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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King for Xbox Original
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King for the Xbox Original is an action game in which you experience the battle against Sauron's armies from different characters. The story follows three routes, including Gandalf, Aragorn and Sam. You'll journey through battles and dangerous passages as Frodo tries to bring the Ring to Mount Doom.
The battles revolve around attack chains, breaking through defenses and repelling in time. You also use remote weapons and parts of the environment, such as a catapult or loose boulders, when an assignment gives reason to do so. The situation on the screen constantly requires choices: disperse a group, first eliminate a dangerous opponent or make room to achieve an objective.
You can play alone or collaborate with two players on the same Xbox Original. Then you also pay attention to where your fellow player is standing and which enemies still pose a threat. Earned experience points give you access to new skills, so you can continue building a character after a mission. Replaying levels gives you the opportunity to practice combinations and use other heroes. Film images, voices and music connect the assignments with the film world, while you perform the movements and attacks during the confrontations.
Region and language
Our Xbox Original games are PAL editions and come with a Dutch or English box, unless stated otherwise. By default, you receive the version for the European market. We note it in the product details if the region is different or the box is in another language. In almost all cases, the game is playable at least in English, and often in the other five common European languages too.
Manual
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King for Xbox Original includes the manual unless the product title states otherwise. If the booklet is missing, the title says “No Manual”. This lets you see before ordering whether the game comes with a manual.
The manuals included with our games usually contain at least English and often around six European languages. The exact languages vary by edition, so Dutch is not always included. The booklet explains the controls and the main rules. You can use it to check how to control the game, which actions are available and how its different features work.
The history of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Return of the King was released in 2003 and built on Electronic Arts' The Two Towers. The new game was developed at EA Redwood Shores and ported for the Xbox Original by Hypnos Entertainment. The approach remained connected to Peter Jackson's films, including film fragments and contributions from the actors. The music and recognizable places provided a connection between the different storylines.
The successor mainly broadened the playable side of the battle. More main characters were given a place and the campaign was divided over three routes. This allowed the game to cover both major battles and the more dangerous journey of the hobbits. The environments also had more components that you can use during a confrontation, so that you sometimes have to look at the space around you to progress.
A key difference was the addition of two-person cooperative play. Where Two Towers had a single-player campaign, you could now move through the action together with a second controller. The shared playing space requires coordination, especially when multiple enemies attack simultaneously. Skill development remained present, linking repeating a level to mastering a larger repertoire of attacks.
Similar games for Xbox Original
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers lays the immediate foundation with parries, combinations and points to buy skills. The campaign there is for one player and focuses mainly on three heroes. Return of the King expands that with more characters, three routes and the option to fight locally with two players.
Gauntlet: Dark Legacy shares defeating groups of fantasy enemies together and developing a hero. The emphasis is more on moving through areas, collecting items and maintaining your health. Return of the King uses well-defined film assignments and makes the careful combination of attack and defense more of an activity.
Spartan: Total Warrior also puts you in the middle of major battles, with weapons and attacks for different situations. Antiquity and mythology form the background there. Return of the King alternates the large-scale battle with routes around smaller groups of main characters and also allows you to carry out these assignments together with one fellow player.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus is related by the joint action against groups and the choice of figures with their own weapons. It uses a cartoon world and platform sections. Return of the King gives that battle structure a cinematic Middle-earth interpretation, with more emphasis on repelling and breaking through enemy defenses.
X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse also features collaboration and heroes gaining new abilities. It further develops the group composition and development as an action RPG. Return of the King keeps progress more closely tied to individual assignments and during battles mainly requires you to learn to perform your character's movements and combinations.
