If there's one fantasy world almost guaranteed to push every gamer's inner beardy button it's JRR Tolkien's Middle-earth. Most avid PC gamers will have read the epic trilogy of books (at least several times) and with Peter Jackson's CGI-driven triumvirate becoming the Noughties' Star Wars, Middle-earth has opened its gates to a whole new generation of fans.
So bringing Middle-earth online must have seemed an absolutely natural progression and that was almost certainly the case and indeed, the game's original name when Sierra announced it way back in 1998. Now, almost ten years later and after MMORPG specialists Turbine took over the helm in 2003, Lord of the Rings: Shadows of Angmar has finally been unleashed on the world, but what awaits both Tolkien and MMORPG fans in this brave new online realm?
Well LOTRO certainly has the looks to place it at the very pinnacle of the new generation of MMORPGs. The high-res version of the game is gorgeous to behold and, as one of the standard bearers for Games for Windows, creates a stunning and evocative version of Middle-earth to explore. Whether you're strolling through the pastoral idyll of the Shire, meandering deep in the depths of the Old Forest or shopping amidst the hum and bustle of Bree's central square, the game world is varied, sumptuous and positively drips with an authentic Middle-earth feel.
There's a thrill (and indeed rewards) for discovering or stumbling across famous locales like Tom Bombadil's house, or the halls of the last homely house of Rivendell and even taking a Sackville-Baggins style tour around Bag End (thankfully though, Bilbo won't have to count the spoons).
But of course looks alone don't a great game make and what really matters is how it feels and plays. With a wealth of original Tolkien lore to draw on (the original books rather than the movies), LOTRO also shares many of the mechanics common to the genre but always wraps them in a deep, faithful (and you suspect quite loving) appreciation of Tolkien's world.
Of course ,LOTRO's crucial differentiator from virtually every other MMORPG out there is its immensely rich and beloved source material and this truly raises it well above the standard MMORPG bar. Gamers really do genuinely love Middle-earth and while everyone carries their own personal picture of what it should look like, it's a tribute to Turbine's expertise that this online version feels as authentic as a paragraph of Tolkien's prose.
Moving on into the game itself and there's four main races to play, those of Man, Elf, Dwarf and Hobbit and seven different classes including staples like Champion, Loremaster and even Burglar, plus additional crafting and gathering elements - which mean your chosen character has a wealth of potential to explore.
Having powered through three different classes of Champion, Hunter and Loremaster and brought them up to levels 20, 15 and five respectively, we can say the learning curve is nicely pitched and probably best described as 'not steep but extremely deep'. From the introductory race-based instances, to the huge variety of story-driven quests, there's plenty to see and experience which gradually immerses you into a deep, rich and compelling game world.
With the machinations of the Witch King and the shadow cast by Angmar always threatening, you also definitely feel part of a bigger ongoing story, which balances nicely between the everyday and the epic; from helping humble Hobbits win their true lady love to stepping into the breech to prevent a disastrous war between the Elves and Dwarves.
The cumulative effect is that Tolkien aficionados (and we include ourselves here) will be hard pressed to wrench themselves away from yet another extended session in Middle-earth. LOTRO is full of that just 'one more quest' factor which sees you looking up to find the clock has ticked around to 3am and you still can't quite wrench yourself away from playing.
If you tire of being the do-gooding hero, then Turbine also has the intriguing possibility of Monster Play to explore, where taking a break from your 'real' Middle-earth character you assume the mantle of one of Sauron's minions and are transported to an enclosed part of the Ettenmoors.
With a chance to wreak havoc on the forces of light in a gigantic game of Capture the Castle, this provides a welcome and often hilarious diversion from the main game, with a chance to fully embrace and express your inner evil and even earn rewards and bonuses for your main character. It's an elegant 'closed' solution for those who want to get stuck into some proper meaty PvP action.
However, moving back to the main game and one of the central themes of Tolkien's trilogy is the idea of a fellowship of allies combining to battle against the forces of evil and LOTRO cleverly incorporates this as a core gameplay mechanic. While other MMOs certainly allow you to group up and share rewards and XP, LOTRO goes beyond that by rewarding co-operative play through class-based bonuses and additional special moves known as Conjunctions which are only open to players in a Fellowship.
