Living up to the critical acclaim of the LOTR trilogy was never going to be an easy task, but by purchasing the official license and enlisting the help of the movie's stars New Line Productions were always the favourites to succeed against Surreal Software's unofficial effort.

   

Choosing action over adventure, the game follows all the memorable scenes from the first two movies while leaving out the plot building bits in between, although this makes the game a more exciting experience you get the feeling that without seeing the movies you really wouldn't have a clue whats going on - luckily for New Line there aren't many people out there that that applies to. The areas you battle through look, sound and feel identical to the movies giving you a brilliant sense of being part of the action, and the moments that made you go 'wow' in the cinema are just as impressive when you're in the midst of the action.

Beneath its grand exterior, The Two Towers is nothing more than a scrolling hack-n-slash em' up, but New Line have played around with a tried and tested formula and added some brilliant touches. The battles are jaw-dropping and at times there will be hundreds of Orcs, Goblins and Uruk-Hai on screen with little or no slow-down, yet you never feel like you aren't in control. The combat system is fairly simple, and it won't take long to pick up, but the inclusion of combos, long range attacks and finishing moves mean it'll be a long time before you master it.

From the third level onwards you are given the choice of playing as either Aragorn, Legolas or Gimli, and by completing levels well and fighting like a pro you earn points to upgrade their attacks and special moves. Bundled with the challenge of unlocking their individual extras and completing the final hidden mission with all three heroes The Two Towers turns into quite a test.

   

The link sequences between levels are a mix of movie and game footage, which do their best to explain your situation without giving too much away, and its only then that you realise how authentic the game is - every piece of speech, animation and action is represented perfectly. Also, by working your way through the game and meeting certain criteria you'll find that The Two Towers is packed with unlockable extras, there's a brilliant behind-the-scenes documentary and lots of movie clips, but a special mention should go to the cast interviews - showing the actors' reactions to their virtual counterparts and just how much (or how little) they know about games.

The Two Towers really doesn't have many flaws, if you rush through it you'll think its too short and if you were expecting an epic adventure game you'll be disappointed. LOTR: TTT is all about the action, its slick, smooth, beautifully presented and fun to play, and its way up there with Goldeneye in the Movie-to-Game hall of fame. A must have for fans of the trilogy and a worthy addition to anyone's collection.