The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

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Aww, Middle-earth. Orcs, giant spiders, evil dragons… such a happy place to return to every time.

My introduction came through the films, not the books, but they hooked me instantly. Fellowship of the Ring blew me away the first time I saw it at the Metreon in San Francisco. I went back five more times during its run, and the trilogy has remained a personal favorite ever since.

When the games were announced, I was excited, even though I knew better. Movie tie-ins were rarely great, but at the time I just wanted more of Middle-earth. Starting the first level as Isildur during the Battle of the Last Alliance put me at ease. The scale, the spectacle, and Howard Shore’s score blasting from my speakers told me I was in good hands.

Against the odds, the adaptation became a hit, selling nearly four million copies and sparking new interest in hack-and-slash brawlers. 

I originally played it on PS2, but for this review I revisited the GameCube version. Now, let’s dive back into Middle-earth… and yes, Frodo, I hear you yelling for help. I’ll get there, just as soon as I finish off this wave of orcs. That hobbit is so needy for my time in this game.

The Two Towers is a hack-and-slash action game played from a third-person perspective. EA skipped the first film but made up for it by including key battles from it here. Stormfront Studios translated Jackson’s vision into interactive form with impressive visual fidelity for the time.

Character models resembled their film counterparts, and Orlando Bloom’s graceful Legolas and John Rhys-Davies’ gruff Gimli fought with authentic weight. Gimli might have needed a little more work for his face, but it’s passable. For Aragorn, Viggo Mortensen and swordmaster Bob Anderson even visited the studio to demonstrate swordplay, allowing the team to capture his movements frame by frame.

The game begins with the first film’s prologue, then moves through moments like Weathertop, Mines of Moria and ultimately Helm’s Deep. With the exception of the first two levels, all levels can be played with Aragorn, Legolas, or Gimli.

Combat strikes a nice balance between accessibility and depth. Quick strikes are fast but weak, while fierce attacks deal more damage and break shields at the cost of leaving you open. Each hero also has ranged attacks, finishing moves, parries, knock backs, and a charged fierce attack. Combos are essential, with each character unlocking unique strings. The parry system is clunky at first and you will spend a lot of time on the ground, but practice and upgrades make combat feel rewarding

Progression adds more depth. Each character gains experience, which you can use to purchase new abilities. Legolas excels at ranged precision, Gimli rewards aggressive close combat, and Aragorn provides the best balance.

Experience can be spent on combos, stronger attacks, and health boosts. Performance during stages is graded from “Fair” to “Perfect,” with higher ratings granting more points. A skill meter rises with each successful strike, dropping if you are hit or repeat moves. Reaching Perfect briefly boosts attack strength and doubles experience, but only for a short time.

The game leans heavily on film clips to frame levels, but they feel more like trailers than story. Since The Two Towers film had not released yet, the developers were limited in what they could show, leaving quick montages that sometimes recycled shots.

The audio design, however, shines. Howard Shore’s soundtrack gives weight to every battle, while crisp sound effects and voice work from the cast keep things authentic. Cutting through enemies while the score soars is a constant highlight and one of my favorite aspects of the game.

Level design also deserves praise for recreating iconic locations with enough interactivity to make them feel like gameplay spaces. The Battle of Amon Hen is a standout, with lighting, sound, and atmosphere that capture the film’s climactic energy. 

Other levels introduce mechanics like knocking down ladders at Helm’s Deep before the walls are overrun or defending villagers in Rohan. Boss fights also mix things up with unique mechanics that require strategy rather than button mashing, though they can be frustrating until you figure them out.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a simple but fun ride for fans of the films. It is short, with only about a dozen levels, and like most hack-and-slash games it can feel repetitive. The difficulty is usually light, though it occasionally spikes in ways that leave you stuck without knowing how to progress.

What it lacks in narrative it makes up for in atmosphere. The game captures the battles beautifully, and for an action game, that’s probably the most important aspect to get right.

I could have done without Frodo crying for help every few seconds in the levels he appears in, but that is a small complaint in an otherwise enjoyable adaptation.

For fans of the films, it’s definitely a must play and a few days of fun.

And one last note, where are Merry, Pippin, and Sam? The three hobbits are completely absent from the Fellowship levels. Leaving out Sam feels like a crime, and that’s one less tater tot I award in this game’s review.

I’ll see you next week friends with our first NES game. Enjoy the long weekend and eat lots of tots!

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