The latest offering in the Lord of the Rings (LotR) universe comes in the form of Aragorn's Quest, a title for the PS2, DS, Wii and PSP designed for the whole family and due for a Fall 2009 release. This is due largely to its bigger focus on fantasy battles throughout the story of the original trilogy. Samwise now telling the tale doesn't hurt its accessibility, either.

Players jump right into control of Aragorn and take on some of the most notable quests through the trilogy. With a select arsenal of weapons you'll battle the hordes in a redesigned approach to Middle Earth that comes off a bit more playful in design as the game takes some of the dark atmosphere away seen in previous titles.

Product features:

• Extension of the LOTR Universe:  Journey through Middle-earth as Aragorn and live out the heroic adventures through The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
• Intuitive Motion-Control Gameplay:  Take full advantage of the Wii-Remote and Nunchuk for intuitive and immersive motion-control gameplay including swordplay, archery, spears and more!
• Attack on Horseback: Scatter the enemy and charge down the foes on horseback.  While mounted, use your sword and spear to defeat assailants.
• Easy Co-Op Play:  Sophisticated and novice gamers can play together with easy drop-in, drop-out co-op play. Kids, families and friends can work together as Aragorn and Gandalf to share in the experience at any time.
• Unique Second Player Features: Wield the power of Gandalf to inflict magical attacks upon the minions of Sauron and to restore and protect Aragorn, the Fellowship and goodly forces.
• Battle Familiar Enemies: Players will encounter and battle fierce creatures from The Lord of the Rings trilogy such as Orcs, Spiders and Ringwraiths.
• Unleash Special Character Skills:  On the battlefield, use Aragorn’s “Battle Cry” to terrify enemies, while strengthening the player and their troops.

Fortunately the gameplay is still there: players are rewarded with the ability to fight on horseback and take part in more intense fighting using swords and spears. Regarding the violence itself, it's used in a more tame manner. For instance, instead of focusing on blood or dismemberment the game simply implies a knockout scenario. Also for those looking to get in a bit of co-op action, a second controller can be used to control Gandalf and lend aid to the forces by attacking and healing in the midst of battle.

It is a bit hard to find a family friendly title around that allows older and younger audiences to really share the same space without making it overly party game-inspired. Aragorn's Quest seems to strike that line, though, and while personally I think it could be a bit more in-depth, at this point it proves a good hack and slash that stands with a respectable amount of time paid to the control system. Being able to use a bow and arrow for targeting and landing hits without too much focus is a nice bonus, too.