Although lone wolf style players will still find plenty to enjoy, LOTRO's Fellowship mechanic positively rewards co-operative and team-based play which seems to result in a much more positive and, it has to be said, friendly playing experience.
Which neatly brings us onto one of the key components of any MMORPG, the actual gaming community itself. After three months of closed and then open beta experience it's a pleasure to say that LOTRO's mix of predominantly British, German and French players are some of the most welcoming and friendly we've ever encountered.
Perhaps it's a result of the in-built Fellowship mechanic or maybe it's just a bunch of like-minded gamers who share a love of the Professor's works, but LOTRO's community seem an extremely amicable bunch, ready to embrace noobs with open arms. Of course things may change now it's gone fully live, but somehow we doubt it and it's to be hoped LOTRO maintains its beta ethos and atmosphere, remaining largely griefer free and as hospitable as a hobbit's cake party.
No MMORPG is frozen in time and as well as the existing starter realms of Middle-earth there's also going to be plenty to look forward to, with Turbine already hinting at (though not publicly confirming) expansion packs which will open up new areas of Middle-earth to explore. Perhaps more important to players right now though will be Turbine's commitment to event-based content with CVG privileged to take part in one of the very first. Beyond that, we've also had a chance to take a peer into some advanced high level content and, while sworn to secrecy on its components, suffice to say Shadows of Angmar is going to feature plenty to get your teeth into - with both factors promising to keep the game fresh and alive into the far future.
So far we've been very positive about LOTRO but there are a couple of things which you should be aware of. No MMORPG can truly eliminate the grind of grind, the ongoing quest to level up by slaughtering random wildlife and weedy NPCs. However, by placing more emphasis and reward for quests and utilising a nicely realised Virtues and Titles system, LOTRO goes a long way to alleviating any tedium.
No MMORPG is ever truly free of the perils of lag either, and although this has never been an issue in normal LOTRO play it can be a problem when large groups of players gather together. Again, full release and multiple servers will probably massage out these difficulties we experienced in beta but it's something Turbine and Codemasters will have to keep a eye on.
Of course, the elephant in the room which we've been at pains not to mention so far is online behemoth World of Warcraft which casts such a long and immensely profitable shadow over the world of online RPGs. Can LOTRO seriously challenge its vast and unwieldy hegemony?
Well the answer is: it doesn't really have to. Yes they're both MMORPGs, down at the more accessible end of the market, but LOTRO has its own corner of the MMORPG realm firmly staked out and if pre-orders numbers are anything to go by, a massive European community of Tolkien fans just itching to play. The truth is, LOTRO is more than good enough to stand on its own two furry hobbit feet.
So, we come to the end of this review's sojourn in Middle-earth and we have to conclude that with looks that would make an Elven maiden blush, married with a compelling and authentic game world based on the single most popular fantasy universe of all time, LOTRO has all the qualities necessary to make it a big big success.
With Turbine's long-standing MMORPG expertise powering proceedings and one of the most welcoming communities in gaming, LOTRO presents a stunning and evocative world of Tolkien magic to explore - if you're any kind of fan, it would seem pretty much an essential purchase. LOTRO seems destined to become the next big MMORPG contender and we've no hesitation in saying prepare to make your move to Middle-earth - we'll see you there.
looking forward to the full version of this on friday ive been in the closed beta and had alot of fun, hopefully ill have my internet connection sorted out by friday so i can enjoy this *figures crossed*
Generally I have always hated LOTR and well the fantasy genre in general, however, I found World of Warcraft very compelling and enjoyable and this partly shifted my acceptance of this genre in video games. I think MMORPG with their group and cooperative play rather than competive fighting (except PVP) have really shifted my enjoyment of video games. The best thing I have found about World of Warcraft is that you can play and enjoy even if you are an occassional user.
So my question is - which I'm surprised was not mentioned in the review other than a passing reference - how does LOTR compare with WoW? Is it a sort of game that is easy to pick up and play? Is it suitable for a casual gamer? Because although the review says taht LOTR will find its own place alongside WoW - very few people are going to subscribe to both games.
