<P> EA debuted the game at the 2003 E3 event in May, announcing that compared to Two Towers, Return of the King had more playable characters, larger and less linear levels, multiple narrative paths, bigger and more intelligent bosses, interactive environments, and a co-op mode . Footage from the films and parts of Howard Shore's score would feature, and members of the film's cast would lend their voices and likenesses to the game . On 15 May, a playable demo was made available for the PS2, featuring the first Minas Tirith level along with a non-playable demo of the co-op gameplay in a customized level specifically designed for E3 . EA also revealed they were working on having Gollum as a playable character, although this ultimately did not happen, except in the GBA version . </P> <P> The developers called The Return of the King "bigger and better" than The Two Towers . "In The Two Towers the player would occasionally run into 10 or 15 enemies," said lead game designer Chris Tremmel, "in The Return of the King there are areas where the player faces up to 40 orcs (...) Fans familiar with The Two Towers will find that the combat experience in The Return of the King feels familiar but much deeper ." Before creating levels, the developers would initially look at the script and determine what parts from the film to highlight in that particular level, and how to structure that event as a mission . They would then write in - depth level designs out on paper, going into details such as combat setup, special props and enemy types, all the while using the film as their main reference point . They would then create an animatic of the level, working out problems and fine - tuning design concepts . The levels would then be created in the game environment . The game is also graphically improved over The Two Towers . According to Neil Young, "we've developed some new lighting techniques to allow the characters to look richer . We are pushing 2x the number of polys & 2x the texture density (...) we also stream our geometry and textures from the disc so the game has a much higher density of imagery ." Enemy AI was improved, and developers also spent a lot of time working on the sound of the game, which was THX certified . </P> <P> Producer Glen Schofield stated the biggest challenge the developers were facing was "just trying to match the breathtaking look and feel of the movies". Similarly, Neil Young said "We wanted to make something that's authentic and true to the movie . The people on our team really care about making a game that aspires to more than just a sequel, they want to make this equivalent to the movie experience itself ." EA Redwood Shores worked closely with New Line Cinema to make the games as authentic as possible, using the actual reference photos, drawings, models, props, lighting studies and motion capture data . EA's partner relations director, Nina Dobner said </P> <P> Both New Line and the film production company in New Zealand are integrally tied into the entire development process of the game . Right from the conceptual stage down to the final production builds, their input is sought and listened to . We don't consider New Line a licensor, but more a true partner . As soon as we have the earliest storyboards and bare bones outline for a game, New Line are right at the table with me, giving their feedback . This is also the stage at which we introduce Peter Jackson, Barrie Osborne and the rest of the film production team to the key concepts and get their feedback . From here on, I meet with the actors, the film - makers and New Line on a regular basis to illicit feedback and new ideas as we move forward with the development . We are so deeply tied into the film production that we actually opened our own offices within the 3 foot 6 Weta offices in New Zealand during the pick - up shooting so we could be closer to the action and the assets . </P>

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