A story as timeless as J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings has to be handled with care if it is to be recreated outside of it's original novel format, especially if one is recreating it for a visual experience. Most would agree that Peter Jackson's two years of filming and several years of post-production of the film trilogy have paid off, and he has really retained the feel of the original story without sacrificing too much. Yes, some liberties were taken, but that is just something that has to happen with a film, or else each would be so long that the already lengthy three hour commitments would seem like a walk in the park.

But, things are really changed up once again when we switch to the video game format. There are several The Lord of the Rings video games floating around on store shelves, some of which are based straight from the novels. This one, however, is based on the movies, which are based on the novels. So we already have a sized-down story, and it is further sized-down for the game. This game, being primarily of the hack-and-shash fare, really narrows it down to the core battles scenes from the first two movies. In my opinion, that is really a lot of information loss, and it can be bad for both types of players (those who have seen the movies and those who haven't). If you haven't seen the movies, the cut-and-paste storyline will likely be much harder to follow. If you have seen the films, the same cut-and-paste storyline might feel bare and scavenged, and not retain the majestic feel of the cinema.

It is a daunting task to port a movie into the game world. Few succeed. Very few. Fortunately, while The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers is not the best game out right now (for any of the three consoles), it is definitely worth a look. Why? Because it does several things right.

First off, this franchise is not like many others. This is the franchise. The Lord of the Rings crafted and perfected the fantasy world better than any before it, and few, if any, have more successfully captured readers/viewers. The story has so much to offer, so even though what we get in the game, albeit third-hand, is still great stuff. The way this is executed is really interesting. The story is told through a seamless melding of high-quality movie clips, pre-rendered cinemas, and real-time in-game cinemas. Typically we're treated with an important scene from the movie, edited down to its core content, and as the game is about to turn control over to you for a big battle sequence, the scene melts perfectly into a CG sequence that more resembles the game's graphics. Sometimes the characters look a little bit funky in comparison to their real-life counterparts, but it is still a neat trick. Shortly after that, it meshes into the real-time game world, and its time to play. This happens throughout the levels (beginnings, middles, and ends) to drive the story so that its not just continuous, random battle.

If you haven't seen the movie(s), these film clips and cinemas should give you a general idea of what is going on, although the game is certainly no substitute for watching the actual films. But, we are here for the gamplay, right? Right.

Again, this game is pure action, so if you are not into beat-em-ups or constant fighting, this isn't going to be the game for you. The first time you boot the game up, you're immediately thrown into the game with a healthy dose of movie clips. Before you know it, you're in control of Isildur, fighting alongside other soldiers against orcs in the opening battle from the first film. The first level really impressed me, not so much in that the level itself was that great, but the way in which it brought you into the game world. It really serves as a training level to learn how to fight and to see how the rest of the game is going to be played. I found it highly effective on all fronts.

Something that I did notice, though, is that with some of the dark levels, including this first level, it is sometimes hard to keep track of where your character is. When there are hordes of enemies and helping hands on the screen, your character can sort of get lost in the mix, which can cause confusion and life-loss. A better character-identification system in these areas would have been helpful. Of course, speaking of characters, it should be noted that there is plenty of variety in whom you can control. As I mentioned, in the beginning you play as Isildur (the human ancestor of Aragorn). However, in later levels, you can often chose who you wish to control, be that Aragorn, Legolas, or Gimli. Each of these characters has different weapons, are different sizes, and have different fighting tactics, so you can play through levels several times with each character for some pretty solid replay value.

Each character can also be upgraded, with new moves to learn and better abilities, which will help as the difficulty level increases. The better you play, the more upgrades you will be able to afford, so there is immediate reward for smart playing rather than button-mashing. Of course, sometimes all that you can do is button-mash. When you are just flanked with orc after orc, you'll likely be slashing over and over just to try and stay alive, which does bring up two problems I have with the game: lack of enemy variety and repetition of gameplay. For some of you, this may not be a problem at all; however, being a straight action game, there is not any variety in how the game is played, really. And yes, there are some really cool boss fights, but most of the levels will pit you against waves of orcs, which can cause the gameplay to feel tedious. The game is not really that long (it can be beaten in a few hours if you're patient). I guess, though, for the type of game it is, it most definitely excels above its average competition.

The gameplay, then, is pretty standard fare, but if you keep in mind the type of atmosphere you are playing in, it does really boost the excitement; there are few better ideas on which to build a game. And, as you would hopefully expect, this is all backed up by a great soundtrack and terrific visuals. The music is often ripped straight from the films, which is definitely not a bad thing, as the films' soundtracks are really, really good. The music helps to build the tension in the action sequences, and is always full of orchestral goodness. My only complaint with the music is that sometimes there are in-game loading times, which usually pause the action for a split second (in order to keep the between-level loading time down). When this happens, the music cuts out, and I felt it really takes away from the mood that was being set. It takes you out of the world you were in and forces you to realize that you're just playing a video game, which is exactly how you should not be feeling. It's just a small nuance, but a noticeable one.

The game's visuals, though, haven't let me down. The environments are great, the character models are great...everything is really just top notch. It's 3D, of course, but the camera is not controllable. It is usually set for the best cinematic point of view, and it usually does a great job of picking them. I cannot think of any viewpoints that made it hard to see the action (a problem that games like Resident Evil have always faced), so I'm very pleased with that. The game sports a very nice polygon count and excellent texture usage, and while it in no way looks "realistic" (it still looks very much like a PS2 game) it looks wonderful. Most of the locals look very similar to those used in the movies, and environmental effects help to bolster that. This is all topped off with a lovely framerate that does not seem to drop. All in all, its not the prettiest game to come out for the PS2, but its one of the better ones.

Just as the movies take liberty with the novels, the game takes liberties with the movies. Some of the battle scenes are drastically changed in order to provide more time for gameplay. This is completely understandable as long as you aren't hoping to accurately relive the movies by playing the game. You will pick up bits and pieces from the first and second films of the trilogy, and there are obvious spoilers (if you haven't seen the film), but the game is in no way an alternative to seeing the movies. It is a separate entity, and should be enjoyed as such. In comparison to other games in the genre, it clearly excels; the visuals, music, and presentation really shine and help move the player through those times of repetitive action. Any Lord of the Rings fan will enjoy the game, and anyone who is not familiar with the series (because you've been living under a rock) will surely be drawn into it after playing the game. It is an all around solid experience.