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The Lord of the Rings Battle for Middle Earth Anthology Review
User Submitted The Lord of the Rings Battle for Middle Earth Anthology Reviews
Date: 2008-08-19
A passable RTS at a reasonable price
This set is really a collection of two games (the first and second LOTR games, along with the expansion for the second game) with some bonus features, which mainly consist of interviews with various game developers. For the price (I got it when it was 30 dollars, and it's even cheaper now), this is a pretty good deal if you are an LOTR and/or RTS fan.
As far as RTSes go, this is an average game. It's not as polished as Blizzard's RTSes, for example, but the gameplay is reasonably interesting, being roughly based on a rock-paper-scissors model. There is little micromanagement to speak of, with the game mostly being concerned with strategic management. This is a double-edged sword, since micromanagement can be frustrating to more casual players, but makes the game less challenging for better players. There are some pretty substantial issues with the UI and visual design of the game, as well.
Really, the main draw of this game is the fact that it takes place in the world of the Lord of the Rings, and that much of the game directly draws from the movies. Images, brief movie clips, and voices are all from Peter Jackson's films. The campaigns are roughly based on events not just from the films, but from battles only briefly mentioned in the books. (For example, BoME2 is based on the War in the North, while the expansion is based on the Witch-King's rise in Angmar and his destruction of the human kingdoms in Eriador.)
This game is a good buy if you're looking for an RTS based on the Lord of the Rings, but don't expect a stellar gameplay experience. If you're interested in getting a great RTS for the same price, I would recommend Starcraft, but if you're interested in commanding armies in Middle-Earth, this game is the way to go. I don't think a purchase like this would be justified for 50 dollars unless you were a hardcore fan, but at 20 dollars the price is solid.
Date: 2008-08-18
Gets better & better
Expands on LOTR Battle For Middle Earth by expanding the capabilities of the original, including the ability to create Heroes from a variety of races with a large variety of powers. Battle For Middle Earth 2 is pretty difficult compared to the original, but my 13 year old has mastered it and loves it for it's creating capabilities. The last episode is Rise Of The Witch King which is exciting, has great graphics, and a cast of characters new and a few familiar.
I have never been much of a fan of RPG before (Role Playing Games), but I have really had lots of fun with this LOTR Anthology. It is great fun and never ceases to challenge and frustrate. All in all - 5 starts
Date: 2008-07-06
My kids and I love these games!
We multiplayer with and against each other and have a blast doing it... My sons and I are huge fans of the LOTR series and these RTS games are the most enjoyed and most played in my house....
... for those concerned about Vista OS compatability, we have had no issues. We solo and multi on two vista and one xp computers without any issues.
Date: 2008-04-08
No pause - so it's Real-Time but there isn't much Strategy
I have no idea why anyone who produces an RTS wouldn't provide a pause key enabling you to select units reliably and issue orders. Perhaps EA do, because they didn't. Or maybe they just forgot.
Sadly, although it looks okay and has the right franchise, I'm not a big fan of playing games where the key to success is picking out the right pixel to select an archer out of a scrum of two hundred scrapping soldiers. Or leaping from one battle to another with uncannily accurate clicks on a crappy minimap.
If those two are either beyond you or not your idea of fun, you probably want to try the Total War series or something.
Date: 2008-04-07
not for vista
use to play this game in my old Vaio pc with windows xp fun everytime BUT for windows vista the only think you can do its use it as cupholder nothing happens I already have tried all the ways for compatibility and nothing customers services...never answer to but for ea games has one less customer.
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