What's the difference between an Xbox RPG and a PS2 RPG? Xbox RPGs are real-time adventures with a wide-open storyline (choose good or evil sides, commit kind or cruel acts, etc.). PS2 RPGs are generally turn-based games with separate screens for battles and a single-path storyline that drives the player's interest. The outcome may be pre-determined, but if the story is packed with intrigue, no one will think twice about not being able to change what happens. Until a main character dies...

In The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, Electronic Arts brings the much-loved PS2 style of gameplay to Xbox. This is a rare occasion for Xbox players, considering that it is the only next-gen console besides Dreamcast that did not receive a new Final Fantasy, the leader in turn-based role-playing.