EA's recent licensing of the Lord of the Rings literary works is sure to extend their video game franchise beyond Peter Jackson's visionary films. In fact, next year's The Battle for Middle-earth II will incorporate a good chunk of new content from Tolkien's novels. However, tending to this new source material and crafting a solid portable adventure may have been too much for PSP owners to hope for in LOTR: Tactics.
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IGN (77/100) applauds EA%uFFFDs efforts to merge the movie and book content, but seems unimpressed with the appearance: %uFFFDWhere LOTR Tactics doesn%uFFFDt get it quite right is in the presentation%uFFFDit fails to capitalize on the persistently-cool Lord of the Rings license.%uFFFD
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GameSpot (65/100) faulted the game%uFFFDs cumbersome interface and slow pacing: %uFFFDTactics doesn%uFFFDt execute on its design particularly well. The whole game has a sluggish, clunky feel to it%uFFFDit takes a very tolerant Lord of the Rings fan to appreciate this game.%uFFFD
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GameSpy (60/100) favors the multiplayer skirmish over the solo campaign due to the lack of diversity in the game%uFFFDs units: %uFFFDSpecial skills are actually few and far between, making some of the more powerful characters (especially Sauron and the Balrog) out to be real disappointments. They just seem like everyone else.%uFFFD
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Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (1UP) (60/100) was disappointed in Tactics%uFFFD short length and recycled character models from earlier LOTR offerings: %uFFFDIt%uFFFDs a game that seems like it was designed via checklist and so it%uFFFDs thorough, with the requisite team management, fun attacks, loads of spells and varied missions. Serviceable, but uninspired.%uFFFD
What we%uFFFDre left with is a half-hearted attempt to extend the classic franchise, now two years removed from the groundbreaking films. PSP owners who need their portable Rings fix might enjoy the game%uFFFDs unique battle mechanics, but without a buddy to leverage the multiplayer component, this latest sojourn to Middle-earth will be short and unfulfilling.
