The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest (Wii) Review
I must admit, I’m not too much of a Lord of the Rings fan. Heck, the last game I played from the franchise was The Lord of the Rings: Conquest for the Nintendo DS, which I reviewed also – so I had to play it. And (big confession coming up) I’ve never even seen the films in their entirety. I’m not sure why, I just never have. However, having heard about The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest, a Wii title developed by the brilliant studio that brought us House of the Dead: Overkill, I was indeed intrigued.
The game opens on a high note, and in a very creative way too, in the rather infamous battle of Mordor out the front of the black gate. Playing around with the controls briefly, players will be interrupted to reveal that the story was being told and re-enacted by several children, whom were fathered by Samwise Gamgee, a character most series veterans will recognise. Sam, in what can only be considered a rather spontaneous moment of nostalgia, retells the events of The Lord of the Rings, quite briefly, and largely from Aragorn’s point of view. This retelling format not only allows players to play as Aragorn but also to play as Sam’s children between sequences to perform several fetch quests. In this regard, the story doesn’t really add anything new to the mythos that fans would’ve already known.
Aragorn’s Quest utilises a hybrid realistic/cel-shaded appreance that will no doubt be something a little bit different to the fans of the series. I can only surmise that the employment of this artistic direction is for lessening the impact of the violence for younger players, as everything looks rather cartoonish. That being said, the major human characters look almost similar to their counterparts in the film, while the more exaggerated designs of, for example, Ghimli, fit the style beautifully. Being a Headstrong game, the developers have crafted an engine that has a lot of stuff going on at the same time with minimal slowdown. Thankfully, this works very well in the game’s favour for some of the bigger battles. Environments are, from what I can see in the films, very faithful to their original counterparts, and look even better when they are filled with enemies and playable characters in some of the more epic battles.
The effects that the game presents you with are sometimes just jaw dropping too, with very serene environments being slowly darkened as the sun sets, and the rather excellent use of bloom lighting, but not overuse, being utilised while the sun rises. Headstrong has definitely got a skilled arts department working on this game, creating some beautiful set pieces that players will probably not forget. The most important thing, which I’m sure you’ve heard me harp on about before, is that the game is colourful! It creates a sense of atmosphere, both dark and more cheerful, but doesn’t forego the use of colour in doing so – a feat for a title released this generation.
Despite the great graphical presentation, Aragorn’s Quest really falls down with its gameplay, which is just way too simplistic. It seems the development team was evoking Zelda when they designed this title, as a lot of the game is similar. In particular, the game does nothing to really grab the player from the beginning chapters, with a few fetch quests peppered between some drab action sequences serving the player. I had to muster the motivation to get through these, and following that, the rather simplistic mechanics of the gameplay made it harder to progress even further. I persisted, however, and was unfortunately not rewarded.
One thing I can say in favour of the gameplay, however, is that the motion controls are very well implemented. Slashing upwards translated to an upwards slash with Aragorn’s sword, and the recognition of these movements without the aid of a MotionPlus attachment is indeed admirable, particularly in a third-party title that requires a lot of quick attacks at times. When you’re not playing as Aragorn, you’ll play as Sam’s children as they do a few fetch quests throughout “The Shire”, and although these do vary the gameplay quite a bit, they aren’t all that engaging and they mostly feel like a chore more so than an exciting change in pace.
There are other items Aragorn can use, including his shield and a flame torch, but none of these vary the simplistic gameplay enough, nor does their implementation increase the difficulty of the game any more than you would expect. There is, as always in these action titles, a system in which tokens can be exchanged for more powerful attacks. However, without these, the game is already easy enough and I found myself actively avoiding them to increase the challenge.
Quite possibly the biggest problem I have with Aragorn’s Quests’ difficulty, however, is that there is literally nothing put in place to ensure that the game will become a challenge. I would spend a few minutes fighting enemies, then realise I can just run straight past them and move on to the next level. While I understand this makes the game extremely accessible, and thus expands the audience that could try out the game, I think it’s a little bit too easy in that regard.
Surprisingly, the developers have also implemented a co-operative mode in which Aragorn is joined by Gandalf, or Frodo’s sister during the other sequences, to play through the campaign together. What surprised me most, however, is that the co-operative character not only stays on the same screen with a competent camera angle also, but also manages to have a completely different move set and abilities that complement the other character. This impressed me a lot, and as such a lot of thought has gone into this mechanic.
In terms of voice work and music, the game does borrow a lot from the films which creates a great sense of belonging with fans of the series as well as making the game feel like a very solid entry in the franchise. The orchestral music is suitably epic for the battle sequences, particularly when some of it is recognisable from the films and the trailers too. To put it simply, the music is very enchanting. Being titled Aragorn’s Quest, it’s a bit disappointing to see Viggo Mortensen not return to voice the titular character, however Sean Astin and John Rhys-Davies return to voice Samwise and Ghimli respectively, which adds another layer of authenticity to the game.
Aragorn’s Quest is, well, not as long as you’d expect coming off the Lord of the Rings films, clocking in at around about 10-12 hours depending on your skill level. While this is quite lengthy for a game that’s not particularly deep, the simple mechanics can make it hard to muster the motivation to continue on. Players can, thankfully, return to certain levels to grab more collectibles and such but those not interested in such things will find little appeal beyond the main quest.
As I have been feeling lately, I am a bit indifferent towards Aragorn’s Quest. While it’s pretty well put together in terms of presentation, combining a bold artistic direction with a very strong audio presence, its gameplay is just too simple and much too easy to consider purchasing. The resulting product is, however, very suitable for younger children thanks to a relatively toned down non-violent experience. Fans of the series who are older are safe giving this one a miss, and those young ones who want a bit of an interactive experience are sure to enjoy. Just make sure they haven’t played Zelda before – they might mistake it for the same game in some respects, or as an inferior knock off instead.
Graphics 9.0
An amazing artistic direction. Environmental effects are well done, characters are modelled quite realistically and yet feel cartoonish enough to be a bit enchanting. No slowdown during major battles is a huge plus too.
Gameplay 5.5
Very good and accurate implementation of motion controls are a great benefit to this game, however the overall gameplay is very simplistic, repetitive and sometimes even boring.
Sound 8.0
Excellent use of pieces from the films as well as some enchanting original pieces for less intense sequences. Disappointing not to hear Viggo Mortensen voice Aragorn, but the others who have been brought in from the film do just fine.
Tilt 7.0
Despite having a 10-12 hour campaign, it is extremely easy and hard to play through with motivation in tow. Co-operative mode is very well fleshed out, more so than your typical game and not an afterthought.
Value 7.0
Despite this games flaws, it evoked Zelda enough to create interest to see it through till the end, although I wouldnt want to ever return to it. A fun but very easy romp.