I know that clearly CVG have an ongoing business/advertising agreement with LOTR which may hinder their objectivity (bite the hand that feeds etc) but it would be good to get a feeling of the differences.
Well i love lotr -------the only thing that turns me off this game is the sub fee and the fact that on my pc i wouldnt get full use out of the game bcos frankly my pc is s**t
I had no interest in playing WOW or any MMORPG. However, I'm interested in exploring Middle-Earth properly and so that's the main reason I play this game. Pretty much everyone I've met is friendly and helpful, it's really a blast to play, and there's always something interesting to do or see.
Meet me in the game under the name Nightwalker on the Evernight server. See you... out there!
Whats the actual game play mechanic? Click and watch while you hit? Skills? Limited skills slots like Guild Wars?
The gameplay is very interesting. As you level you get access to new skills for fighting (different types of attacks) which you have to choose and click during an actual battle. Some attacks are unusable until you have used another specific one before, so some tactics come into play; similar to the systems used in EQ2 and WoW. Other skills add to your combat (accuracy, critical) and defense (parry, block) although these are passive ones. You also have deeds to accomplish (exploration, mob killng etc), which reward you with traits that improve your stats (improved avoidance, resistance etc.) and these can also be levelled up by completing different deeds that reward the same trait.
I've been in beta a while and have had no hesitation in buying the full version and will opt for a one-off payment so no further monthly fees for me
This game is not Wow nor even guild wars it a rip of both them mixed in with there own dungen and dragons which might I say failed badly. This game probably deserves a 6-7 but no way a 9 there just nothing special about it nor does it even really capture lotr well it could been alot better and with a better company developing it it would of been.
Personally if you are Wow fan this is not game for you it is like playing a less developed copy of Wow which trys to copy many different games but fails in it own ignorant view. Save your money and keep playing your current mmo or take a break im sure better titles by better companys are in production.
By the way the reviews end statement are disinformative that company never was a huge sucess and Midway themself are only known well for arcade games, it comes across that this copy is trying get rich from the mmo craze but are doing so without any respect for gamers as the state of the beta is in no way ready for this game to be released this month.
Reading this article the only positive thing i really got out of it was that the world was beautiful. Pretty much 3/4 of the article was drooling over the world and how its Middle-Earth. Now i love Tolkien and his novels but thats not enough to get me to buy this game. I really want an MMORPG to play as i love them but I bought Vanguard because i needed an mmorpg and i hated it, I don't wanna make that mistake with this game.
So is there anything actually great with this game other then the world and setting?
Hi, I'll keep this short and to the point. I've bought the pre-order box of this game and played it for a few days and all i can say is that if your love of the LOTR came from Peter Jacksons vision for the books, then this game is NOT for you. You will be disapointed. They should have based it on the movie imagery in my opinion. I will not be buying the full retail game sadly.
Strange, did the guy who wrote the review play the same game as me? I played the BETA from day one and it was terrible. The graphics were poor, dated even, the play system was ripped off straight from WoW, the character system is boring and, well, character-less and the job system just seems to be really lacking in something inspiring. Where is all the innovation? It's as if somebody thought up these ideas about 5 years ago but its taken this long to put them together, and now its all outdated....mmm...i think i might be on to something there.... I hope to god they look at the BETA and say ' lets not make it like that as its crap'. Expect lots of updates. I love Tolkien, i used to drink in the pub where he wrote the books. Its such as shame that they had such a great chance to make it groundbreaking and innovative but we've ended up with another poor franchise to make some money out of the die-hard fans. Stick with the books, its a much better way to spend your time...
Looking at gameplay footage, I am so tired of seeing static combat. I mean come on, how hard is it to have basic animated combat that is just there for show, then you select an attack and your character does it.
I want to see parrying, people dodging arrows, jumping and ducking out of the way. Not "oh wait one second whilst I stand here in front of you and not do anything, other then sway from side to side".
I'm sick of it!!!
KOTOR managed it and that game has been out for years, why is it no one else has done it...someone tell me?!?
P.s. 9.2 is a joke for this game, there should be a second review about 2 weeks from now once the glitz and glamour has faded from the reviewers eyes.
