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PS2 GBA, GC & Xbox Mobile Mac }} | genre = Action, hack and slash | modes = Single player, multiplayer }} ''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' is a action/hack and slash video game developed by EA Redwood Shores for the PlayStation 2 and Windows, by Hypnos Entertainment for the GameCube and Xbox, by Griptonite Games for the Game Boy Advance, by JAMDAT for mobile, and by Beenox for Mac. The game was published by Electronic Arts. It is a sequel to the 2002 game ''The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers''. The game is an adaptation of Peter Jackson's 2002 film ''The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' and his 2003 film ''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'', which was released shortly after the game. As it is not an adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's 1954 novel, ''The Return of the King'', the third volume in his ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy, anything from the novel not specifically mentioned or depicted in the films could not be represented in the game. This is because, at the time, Vivendi Universal Games, in partnership with Tolkien Enterprises, held the rights to the video game adaptations of Tolkien's literary works, whilst Electronic Arts held the rights to the video game adaptations of the New Line Cinema films. The game is similar to its predecessor in basic gameplay, but differs by adding multiple storylines, more playable characters and increased interaction with environments. A two-player co-op mode is also available for some missions. As with ''The Two Towers'', ''The Return of the King'' was developed in close collaboration with the filmmakers, using many of the actual reference photos, drawings, models, props and other assets from the film. The game was met with positive critical reception for its graphics, audio, and gameplay, although its camera positioning and short length were criticized. ==Gameplay== Described by the developers as a modern version of ''Gauntlet'', ''The Return of the King'' is a hack and slash action game played from a third-person perspective. The game is very similar to its predecessor in basic gameplay. Each character has a quick attack which does minimal damage and can be easily blocked, and a fierce attack, which does more damage, but is slower and leaves the player vulnerable to attack. Only fierce attacks can break enemy shields. Each character also has a ranged attack, a "killing move" (which can be used to instantly kill downed enemies), a parry (which can deflect enemy attacks), a knock back (which pushes nearby enemies away), a jump back (in which the player character jumps back away from the enemy), a devastating attack (a charged fierce attack) and a special ability. Playable characters in the console and PC versions are Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Frodo and Sam, with Faramir, Pippin and Merry available as unlockable characters. Playable characters in the GBA version are Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Frodo, Gandalf, and Éowyn, with Gollum and Sam available as unlockable characters. Each playable character has their own set of combos and attributes. After the end of each level the player can upgrade their characters' abilities and combos using experience points. The number of points available to the player depends on the efficiency of their kills. During each level, the player will be continually graded on the skill with which they dispatch enemies; "Fair", "Good", "Excellent" and "Perfect." The more skill with which the player kills, the more experience they acquire. The player's skill is measured by an on-screen meter which increases as the player dispatches enemies. To avoid the meter dropping back down, the player must avoid being hit, and kill enemies using a variety of different methods. When a player reaches a Perfect level, all of their attacks increase in strength, and the experience from each kill is doubled. However, Perfect status only lasts for a brief period of time. A new aspect of ''Return of the King'' is that at the end of each level, rather than purchasing upgrades for the individual character, the player can also purchase "Fellowship" upgrades which apply to every playable character. However, characters will only be able to avail of a particular skill when they have reached the corresponding experience level. A major change from ''The Two Towers'' is the interactive nature of the game environments.〔 The player can operate machinery, for example bridges and catapults, to complete objectives, and use environmental objects as weapons, such as spears and cauldrons, to kill enemies. The levels are also twice the size of the largest level from ''The Two Towers'' and many are less linear.〔 Unlike ''The Two Towers'', ''The Return of the King'' features a co-op mode, allowing two players to play through the game together.〔 The North American PlayStation 2 version also has an online multiplayer mode, with USB headset support, although this was removed from the European version of the game. The Game Boy Advance version is more of a hack and slash RPG, and is played from an isometric three-quarter top-down view.〔 A major gameplay difference in this version is the addition of "runes" which players can etch into their weapons, granting them special abilities. The game also features co-op multiplayer through the Game Boy link function, and unlockable content when connected to the GameCube version via the Nintendo GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (video game)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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