The Two Towers

[James]

I was gonna rent it, but it's only $20. So I figured I'd like it enough, that I might as well just buy it, instead of renting it only to buy it later.

And it's fun. It's incredibly hard (even on easy mode, I get my ass handed to me a few times every now and then), but it's really fun. Whoever decided a co-op mode wasn't necessary is an idiot, and times when you have computer-controlled allies make little difference, as the characters usually don't do much to help you.

I think the only real downside is how the enemies can really put the rape on you. You end up with a lot of combos at your disposal (you purchase them with experience after each level), but they are often interrupted when trying to attack multiple enemies, which is typically the point of using the combos. The most effective combo is a knockdown and stab attack, which automatically kills the enemy, and any other enemies closeby get knocked down too, allowing you to stab and kill one or two of them before they get back up.

But this singling out of enemies can be a problem with levels where you have a time limit (so far, I've only had one such level). And it's not all that easy, either, since you're always under attack by quite a few enemies. And when you get knocked down, enemies can usually hit you at just the right time to keep you down (this can be later rectified by an attack you can purchase). Enemies who attack with arrows consists of a firefight, where you try to block their shots, and return fire. Problem is, the time between blocking and switching back to a long-range weapon, and the time between equiping your weapon and firing, is way too long, and you'll usually just end up letting yourself get hit just so you can get off shots.

But it's really fucking fun, and for $20, you should go pick it up if you haven't already. Only reason I didn't get this or Return of the King earlier was because I didn't want any spoilers.