I really want an MMORPG to play as i love them but I bought Vanguard because i needed an mmorpg and i hated it,
First off, do your research. Vanguard is for Hard Core players that wanted EQ1 reborn.
Secondly to all the other nay sayers in this thread, learn to play the game before you judge. If you were in closed beta, this game is nothing like it was. It is now very well polished, the graphics are gorgeous (animations need some work) and the game play is spot on and fun. Combat is interactive mix of EQ2 and DAOC, with a dash of WoW instants thrown in. The world is CHOCK full of solo quests, group quests, and the ever present delivery quests. The game plays in CHAPTERS, once you finish a quest chain it leads up to a instanced, semi movie like dungeon or quest that you must preform to move on. When you move on, the world changes according to what happened last chapter and the NPC's actually remember you and what you did
Hidden in the game is the trait system, deeds, and while grouped you can pull off fellowship manuevers
For the most part it sounds like many of the negative posters in here are morons that have not experienced the game past level 5 or the intro chapter. So far, it down right kicks ass and I will be leaving the 14 year olds behind in WoW for this game. Finally after 2 years I have a game that is a medium degree of hard coreness between EQ1, EQ2 and DaOC.
lastly to all you people that want to log in and play Gandalf, grow a brain
GI: There's a large audience that knows Tolkien's work through Peter Jackson's films. When you were designing the game, were you able--or interested--in incorporating details from his films so that audience would feel more familiar with the settings?
Steefel: The reality is that LOTRO and the Jackson films are all based on the same source material so there will be similarities between the two. So in each case, taking skilled artists and designers and having them craft a world from the books will often result in similarities. It really depends on how much detail was devoted to the place or person in the books. Gandalf, for example, is explained in great detail and will look very similar. Rivendell must have water elements, be seated on a high hill, and have an elegance and mystery to it. And in other cases, as with Angmar, we have small clues to draw from the books, but then draw on our own imaginations to design the look and tone of the Witch-King’s realm..
Lol from the very first sentance of your post i could tell what type of person i was talking to. Read my post before you post a half assed response. After all my research i still bought Vanguard and hated it because of my need for an MMORPG.
Secondly your post while quite informative was packed full of spiteful comments and makes me wonder if the writer of this article was right about the community in LotRO because judging from your post your the type of person to detract from a community.
T*ts. Its a great game, the character development is superb, as is the community and the combat. Play it before you rip it you troglodites. Unless you have all been paid a few groats to come out of the WoW creche for a few minutes to post some poop on it?
I've been playing WoW for a year and a half, and it's getting repetitive. I have no oomph to level up my low-level characters, and I can't be bothered with the new lvl 70 instances. SSDD. LOTRO is like a of breath of fresh air.
The graphics beat WoW hands down, for a start (no challenge there). The gameplay may not be original, but it works for me. This game is designed specifically with nerds in mind, and I, quite frankly, am unashamed of being one, and as a roleplayer and LOTR fan I think the game deserves the 9.2 it got. Heck, they're advertising the facial expressions system! This game is made with RP as a major function, not just a side product. Go back to WSG, children.
It's not soooo dissimilar from the movies anyhow. The movies were based on the books. So too was this. Of course it's going to be slightly different - it's all subjective. What stays the same is the atmosphere.
And Kuro, you might not be playing the game again, but the Bird and Baby (Eagle and Child) is in Michel Delving ^^
One man's junk is another man's treasure, as they say.
The game your looking for is coming out this year it called Age of Conan check that out it what you just asked for... I agree this game no way deserved that score there nothing at all special about it and frankly people will get bored fast once WOW factor is gone cause people always are excited about new games then play them and discover this is that much of WOW factor after all.
You guys must be kidding! You're publishing a review (!) before the game is even on the shelves, it's impossible to judge a mmorpg with just 2 days (or so) playing without all the community-features and thousands of players on the servers. You must have been paid to do this!
You guys must be kidding! You're publishing a review (!) before the game is even on the shelves, it's impossible to judge a mmorpg with just 2 days (or so) playing without all the community-features and thousands of players on the servers. You must have been paid to do this!
