"If you are both a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings novels, a movie fan and a gamer, then this fall is truly the best of times. A super-deluxe four-disk DVD of the Fellowship of the Ring film will be out this fall and this December the second film based on The Two Towers shows up in theaters. Electronic Arts will also release a PS2 game based on The Two Towers this fall and Vivendi Universal's Black Label Games brand will also release a Fellowship of the Ring game (based on the novels, not the film) for the PC, PS2 and Xbox platforms. HomeLAN got a chance to chat with Black Label Games' associate producer Chris Taylor to find out more about their plans for The Fellowship of the Ring.
HomeLAN - Taking on the Tolkien books is a major undertaking. What are the development team's main goals in creating Fellowship of the Ring?
Chris Taylor - To be true to the Work. Tolkien created such a detailed world, we have our work set out in front of us. Our first rule has been "Do not contradict the text."
HomeLAN - Since you are not based on the looks of the films, did you have more of a license to interpret the universe of the Lord of the Ring novels?
Chris Taylor - I don't know if we have more license to interpret, but we certainly have a lot of material to work with. We do have freedom, but the First Rule is always in effect.
HomeLAN - How closely does Fellowship of the Ring follow the storyline of the novels and were there certain scenes in the book that couldn't make it into the game?
Chris Taylor - We stay very true to the storyline. We weren't able to include every bit of dialogue, or all of the minor characters, but we are very complete. Since they are games, we do have some scenes that weren't in the book to provide expanded gameplay when appropriate.
HomeLAN - What playable characters are in the game and what are their abilities?
Chris Taylor - There are three fully playable characters: Frodo, Aragorn and Gandalf. Frodo is our action and movement hero with a bit of stealth. Aragorn is our fighter, with ranged and melee attacks. Gandalf is our Wizard, with both magic and melee. Gandalf wields a mean sword.
HomeLAN - What locations will be visited in the game?
Chris Taylor - We cover all the major areas from the book, and many of the minor ones. From Bag End in the Shire, to the Old Forest, the Barrow-downs, Bree, Weathertop, Rivendell, Moria, Lothlorien and the River Anduin.
HomeLAN - What other characters and enemies will be seen and encountered in Fellowship of the Ring?
Chris Taylor - We have all sorts of characters from the book, lots (and lots) of Hobbits, from the Fellowship Hobbits (Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin) to Lobelia Sackville-Baggins. There are Elves, Dwarves and Men. The rest of the Fellowship (Aragorn, Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas, and Boromir) is there. You meet Elrond, Bilbo, Tom Bombadil, Goldberry, Barliman Butterbur, Glorfindel, Farmer Maggot and others to help you on your quest. There are all sorts of nasties: various orcs, trolls, animated trees, Old Man Willow, wargs, and other (bigger) monsters to try and stop you.
HomeLAN - How will combat be handled in the game?
Chris Taylor - It's a real-time action system. There are various weapons to be gained. Different weapons have different moves. The three characters fight in different ways. It's best to use Frodo to sneak up and throw rocks to distract, but if you need to, and have no other choice, he does acceptable well with a dagger. Aragorn is the real master of melee combat, with sword and bow. He is also much tougher than Frodo. Gandalf's magic allows him to do things that the others simply cannot, but he must rest or have his Spirit restored to use his magic to full potential. The Xbox and PS2/PC game have slightly different styles of combat.
HomeLAN - What other gameplay elements will be put into Fellowship of the Ring?
Chris Taylor - It depends on the character. There is running, jumping, sneaking, climbing, puzzle-solving, quests and more.
HomeLAN - What differences, if any, will there be between the PC, PS2 and Xbox versions of the game?
Chris Taylor - The graphic engine is specific to each platform. The PC and PS2 versions are more action orientated than the Xbox version, which is more adventure orientated. There are different levels in PS2/PC version compared to the Xbox version, but the cover fundamentally the same areas.
HomeLAN - Does the game end on a sort of cliffhanger for the beginning of The Two Towers or is the game self-contained?
Chris Taylor - The game is self-contained but has hints about what happens in the next game.
HomeLAN - What is the current status of the game's progress and when will it be released for its platforms?
Chris Taylor - The Xbox is done, duplicated and shipping. The PS2 and PC versions ship on October 22, 2002.
HomeLAN - Are you confident that your game will stand out even with Electronic Arts's Lord of the Rings movie games coming out at around the same time?
Chris Taylor - I think both games are sufficiently different that fans should enjoy both. We have a different style than they do. Even if both of our games are based on the same source material, there is a lot of material that we were able to use, like Tom Bombadil and the Barrow-wights.
HomeLAN - Finally, is there anything else you wish to say about Fellowship of the Ring
Chris Taylor - It's nifty keen."
fonte: homelan
Epa por acaso estou mais entusiasmado com o jogo... deve ser pela proximidade do 2º filme...
Anyway so espero que tenham feito um jogo que divirta e que seja suficientemente longo. Os graficos pelo que se ve estao simplesmente aceitaveis.
vou la amanha 
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