Battle for Middle-earth II: CE detailed

Publisher EA has revealed the contents of the collector's edition of its upcoming strategy sequel, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II.

Priced at $59.99, the deluxe boxed set of the PC version of the game will have a bonus DVD including a series of video interviews that cover its development. The DVD will also include all of the game's cinematic sequences in full, including opening and closing cinematics. It will also include mission-specific sequences that take place in well-known locations from Tolkien's lore, such as Rivendell, The Shire, and Mirkwood Forest.

The collector's edition will also include a full-length game soundtrack and offer numerous in-game additions, such as an exclusive dragon unit, as well as specific visual touches, such as new skins and new special effects for certain units.

The new game will be the sequel to EA's 2004 strategy game, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth, which was based largely on the award-winning motion pictures created by filmmaker Peter Jackson. The sequel will offer six new playable factions and an increased focus on multiplayer gameplay, as well as creatures, characters, and locations based on the expanded lore of novelist J.R.R. Tolkien. The game is scheduled to ship on March 2 for the PC, and later this year for the Xbox 360 console. For more information, consult our previous coverage or download its demo.