

It’s eventually revealed that Berethor is apparently the most put upon human in Middle-Earth. And yet, throughout early parts of The Third Age, Berethor is plagued with these visions - both the warnings of his import from Gandalf and eventually darker threats from Saruman (a returning Christopher Lee).

In fact, Berethor can’t really remember much of anything at the start of the game, other than that a) he deserted the prior battle for Osgiliath between the Gondorian forces under Boromir and Faramir’s command and Sauron’s orcs, and b) he’s meant to catch up with Boromir’s party at the Council of Elrond. Early on in Gandalf’s film-reel communique with Berethor, you learn that the wizard has tapped you for some kind of greatness that Berethor cannot remember in the slightest (presumably it’s “we’ll let you go poke Sauron’s eye with a stick in 40 hours while Frodo does the actual work”). But for all the completely uncommented-upon absurdity of having a LotR game play so close to the characters and events of the films (but with original protagonists), it’s the moments the story of The Third Age steps distinctly away from the premise of the films that it’s perhaps the strangest.
