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Yes yes, I know, this isnt a video game (yet). This is a board game. And
this is what Im reviewing this month, because I havent gotten a hold of
any new games. And as long as we are on the subject, I would also like to
point out that after I did the review for Oni last month, it came to my
attention that it (Oni) is also available on Playstation 2. From the feel of
the game, it should be great on PS2, so that should also satisfy anyone who
wants to whine that I havent been doing console games. In addition, I wont
always rate things high, Ive just been picking the really good looking,
anticipated new games so far. Also, if anyone has any requests for games to
review, feel free to email me. Computer games I can do, console games are a
maybe. Now that all this unpleasant business is out of the way, lets start
again, shall we?
The Boardgame
of J. R. R. Tolkiens
Lord of the Rings
This is the board game rendition of the selfsame series of books of the same
name. It is part of what I would imagine to be the beginning of a large
array of LotR paraphernalia in preparation for the upcoming movies
(whoo-hoo!!) I originally saw the game over Christmas, and it looked really
cool, but I refrained from buying it. In the meanwhile, I gathered a bit of
information on it, and bought it over spring break (yes, I actually own the
rights to a game for once). The game won some major awards at a really big
national gaming con, whose name I do not recall. It sells for around $30.
Ok, now for the nitty gritty stuff.
Game Overview. The game sports up to 5 players. You and the others form a
fellowship, and your goal is to travel to Mordor and to destroy the One
Ring. The Fellowship travels through the major places in the books, Bag End,
Rivendell, Moria, Lothlorien, Helms Deep, Shelobs Lair, and finally
Mordor. Unlike most every other board game I can think of, in this game,
everyone works together in a team, playing against the game, rather than
each other. Only through cooperation can the Fellowship hope to destroy the
ring. (And if you dont cooperate, youll drop faster than a skydiving
Oliphaunt without a parachute.)
Gameplay. You and the other players each get to be a Hobbit, Frodo, Sam,
Pippin, Merry, or [drum roll] . . . Fatty! (Yes, Fatty stayed behind in the
books, but with 5 players, he decides to come along) The game has 2 boards,
the corruption board, and the activity board. The corruption board has 2
parts: the top part marks which place you are at, and the bottom has a
series of 16 corruption squares. The Hobbits start out 0, in the light, and
the Eye of Sauron starts at the other end. As you go through each place, the
Hobbits may become corrupted by the ring, and/or the Eye advances. If the
Ring Bearer and the Eye meet, Bad Things happen (Everyone dies a slow and
painful, probably gruesome death, and Suaron conquers the world). The other
board is the activity board, and there is one for Moria, Helms Deep,
Shelobs Lair, and Mordor. Through combinations of running away, hiding,
fighting, and friendship, you advance through the levels. If you take too
long though, Events (the events in the books) will overtake you, and
forcefully (and usually painfully) speed you along. You pass a level by
either completing all the events, or by completing the main activity line
(usually fighting).
More Gameplay. Along the way, you will get help from Rivendell and
Lothlorien. Special helpers include Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, etc. and lots
of cool equipment. You can also call upon Gandalf for help at any time, but
it's costly. The Ring Bearer may also at anytime invoke the power of the One
Ring, to advance the Fellowship past a difficult part, but you have to roll
the Bad Things die. The Bad Things die (my personal name for it) is
reminiscent of old D&D games.
The party camps for the night
*GM rolls dice*
"You get attacked in the night by X nasty monsters! *GM grins evilly*
Repeat the next night. And the next night. And the next night. And"
Kinda like that. The best thing that can happen is that nothing bad happens.
The worst thing is that it may cause some brave little Hobbit to get the
notion to go assault the Eye single- handedly (Its never a pretty sight.
*smile*). Lets see . . . the places themselves have special cards you can get.
For example, in Shelobs Lair, you can get Gollum, and in Mordor, you can
get the Army of the Dead. The game also has multiple difficulty levels, and
also a slightly competitive mode. (The easy difficulty is pretty darn hard)
Artwork. This game has truly stunning original artwork, done by John Howe.
The boards each have excellent pictorials of a scene from the book in that
level. In Moria, it has Gandalf holding back the Balrog on the bridge, in
Helms Deep, it shows the battle against the orcs, in Shelobs Lair, it
shows Sam fending off Shelob, and in Mordor it shows Frodo and Sam traveling
in the desolate wastes, with Gollum hiding and following. (Moria is probably
my favorite; I also have a computer destop background of it.) The cards that
come with the game have excellent artwork, even if I dont agree with the
depictions of some characters. The boards are made of sturdy thick
cardboard, like Monopoly and other such games. All pieces for the board are
made from carved wood. The Hobbit pieces stand about one inch tall, and are
extremely detailed for a woodcarving. The Eye of Sauron is a heavy, black
carved bastion. The ring is an oversized smooth wooden ring, painted gold
with an Elven inscription carved into it ("One Ring to rule them all"). The
quality of the pieces, gameboards, and artwork easily rate the $30 for the
game).
Overall this is a very worthwhile game. Knowing the plot of the books
enhances the game, but is in no way required. The team- based gameplay is
unique, and a lot more difficult than it sounds. If you are looking for a
new game to play at a party or someplace, I suggest this one. Once someone
has the rules down, its easy to teach. If you are a Lord of the Rings
groupie, youll really want it. (and youll wonder how they pulled off
destroying the ring in the books). The game also has a high replay value,
and a point scoring system, to keep things from getting old. Spiffiness
wise, There isnt a whole lot that rates a "Spiffy." The Ring is spiffy, but
other than that, everything is pretty much similar to other games of various
types (cards, board games, etc.) Overall, its a very nice game.
Final Ratings:
Quality of Materials: 9.5
Artwork: 8.5
Replay value: 8.5
Gameplay: 9.25
Difficulty: 8
Spiffiness: 6
Overall: 8.29
Lord of The Rings
By Parker and Hasbro
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