A real blockbuster, in case you were One Ring

Galadriel describes the broken enemy, over movie footage of the battle for Helm's Deep. On the fifth day, Gandalf the White appears under a brilliant light with the Riders of Rohan. They charge down the hillside and meet the army of Isengard head on at the bottom. Movie instantly becomes game as you control Gandalf at the foot of the wall while war rages around you. Legolas calls for help as the camera swoops across the top of the wall. You hack your way through the Uruk-hai as fireballs pelt the ground causing total devastation in their wake. You scale the enemy's ladder and use lightning bolts to take out the orc archers.

Aragorn warns the gates are in danger of being breached. You descend the ladder, and fire the enemy's own catapult at them as they smash their way into Helm's Deep. On your third attempt you strike the battering ram and it explodes, taking the enemy with it. Gandalf raises his staff in victory as a paralysing white light engulfs the valley. Back to the movie and the Fellowship (minus Sam and Frodo) look towards the fire in the sky that covers Mordor...

This is the incredible opening level of a game that, once it's got both hands around your neck, refuses to let go for an instant. Everything described above comes at you, one thing after another with no loading screens, vocals supplied by actual actors, and music and sounds ripped directly from the upcoming film's third and final part of Tolkien's mighty trilogy.

Once you've got your breath back after the mesmerising intro, you get whisked off to a screen that tells you how many experience points your slaying earned you and, more importantly, what upgrades to your character you can buy with these points. There are several different upgrades for each level of experience you reach. The higher the level of experience you're at, the stronger the powers and abilities on offer are. Unfortunately they're more expensive too, but that's the economy in games for you. You can choose to upgrade the character you just finished playing the level with, or upgrade your entire party. But this obviously costs a packet.

After the battle for Helm's Deep is over, you're taken through to a ladder that allows you to choose which way to go through the adventure next. There are 12 levels in all, each telling the story of the eight playable characters of the Fellowship in their battle to free Middle-Earth from the clutches of the evil Saruman. Just like the book really. The first four offer a recap about where the Fellowship is up to in its attempt to destroy the One Ring. You get to basically play the Two Towers movie and game from a different perspective, before diving straight into the third instalment.

But what really sets Return Of The King apart from all the other big movie licensed games knocking about, is the fact that it captures its source so well. Enter The Matrix pales in comparison to this beast. The visuals are truly jaw-dropping, and there's so much movement happening on screen at the same time, it conveys the feeling that you're actually in the middle of this immense battle. Ents stomp around crushing orcs with their huge tree-trunk feet, while the Nazgul comb the skies looking for the ring bearer. It's a level of visual excellence that captures the feel of the movies and books so aptly you'll want to cry with joy.

There's nothing really revolutionary in terms of gameplay, as the meat and veg of the action is just swinging melee weapons around your head faster than a cadet swings her baton. Each button performs a different attack or special ability that you really do need to know, as this is endurance gaming at its best. Imagine standing in front of an army of 10,000, and then imagine ploughing your way through them in levels that can last in excess of 20 minutes because the enemy just won't give in. It's relentless and your wrists will ache, but it's worth every swing.

Because the movie isn't out yet, sitting through snippets of actual footage was hard. We didn't want to spoil the film for ourselves, but it's virtually impossible to tear your eyes away from the screen. The transition from game to film and back again is remarkable. If you played through EA's first game, The Two Towers, you'll know what we're talking about. Return Of The King is a blockbuster of an action game in every sense of the word. The sights are mind-blowing, as are the sounds - if you have access to a surround sound system, this is what it was made for. There's so much going on it's almost too much to cope with. Buy it now if you don't mind seeing a lot of the unreleased film. Otherwise wait until you have watched it. But whatever you do, don't miss it.

Power
Visuals have been taken directly from the film and look stunning. There's almost too much going on.

Style
You could mistake it for the actual film. Looks and sounds like Peter Jackson made it himself.

Immersion
You're ripped out of your chair and launched into Middle-Earth. You won't look back.

Lifespan
It takes a while to complete the twelve levels on the three difficulty settings if you're to unlock everything.

Verdict The biggest action game of the year based on the biggest action movie of the year - a truly winning combination.

1. Recreates the film beautifully
2. Looks and sounds like the real thing
3. Unlockable secrets

1. Gameplay could be deeper
2. No online play