The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

As the impending release of the second film in the epic trilogy casts the world into fits of Tolkien hysteria again, the game of the first chapter arrives on the PS2.

The same game as the already-available PC title, the Fellowship of the Ring plunges players into the depths of Middle Earth on an adventure of their very own.

Following the storyline of the original book, rather than just being a mere attempt to virtualise the recent films, the game casts players as part of the fellowship in an involving third-person, action adventure.

Remaining faithful to the epic masterpiece, the story takes players on a journey from the Shire to the River Andurin, exploring the massive environments of Middle Earth along the way.

There are plenty of puzzles to be solved in due course, as well as a host of enemies with which to do battle, such as Orcs, Black Riders, and an evil Balrog.

The overall quest, as we all should know, is to destroy the fabled One Ring of Power.

A fairly straightforward adventure title, Fellowship of the Ring also features some heavy role-playing elements - such as some extensive dialogue and the implementation of non-playable characters - which make for an immersive and involving experience.