world. The game also includes a day/night cycle, in which enemies such as the NazgûlNazgûl
The Nazgûl are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
make more frequent appearance outside of daylight hours, and other enemies receive strength bonuses in the dark.
Departures from the book include new characters and shifts in items to create player "quests"--such as finding the pieces of Andúril scattered across the lands west of Rivendell to reforge Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
's sword, whereas in the book Aragorn had all fragments. The most significant change is in the climax, where Frodo and Sam are carried off by a Nazgûl to the tower of Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur
Dol Guldur was Sauron's stronghold in Mirkwood in the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. It is first mentioned in The Hobbit. The hill itself, rocky and barren, was the highest point in the southwestern part of the forest. Before Sauron's occupation it was called Amon Lanc...
, and the rest of the Fellowship must solicit the help of the Elves of Lothlórien and Radagast
Radagast (Middle-earth)
Radagast the Brown is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is one of the Istari or Wizards who were sent by the angelic Valar to aid the Elves and Men of Middle-earth in their struggle against the Dark Lord Sauron...
the Brown, a wizard, in order to infiltrate the tower and save Frodo before the Witch-king carries him away to Mordor
Mordor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...
. Strangely enough, events in Lothlórien are actually quite true to the book, including the mirror of Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
and a quest to find all the gifts she gives the Fellowship.
SNES
A version of the game, described as "a totally different design and thus a totally different game", was released in 1994.Overview
The player begins the game as Frodo BagginsFrodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.He is the main protagonist of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited Sauron's Ring from Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom...
, and progressively acquires the remaining members of the Fellowship; Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee, later known as Samwise Gardner and commonly as Sam, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. Samwise is one of the chief characters in Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, in which he fills an archetypical role as the sidekick of the protagonist, Frodo...
, Peregrin Took
Peregrin Took
Peregrin Took, more commonly known as Pippin, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. Pippin is introduced as a Hobbit who plays a major role as one of the companions of Frodo Baggins, in his quest to destroy the One Ring.Peregrin was the only son of...
, Meriadoc Brandybuck
Meriadoc Brandybuck
Meriadoc Brandybuck, usually referred to as Merry, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured throughout his most famous work, The Lord of the Rings....
, Aragorn, Legolas
Legolas
Legolas is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. He is an Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring.- Literature :...
, Gimli
Gimli (Middle-earth)
Gimli is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. A Dwarf warrior, he is the son of Glóin ....
, and Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
(Boromir
Boromir
Boromir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the first two volumes of The Lord of the Rings , and is mentioned in the last volume, The Return of the King....
strangely only makes a single brief appearance). With the addition of extra controllers and the SNES Multitap, the game supported up to four players (provided there were currently four characters in the party). Any characters not controlled by the player(s) are controlled by the computer A.I..
The game progresses through a series of "fetch quests" in which the player must explore vast environments to retrieve items relative to the game's story. These items are often simple trinkets that have been misplaced by the game's non-player characters (NPCs). Much like the book, the game begins in the Shire, the land of the Hobbits. The game's plot takes the player to various locations from the book, such as the village of Bree, the elven city of Rivendell
Rivendell
Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...
, and the Mines of Moria. Unlike the book, however, the finale of the game is the fight between the Fellowship and the Balrog creature in the Mines of Moria (the first volume of the book ends significantly later).
Although the game is entitled Lord of the Rings, Vol. I, no sequel was ever released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
Reception
The PC version of the game was well-received with generally favourable reviews, but did not sell well. The game was reviewed in 1991 in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#169 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 4 out of 5 stars. The sequel, The Lord of the Rings: Volume II, picks up where Part I left off, but due to poor sales a third installment was never released.
The SNES version of the game was poorly received in a 2004 1up.com review, citing poor AI and hours of "lengthy and boring" fetch quests.
Based on 24 reviews of the game at GameFAQs.com, the game received an average rating of 4.875 out of 10. Many reviewers described the game as "pointless" and "stupid", especially in reference to the game's "fetch quest" structure, and poor A.I. which causes characters to "...frequently wander off and die, or [to] get stuck on the scenery [to be] left behind." The game is also criticized for its expansive environments that are extraordinarily difficult to navigate. The game was originally packaged with maps of the major dungeons of the game, but due to most used game retailers not requiring such materials as part of a trade-in, most people purchasing the game secondhand had no access to such information.
External links
- J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I at IGN
- J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I at GameFAQs
- J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I at MobyGames
- J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I at GameSpy
- J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I at AllGame
- J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I at GameSpot