Harry Potter and the Chamber
of Secrets (哈利波特二--消失的密室):
Platform: PS2, Xbox, Game Cube and PC
Domestic Distributor: Electronic Arts Taiwan
Release Date: Nov. 6
Languages: Chinese and English
Following the success of the Harry Potter books, the latest Harry Potter game -- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets -- is now available in Taipei, coinciding with the release of the film on Nov. 15.
Nearly 10 million sets of the first Harry Potter game sold internationally. The latest, however, provides more options as regards platforms with PS2, Xbox, Game Cube and PC-compatible versions.
Jack Lin (林守杰), General Manager of Electronic Arts Taiwan (EAT), said the new game basically followed the plot of the second Harry Potter movie.
The player takes the role of Harry Potter in his fight against the evil wizard, Lord Voldemort, who is setting about petrifying students at Hogworts.
Players, however, may choose to act differently from the original plot.
"The player may help Mrs. Weasley get rid of the naughty fairies in her garden, or play other different games. Certainly, the Quidditch match is something that should not be missed," said Lin. "The new game also features an `inner voice' to help the player explore Potter's personality."
The game has tried to reproduce the settings of the movie so that players can freely explore J.K. Rowling's magical world.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
(魔戒二『雙城奇謀』)
Platform: PS2
Domestic Distributor: Electronic Arts Taiwan
Release Date: Nov.
Language: Chinese or English
The latest Lord of the Rings game comes right before the release of the second movie in the series.
Last year, The Lord of Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring brought the people of Taiwan into J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth. The Two Towers this year features a war between mankind and powerful monsters.
The Two Towers is a third person shooter that focuses on strategic fighting and has plenty of spectacular animation. Following the plots of the first two stories of the trilogy, the player will go through an adventure and fight against Sauron.
"The player battles Sauron in 16 missions. All of the settings simulate those in the Lord of Rings movies.
"They are almost the same as what you see in the movie and that makes one feel like Frodo Baggins [the main character who inherits the Ring and steps into legend]," said Gamebase Website senior editor Antonio Lu (呂維振). The background music is by Howard Shore, whose work for the first Ring movie series won last year's academy award for original score.
Lord of the Rings:
The Fellowship of the Ring
(魔戒現身)
Platform: PC
Domestic Distributor: Universal Interactive
Release Date: Nov. 15
Language: English
For Lord of the Rings fans who have not invested in a PS2, Universal Interactive has brought out a LOTR game in PC format.
The background takes up only the first part of the trilogy. Players can take on the roles of any of the fellowship. Frodo, for example, is a poor fighter, but he has the Ring and a magic short sword to see him through his missions. Aragon wields a sword and bow, while Gandalf uses his magical powers.
"The game engine was developed by Surreal Software, whose newly developed Draken 2 engine brings Tolkien's magical world to life," said Ivan Lin (林昌明), senior editor of the Gamebase Website. "The best sequences are set in the mines of Moria, which include battles between Aragon and orcs and the duel between Gandalf and the balrog."
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