A jewel for newcomers and fans of The Lord of the Rings alike.
User Rating: 9.1 | The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II PC
It's been a few years since the Lord of the Rings topped off with its finale of The Return of the King, but that doesn't discourage EA from dishing them out at will. This latest installment is the sequal to 2004's Battle for Middle Earth. This game one-ups its predecessor in almost every occasion. With the new license EA has acquired, Tolkien's world of Middle-Earth is heavily expanded, therefore you will see a lot of land that was not shown in the movies. Battles can take place in familiar areas such as The Shire, all the way to Dol Guldur which is not quite as familiar unless you have read the books. Another improvement to the game is the factions, quite a few more races are added along with special heroes and specialized units. Speaking of heroes, they have incorporated a hero design system system that allows you to create your own hero. The customization however is limited; if you were hoping to re-create yourself, you will be sourly disapointed. The combat system has also been revamped. You can now build outside those annoying walls from BFME, giving a much broader horizon for gameplay.
Heroes are also very powerful and influential. They can turn the tide in a war to your advantage. There is also a unique style of warfare that moves away from plain skirmishes. Designated "War of the Ring", it looks and feels very much like a board game; Risk in particular. The sounds a very good too; great voice-acting on all the troops and heroes.
Overall, a vastly improved combat system, along with a broader playing field and factions, Battle for Middle Earth II is better than its predecesser in every way, and is a damn fun Real-time strategy game.
