Take Tolkien's journey into your own hands

In a little more than a month, the second film in director Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy will debut, and fans will flock to theaters to take in more of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic story. But luckily, EA Games has already released its first video game based on the movies, allowing gamers to relive and play scenes from the first movie and get a sneak peek at some of the upcoming scenes from the second movie, "The Two Towers."\nIn the game's levels, gamers can play as one of three characters from "The Lord of the Rings" movies: Legolas, Aragorn or Gimli. Legolas is speedy, and his finesse moves allow you to maneuver your way through hordes of opponents while taking out enemies from a distance with his bow and arrow. Aragorn is strong and tall, and he can slice through enemies with his long sword. Gimli is short and strong and, just like in the first movie, is one of the least likeable characters (apologies to John Rhys-Davies). The game also offers a secret character who can be used when the game is beaten with the other three.\nThe characters in the game are exact look-alikes for the characters in the movie. Between levels, cut scenes transition seamlessly from real-world filming to virtual, computer-created environments. The level of detail to which the video game adheres to the movie makes it feel like you're watching the film when you play the game. Levels based on the first movie include defending Frodo from attacking Ringwraiths, battling a cave troll in the Mines of Moria and hopelessly trying to save Boromir (the first movie's closing scenes).\nThe game then moves into levels based on the second movie, and gamers are allowed a sneak peak of some of the actual scenes from the second movie -- like the massive battle fought at Helm's Deep.\nEven for people who aren't fans of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, this game is well worth playing. It is a fantastic fighting game, set in a massive, detailed and cinematic environment. The game is well worth the money.