#griptonite

As a direct follow-up to Griptonite’s Two Towers GBA game, this Diablo-like handheld game iterates very closely. Please refer to my previous review on said game. To put it succintly, both games are click-em-ups without the clicking, isometric loot lifters only linear.

You play through particular personages’ plot threads; in this case it’s Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli (sharing their story and maps), Gandalf, Éowyn, and Frodo (with occasional input from Sam). Sam is unlockable, but only by connecting the GCN-GBA link cable to the Gamecube RotK game, which also unlocks some bonus items apparently. Sméagol (a kind of joke character who can’t use equipment) is unlockable through normal play, but as with Sam can only be used in bonus maps and multiplayer. Sadly the limit of four save slots still applies, even more absurd now with the addition of a Gimli campaign.

The skill tree system has been revamped in the overall effort to make this game more balanced. Two Towers had systems that were easily busted by min-maxing, while here limits have been introduced on improving skills. There’s no free healing anymore either thanks to an inventory of consumable herbs, so you have to be more careful with your builds and play. Honestly I found this made for a more engaging and thoughtful experience, albeit one in which I relied more on save scumming and rewinding. And I did miss the mindless breeziness of TT a bit.

Other mechanics have been tweaked too: the shrines, for example. There’s more functionality available at them including an easy way to share items between characters, and they’re more frequent including “rest maps” in between areas. This is good as you’ll still often be tracking back to them constantly due to your pockets still being frustratingly small. The excitement of loot has been dialled up slightly with greater variety in the item pool and just more modifiers on individual pieces. Which is good because the loot loop is a core component of this type of game.

As an adaptation RotK GBA excels as before. The story of this third instalment in particular makes for better campaigns, what with having more opportunities for boss battles and a proper ending. As with the console game that this accompanied, there’s also necessarily expansions on film events, such as an assault on Umbar and its wicked corsairs, venturing into the Isengard underlevels (including a boss fight with Saruman), and a more active role for Éowyn.