At the end of each level, kill points are accumulated and can be used to gain new abilities. The more varied the attacks are and the less the player is hit, the more points are awarded for each kill. The player character moves through the levels, fighting hordes of Orcs, Goblins and other creatures with various attack and parrying moves.
Players, choosing to control Aragorn, Legolas or Gimli, must battle the evil forces of the Dark Lord Sauron in order to protect the Ring of Power and restore peace to Middle-earth.
Despite the title, it covers events from both the first and the second film in the trilogy. Electronic Arts' first game based on the Lord of the Rings movies is an action game with classic beat'em up-style gameplay.