The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (I) (2002 Video Game) User Reviews

Easy, yet enjoyable, J.R.R Tolkien's books receive a worthy PS2 adaptation!

[general-melchett · 7/10 · 14 October 2006]

Lord of the Rings has become perhaps the biggest franchise of the decade. The last film was the second most successful film of all time, all of the films won Oscars, and loads of games for various consoles have been made for it. This was the first one - it is based on the book, not the movie. However, it is only different to the movie in one part - it has an extra level - the Old Forest. The graphics in this game are superb for 2002, the fight sequences are well done and made, the characters actually look like they do in the film, and the fact that you can play as different ones makes this game even better. However, there is one small problem - the game is so goddamn short. It would be perfectly possible to complete it in a day, and none of the levels really infuriate you to the soul. The fact that you can save your game as many times as you like, when you like, only makes this game easier. Die-hard gamers will feel slightly browned off, and the fact you can't play as Gimli or Legolas (or even a different Hobbit) is slightly disappointing. But the characters you can play as are the main highlights of the trilogy, and each have their own special abilities. Easily infuriated people will never get angry at this game, and I myself will probably play it in the future, because what there is of it is a great job well done.

Despite being ridiculously easy, this is a worthy adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien's best-selling book, and is very enjoyable. I recommend it! 7/10

Enjoyable Adventure Game

[bbagnall · 16 April 2003]

After having read other poor reviews for this XBox game, I had low expectations going into it. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this game. I expected the book version of Lord of the Rings, not the movie version, and that is what I got. Yes, the movie was amazing, but the storyline is also great and that is what this game recreates. There is very little action in the game, which is what I suspect most people had a problem with. This is an adventure game with some action elements, not the other way around. It is a little similar to the questing Gameplay of Zelda N64 games but not as well done - can any game do it as good as Zelda?

The graphics are amazing, of course far better than the N64 Zelda. I would say on par with the graphics in Halo, and the recreation of the Shire is amazing. All around Frodo, the environment is alive. Swallows fly around, swooping down low. Insects buzz around and leaves fall off the trees. Clouds flow through the sky, and smoke billows out of chimneys. Water is beautiful.

This game is a must have for fans of the Lord of the Rings books. It is not perfect, but there are no other Lord of the Rings games out there with this kind of scope. What are you waiting for, someone else to make a LOTR game that is better? It is not going to happen, so you might as well play this one.

Best Lord of the Rings adaptation on PS2 I ever played but sadly ends on a cliffhanger.

[crosswalkx · 10/10 · 4 May 2019]

As you know this game isn't based on the movie version of Fellowship of the Rings but is based on the book version of Fellowship of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. You play as 3 main characters, Frodo Baggins, Aragon and Gandalf.

Frodo fights with a stick and throws rocks and later with a dagger, Aragon fights with a sword and bow and arrow, Gandalf fights with a sword and shoots fireballs, uses a staff strike and chain lightning. You fight wolves, spiders, ghosts, orcs, trolls, human guards who are attacking Frodo, Aragon, Gandalf. There is a hard boss fight against the Balrog at the bridge. Unfortunately you can't play as Sam, Merry, Pippin, Legolas, Gimli or Boromir which would've been interesting.

This game is has a linear path much like Final Fantasy 10, 13. You cannot return or visit the Shire or Tom Bombadil's house or the town of Bree, Rivendell, Lothlorien, you can visit them but you can't return back to those towns anymore. There are some puzzles you have to solve in the mines of Moria which can get tedious as you have to push blocks around.

This game featured the Old Forest with Old Man Willow tree you fight as a boss, the guest appearance of Tom Bombadil and Fog on the Barrow Downs fighting Wright ghosts which was removed from the New Line Cinema movie version.

This game also foreshadowed the Scouring of the Shire Events in the Mirror of Galadrie scene that would take place during the Return of the King. Sadly the game never showed the Shire being taken over by Lobelia Sackville-Baggins and Ted Sandyman who tore down the old mill for a brick factory and the Ruffians who invaded the Shire and made Hobbits slaves. We never got to see Saruman and Gríma Wormtongue take over the Shire or how they were defeated by Frodo, Sam Merry, Pippin.

I like how Black Label Games adapted this game from the book into the video game, it's very well spot on. I wish more video games based on books would have good adaptations. But sadly the game ends on a cliffhanger with the fate of Boromir being unknown at Amon Hen. Frodo begins his journey into Mordor with Sam.

I wish that Black Label company had made a sequel The Two Towers though they were planning on making Treason of Isengard and The Return of the King, they should've expanded this game to include Two Towers and Return of the King. Just like Square-Enix did with Final Fantasy 7, 8, 9 and Dragon Warrior. To me it's like getting Final Fantasy 7, 8, 9 with one disc but ending on a cliffhanger. I really would've wanted it to be a trilogy and have 3 discs on Playstation 2 and Xbox.

To this day I'm still waiting for the 2 sequels we never got, also there's still no Lord of the Rings video games that featured Scouring of the Shire which I'm surprised by.

Yes The Two Towers and Return of the King video games did get made but those are based on movies by New Line Cinema and made by EA games at the time. Someday I'll made fan fiction video game that has Scouring of the Shire events included.

This game sucks.

[JamesAlexRandles · 1/10 · 28 October 2013]

This doesn't remotely follow the movie or the books really well. Some of the voice acting is bad. The graphics look awful. The controls and game-play sucks beyond all compassion. And some of the stuff just doesn't work like a Ringwrath following you in the mines of Moria. I know Ringwraths are trackers, but they can't do that. The only good thing about this game is that some of the voice-acting isn't bad and when it follows the story, it can be amusing. But if you want to play a good Lord of the Rings game, just play Two Towers or Return of the King. Heck, play War in the North and third age. They're better than this. This get's a 1 out of 10. And just because, I'm spoiling the ending. You fight a Ringwrath on a fell beast for an awful final boss fight with clunky shooting controls and then they say Frodo might have finished the quest. Lamest ending ever!I'm Ratchet Kenndey and SCREW THIS GAME!

Is the Expansion DVD of Part1 Fellowship...

[slopa · 6 February 2003]

It had many new scenes (actually cutted scenes from the 2001 movie)... well...at least 40 minutes plus, but the playlist (actors, etc) has 20 minutes to display..the ripped version has 4 cd's and 2.66 GB (2,859,040,768 bytes), is good to have & watch ..