Lord of the rings online strategy game

As such, it seemed appropriate to flesh out this list with some other great LOTR games to try in the meantime. The game plays akin to a virtual game of fantasy chess, as players are tasked with strategically moving units around a grid.

Battles are triggered when opposing forces are positioned next to each other. This one has fallen under the radar for being somewhat slow-paced and rough around the edges. Still, many have regarded it for its rewarding tactical gameplay and the neat ability to play as either the Fellowship or the minions of Sauron.

By , the fan buzz surrounding Tolkien's creations had largely shifted to the upcoming Hobbit film, which would release just a year later. Still, that didn't stop WB Interactive and Snowblind Studios from crafting this fun hour action romp. While the game isn't flawless, War in the North's appeal lies in its simple-yet-satisfying hack 'n' slash combat. With some enjoyable co-op, solid visuals - and the novelty of experiencing a brand new story set in Middle-Earth, this lesser-known LOTR title is worth a look.

Middle-Earth-mania was still in full force by , coming off the heels of the epic conclusion in the film trilogy, The Return of the King. The game more-or-less follows the beats of Peter Jackson's film trilogy - setting the stage for a thrilling adventure and captivating narrative.

Yet the gameplay is similarly appealing, providing a linear role-playing experience with turn-based combat a la Final Fantasy. Over the years, Magic the Gathering has seen a slew of appealing gaming efforts.

Blizzard managed to take this to the next level with Hearthstone , while studio Fantasy Flight Interactive decorated this formula with a fun LOTR overlay. This gripping premise is enhanced with some colorful card pictures and mechanics that balance depth and accessibility. A deep campaign, addictive gameplay, co-op features, and various customizations give this romp staying power.

Though it's been described as being a bit rough around the edges and bordering on repetition, this is a delightful card game that Hearthstone and LOTR fans should enjoy. Given the constant action and hordes of powerful fighters, a MOBA seems like a natural fit for a Lord of the Rings game. This effort largely proves this notion, with some satisfying battle mechanics and plenty of depth. Once players get acquainted with its tricky interface, Guardians of Middle-Earth makes for a feverishly addictive game, with a great presentation to boot.

Critics have noted that while there are better MOBA options on PC, this is one of the stronger efforts of the genre you'll find for consoles. The follow-up to the epic action-adventure, Shadow of Mordor, ups the ante in terms of scope and complexity, rounding out an engaging journey. While it received some heat for being a bit buggy and loot box-heavy at first, the overall experience is a positive one.

While it never really undercut World of Warcraft as its creators hoped, Lord of the Rings Online is easily one of the best Tolkien games around. This is one of the better Lego games, featuring a truncated open-world version of Middle-Earth that somehow stands as the most faithful translation of the settings as seen in Peter Jackson's films.

Each region is pretty detailed, and the colour palette is surprisingly spot-on. It's not the best choice if you want to take Middle-earth super seriously, but the oddly effective use of voices from the movies, combined with the Lego games' now deeply familiar slapstick humour, make it an ideal all-ages choice. Plus, unlike most of the games on this list, it's readily available from Steam.

Shadow of Mordor is one of the most talked about games of the last few years thanks to the Nemesis system. This generates unique orc commanders for your hero, Talion, to face off against, and depending on the results of their encounters, they can blossom into grudges that play out over the course of the game.

Its borrowing of Assassin's Creed-style systems is pretty successful, too, with high-quality melee and ranged combat.

I'm not in love with the two sparse-feeling overworlds, or the main story—Talion, killed by Sauron's Black Hand, is brought back by Elven wraith Celebrimbor to exact revenge—but you could rightly argue that the real story in Shadow of Mordor is the relationships you form with both your orc opponents and brainwashed pals. Shadow of War isn't a total slam dunk, thanks to more open world busywork than its predecessor, but it also builds on the first game in some decent ways.

Conquering Nemesis fortresses with your army of orcs gives the sequel a sense of scale the first didn't really have, and the improved Nemesis system means even more meaningful encounters with the cockney warriors of Middle-earth.

Then there's an orc who will track you down to sing to you. These minions are the true stars of the game, and it's amazing we haven't seen the Nemesis system implemented elsewhere in games yet. Shame about the loot boxes , then, but they didn't spoil Andy's enjoyment of the game. We hesitate to call these the worst Tolkien adaptations—some of them are—but like a lot of big licensed properties, The Lord of the Rings is more prone to average or disappointing games than outright disasters.

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