The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the... on Xbox (2003)

Brief synopsis of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Christmas is coming and the traditional festivities are almost upon us once again: mince pies and big stockings, weather-based gambling, three-for-two on selected toiletries at Boots, and a new Lord of the Rings film at the cinema. The third and final chapter in the epic Tolkien saga, Return of the King concludes the story with the final battle and, ultimately, the quest to destroy the One Ring by casting it into the amusingly-titled Crack of Doom. This latest tie-in from EA takes the form of a third-person adventure that follows the events of the film and places the fate of Middle Earth in your hands.

Throughout the game, you journey through multiple gameplay paths, taking control of an assortment of heroes from the trilogy and completing a number of missions such as defending the walls of Minas Trith, raising the army of the dead, and, of course, destroying the ring itself. There are eight playable and secret characters in all, including the likes of Gandalf, Aragom, Legolas, Gimli, Sam, and Frodo, each faithfully represented by their respective actor's voice.

Over 12 interactive environments play host to the action, each authentically reproduced from the films. Being interactive means that they serve as more than just a backdrop, letting you incorporate their various features into your strategies for both melee and ranged combat. For example, along the way you're able to perform such manoeuvres as swinging from ropes, firing catapults and kicking boulders.

There's a host of other features to be found throughout the game that enhance both the playability and the overall LOTR experience: a multiplayer mode allows you to form your own fellowship and team up with a friend for the adventure; an authentic soundtrack from Academy Award winner Howard Shore accompanies the action throughout; and the game also comes bundled with a load of never-before-seen footage from the upcoming film. Subsequently, if you're a fan of the series, you'll most certainly want to give this a look.