Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3624 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Electronic Arts
• Released on: 2005-12-02
• Platform: Sony PSP

Manufacturer's Description
The Lord of the Rings Tactics will put players in the universe of Middle-earth from the books and films and allow them to lead the Fellowship or take control of the forces of Shadow. The tactical RPG game features a rich system of items, upgrades and skills for the player to customise their heroes.

Players can guard their heroes, which include Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Frodo, Gandalf and Sauron, among others. They can also seize high ground, set ambushes and trap enemies while fighting battles across famous locations of the books and films to determine the future of Middle-earth.

The Lord of the Rings Tactics will feature a multiplayer mode that will allow up to four players to pit their customised heroes via WiFi. A unique, simultaneous turn-taking system allows for fast-paced play.

Tactical RPGs are turn-based role-playing games. Differentiating features of a tactical RPG are: 1) turn-based play: similar in strategy to chess--where players plan several moves in advance; 2) played on a grid of many squares; and 3) more characters are controlled than in a traditional RPG.

Customer Reviews

Could have been better
I hesitated quite a bit before buying this game because of the poor reviews, but being a big fan of games like Fire Emblem I took the plunge.
All in all this isn't a bad game and it's a definite improvement on EA's GBA handheld strategy LOR game they released last year.
Buy or not to buy? I would say it's a buy but only if you are willing to put up with a few faults.
1. The game freezes up, so make sure you save after each battle.
2. During the battles there are a few glitches which mean for some reason you are unable to move or order your characters to attack and to add to the frustration you get an on screen message telling you you haven't issued orders to all your soldiers.
3. As with all EA games, the instruction booklet is minimal, so you have to pick up a lot of things as you go along. If you don't know who characters like Legolas are and you don't know what the different spells do (EA seem to assume everyone has read the LOR Trilogy) then the game can get a bit confusing.

On a more positive note, there's quite a bit a replay value, graphics aren't too bad and there are lots of cut scenes from the films.

It's a shame that big companies like EA don't put just a bit more effort into their games before releasing them. A bit more work on Lord of the Rings: Tactics and it could have been up there with the likes of Fire Emblem and Advance Wars.

A good progress
About this game I have to say that this is a good work. I like on it the good graphics and that it leaves you in suspence.I like to be in a world of imagination and to travel in the time.When you play this game you have the pleasure inside you and when you end this game you say "Why it is over,I want to play it again." I think that this game is one of the best games for PSP.

Really good fun
I have not played a turn taking strategy game before and was expecting this to be both boring and slow, it is neither.
This game is great fun for both fans of LOTR and newbies. You control either the goodies or armies of Mordor, building up your teams as you go (all of the main characters from the book and film are featured). You can choose which of your group to use on what mission and use money to give them better powers and more fun extra spells, to use along the way.

Each level consists of a section roughly connected with the film and you move around a large 'board' of squares basically killing each other with various powers, swords, arrows etc.

It sounds dull but it's great, you really have to use your brain on what to do in each mission, who to use from your squad and when to sacrifice various characters. It often comes down to the last bloke in your team smashing away at the enemy with the last of their energy.

I also always find PSP games too easy but this is pitched just right for adults and once you completed it with one side you can go back and try again with the other.

I would go as far to say that this is the best, most engaging and fun game I have played on the PSP. Superb.