Lord of the Rings: The Third Age Reviews

The first couple reviews are in for EA's Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, but does it live up to our expectations? By the looks of these first two reviews, it just might. The first is at IGN Xbox with an overall score of 8.5/10:
For the most part, The Third Age rips gamers from their living rooms and dumps them in a detailed rendition of Middle Earth. EA Redwood Shores has faithfully recreated everything from the glowing majesty of Rivendell to the murky depths of Helm's Deep. Suffice to say, this is one of the best looking games based on Tolkien's classic trilogy. But, as gamers everywhere know, looks aren't everything. It's one thing to have video games look as good as the movies they're based on, but what good is any of it if the actual gameplay isn't enough to keep you playing. Thankfully, this combat heavy RPG delivers the goods, although some die hard RPG fans may be put off by its overly streamlined approach. The action is fast, with no lulls in gameplay from beginning to end. Plus, the Co-Op mode and Evil Mode make great additions to a game already packed with a ton of Tolkienesque goodness.

And the second is at TotalGames.net with an overall score of 85%:
Third Age is the definitive Lord Of The Rings experience. It remains faithful to the film trilogy in terms of graphics and sound, and uses the licence to full effect, while at the same time delivering a captivating and enjoyable adventure. Good work EA.