The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth Video Game Series

Strategy 28 February 2006

A sequel to the bestselling real-time strategy based on the very popular Lord of the Rings book trilogy and its cinematic adaptation. This time the action takes place in the northern areas of Middle-Earth where combined forces of humans, elves and dwarves face the army of evil Sauron represented by orcs of Mordor and Isengard. Players can play 15 scenarios per each side of the conflict. The second installment in the series uses the mechanics from the original game while introducing many improvements. It is now possible for players to create their own heroes and improve his skills during the game. Lists of available units, weapons and spells were increased and the fights now take place not only on land, but on sea as well. Thanks to the improved SAGE engine, graphics of the game were enhanced, as were the looks and number of units appearing simultaneously on the screen.

PCX360

Strategy 06 December 2004

A real-time strategy game developed by EA Los Angeles. The title takes place in the fantasy universe of Middle-Earth created by J.R.R. Tolkien. The game allows the players to participate in two separate campaigns in which they can lead one of 4 nations: riders of Rohan, soldiers of Gondor, army of Isengard and legions of Mordor. Each nation has its advantages and weaknesses. The gameplay combines features of classic RTS games, based on resource gathering and base expansion paired with epic fights during which, similarly as in the Total War series, the player controls whole formations of troops and powerful war machines. Heroes with special powers, such as Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas or Gimli are an interesting addition to the formula. The developers recreated many battles known from the trilogy, including the Battle of Helm’s Deep during which as much as 500 units can appear on the screen simultaneously. Graphics of the title are generated by the engine that was previously used in Command & Conquer: Generals.

PC