why?! why wont they just make a single player RPG game where you can just walk around middle earth doing quests, killing monsters, meeting characters, participating in key events or just look at the beautiful sceanery? (like an elder scrolls oblivion type of game...only LOTR).

rendi267

Not exactly oblivion... but it is a single player RPG set in the time of LOTR Trilogy and has many/all of the key events. Turn-based combat though. And very little character interaction. And you play as a new unknown character who I never heard of before. As a game its OK but not great. I'd give it a 7/10.

http://uk.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/tlotrthethirdage/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=tabs&tag=tabs;reviews

I know it's not really what your looking for but thought you might be interested. The balrog battle is a must see, really exciting! Really captures that feeling of awe I got when I saw the movie for the first time.

I loved all the Jak games... I found them fun and a challenge. The difficulty and retrying some missions only made it more fun for me and I got all 600 orbs in Jak 3.

Strangely enough I hated the R&C games. I played them but I found the story and the characters idiotic and uninteresting. The story is a big part for me in games, coming second behind gameplay.

I didn't like the gameplay in Ratchet either, the total emphasis on weapons and also the long loading times hidden by a stupid spaceship cut scene between every single world... really unnecessary... and really gets on your nerves after a while. I'm not asking for much just maybe a quick cut-scene setting off and then arrival.

Even down to the sounds, the bounce sound when wall jumping also annoyed me. It almost seems irrational to dislike something like that but there you go. I'm not bashing mind, this is my opinion and I know they are very popular games... just not for me I guess.

Also I think there just wasnt enough variation in R&C to keep me interested. I enjoyed the Clank missions (can't remember which game it was) a lot because it was a change from the monotonous shooting, get bolts (which you have to actually go round collecting and don't just go right to you after breaking a crate, lamppost or destroying an enemy), buy new weapon.

That's the thing the only real way they change up the gameplay (excluding clank missions, and the odd (pretty good) minigame) is by buying new weapons. I never really saw the need for so many.

I'd recommend Jak and Dax way beyond R&C. The characters are great, the gameplay fun, varied and challenging. You get a jetboard (a hovering skateboard)!!! You have many minigames many of which are challenging. In Jak 3 the dune-buggies (well some could be described as tanks) are great to drive and there are many different types each with their own merits. There are many different types of missions from escaping heat seeking missiles to capturing wild animals so they can be tamed. Or even riding on the back of a missile to guide it towards a certain target.

Well there's my recommendation. Many people love the R&C games and I guess you could be the same. But they wouldn't be my first recommendation. Another few great games: God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Beyond Good & Evil.