the game 8.5 out of 10. He too praised the graphics, writing "EA did a magnificent job of bringing the grandeur of Middle-earth into The Third Age." However, he was critical of the difficulty, claiming "from the moment they brandish a weapon in-game, RPG veterans will most likely tell that EA went to great lengths to make The Third Age as accessible as possible." He also criticized the story, writing "gamers will be hard pressed to find an ounce of character development throughout the entire adventure," and calling the characters "soulless archetypes." However, he concluded "For the most part, The Third Age rips gamers from their living rooms and dumps them in a detailed rendition of Middle-earth. EA Redwood Shores has faithfully recreated everything from the glowing majesty of Rivendell to the murky depths of Helm's Deep. Suffice to say, this is one of the best looking games based on Tolkien's classic trilogy. But, as gamers everywhere know, looks aren't everything. It's one thing to have video games look as good as the movies they're based on, but what good is any of it if the actual gameplay isn't enough to keep you playing. Thankfully, this combat heavy RPG delivers the goods, although some die hard RPG fans may be put off by its overly streamlined approach." Sales According to Electronic Arts, The Third Age was a commercial success, with sales above 1 million units worldwide by the end of 2004. References 2004 video games Cooperative video games Electronic Arts games GameCube games Multiplayer and single-player video games PlayStation 2 games Role-playing games based on Middle-earth Role-playing video games Third Age Turn-based tactics video games Video games based on films Visceral Games Xbox games Video games using Havok Video games developed in the United States