In this section we'll give an overview of each of the game's fifteen levels, including which heroes are available for use on each mission, which hero(es) we recommend for the most effective Orc-eradicating, and a walk-through of the level itself.
The game is divided into three paths--The Path of the Wizard, The Path of the King, and The Path of the Hobbits; you may play the Paths in any order, and your choice of heroes is dependent on which Path the current level belongs to. We recommend you tackle the three Paths simultaneously rather than one at a time, as in this way your heroes will benefit from Fellowship Upgrades purchased by the other Heroes. The game starts you off without any delay at Helm's Deep, on the Path of the Wizard.
As you complete each level, your performance will be summarized, and bonus experience points will be given, depending on how well you did--mostly fair, good, excellent, or perfect kills. You can then trade your experience points in for new hero upgrades. See our combo move section for information on these moves, as well as advice on which to buy when. If you perform poorly on a level and finish with a Fair rating, we recommend you go back to your saved game and play it again before continuing on--the latter levels are much more forgiving with higher-level characters, and you won't be very powerful come the end of the game if you're routinely finishing with Fair ratings. Also, on levels which have more than one Hero available for use, you can re-play the level with the Heroes you passed by during the first run through the area. Feel free to do so if you'd like to vary your choice of Heroes along the Path of the King, as you'll need higher-leveled characters come the last few missions.
While you had to choose your difficulty level at the beginning of the campaign, if you find yourself having too difficult or too easy a time, you can change your choice at any time in the game's options menu. Note also that as you progress, shining stars open up around the map, allowing you to view DVD-style extras such as actor interviews and production images from both the game and movie.
On this Path, your only choice is Gandalf the White. You'll begin in Helm's Deep, and travel to Isengard and Minas Tirith.
Available Heroes: Gandalf the White
After a short introductory cinematic video, Gandalf rides into Helm's Deep with reinforcements, and the game begins. As you have your way with the Orcs on the ground, Gimli will shout out tips on the basic controls, before you are called up to the wall to continue the defense. Head to the ladder leaning against the wall, and climb up to the top of the wall. Stand behind Legolas to avoid being pelted with arrows (Legolas is invincible for the duration of this level--why take the flak when you can pawn it off on him?), and launch some magic love at the enemies up ahead.
When they're dead, Aragorn calls for your help back on the ground. Follow Legolas to the rope hanging from the wall, and slide down it with your Action key. It seems the enemy is attempting to drive some explosives toward the gate to the city proper. Thankfully, there are a few ballistae loaded with flaming goodness aimed at the explosives. Fire them off with your Action key. It doesn't matter which order you set them off, the third will always be the killing blow, so you might as well run down the line and set them off in order to save time.
After the advancing explosives are destroyed, Gandalf will send the baddies running for their master with an impressive display of power, and the level will end. It's fairly easy to obtain an excellent rating for this level, but its relative shortness minimizes its impact on your overall experience, so feel free to settle for a rating of good if you don't feel like starting over. See the section on combo moves for advice on how to spend these points.
