Golden Axe/LOTR fans unite!

Peter Jackson's vision of Middle Earth is beautifully recreated here for fans of both the hack 'n' slash genre and LOTR. The game is deeper than you might expect, giving you the option to upgrade your character's knowledge of attack combos, stamina, projectile impact, etc. And there comes a point where banging on the buttons just won't work anymore, so if you're worried that this game is a brain waster, think again! You will have to think. While certain characters' faces look a little muddled, the animation is truly excellent. Every monster acts like its movie likeness, and watching the trolls beat up their own teammates is a hoot! The sounds and soundtrack are simply brilliant. There are certain sounds (like the trolls moaning off in the distance) that give me chills. The only reason I docked this game a half a point is because there was no two-player cooperative mode. This game begs to be played with a friend, like old-school Golden Axe.