I agree with many people that say the review is generous. I would rate this game at 6 or 7/10.
If like me you have played WOW to death and need something to play until Warhammer Online then this might tide you over for a bit but don't expect to see anything new in this game.
To be honest I don't think it is a good as WOW but I got bored of the cartoon graphics in WOW and LOTRO has a nice look to it.
Warhammer Online will be the next MMORPG to have a handful of fresh concepts and gameplay features.
You guys must be kidding! You're publishing a review (!) before the game is even on the shelves, it's impossible to judge a mmorpg with just 2 days (or so) playing without all the community-features and thousands of players on the servers. You must have been paid to do this!
9.2 ... paid A LOT.
not the only people suggesting this, and it's very interesting that this is (so far at time of writing) the only online review of LOTRO that can be found, and that CM had a emailshot sent out with the CVG elite icon nicely laid out in it the morning after the review... i work in graphic design, and that's a fast turnaround i appreciate that turbine/codies would want to shout about it but it looks a little pre-ordained shall we say?
incidentally, enjoying the game so far but i'm getting sick of the comparisons between this and wow. the two are not mutually exclusive. simple as that. i'm playing both and with the lifetime sub option i don't even feel pressured about how often i play LOTRO.
This game is not Wow nor even guild wars it a rip of both them mixed in with there own dungen and dragons which might I say failed badly. This game probably deserves a 6-7 but no way a 9 there just nothing special about it nor does it even really capture lotr well it could been alot better and with a better company developing it it would of been.
Personally if you are Wow fan this is not game for you it is like playing a less developed copy of Wow which trys to copy many different games but fails in it own ignorant view. Save your money and keep playing your current mmo or take a break im sure better titles by better companys are in production.
By the way the reviews end statement are disinformative that company never was a huge sucess and Midway themself are only known well for arcade games, it comes across that this copy is trying get rich from the mmo craze but are doing so without any respect for gamers as the state of the beta is in no way ready for this game to be released this month.
I thank you so much for your Comment. And i believed that you have saved me from wasting another Fifty dollars on a stupid Online game.
Like many I am sick of Wow and it's endless grinds so I went looking for something new.
First impression was pure amazement, it was beautiful, stunning effects, my first go get 6 skins quest was done in 6 kills. No more headless murlocs!!!!
The need to finish a small instance to leave the starting area was great I loved that things changed in the world. I loved the endless variety of quests. I could level up with out even killing a single thing.
The crafting system looked a bit shaky with no real choice of which three professions you wanted, but hey it is new. Fighting was a bit odd too, but again it is brand new just taking it's first steps out on to the web. A few days of the trial account and I was ready to buy the pre-order and sign up.
I'm glad I decided to wait just a bit longer, becuase 6 days before live release they let a dev destroy one of the professions that they later admitted he knew nothing of the mechanics of. Worse they tried to lie to people about why the change was made and that it was intended to be that way all along.
Then they treated the players that were screaming about the destruction of their craft and a second lie like 5 year olds with some crazy Ghost bear character on the forums.
If you get the game be aware that their idea of crafting is that it at no time make you money. And that they fix minor problems with sledgehammers and wrecking balls. And that this game is being released with major flaws created by devs working in areas that they aren't familar with and that from the history of the developer will never be fixed.
I must have , yeah i must have missed soething as the visuals i seen where not great i have a ati 1800xt and everything up full and thought it was disappointing. So how can you guys say it was good looking.WOW was colourful eq2 looks better. So was i doing something wrong?
Pos: Landscapes are beautiful, the first 5 levels are dynamic (changing landscapes etc...) Neg: Lack in the ART department: this is NO Middle earth. The animated fighting lacks animation (this is 2007 guys ! in WOW you fight smoothly). Your character just stands there and is really not fighting. You push the buttons and that's it. No identification with your character at all! Horrible interface buttons and too small!
What strikes me most: I am never in the mood to play it longer than 30 minutes or so. After that it gets on my nerves. For an MMORPG that's not normal. Everytime I played WOW I can't stop. I really really would like it, but it's a core to level and play (very odd). I would like to try the PVP battleground but you have to be at lvl 40 to play it with your character, so I am trying to reach to lvl 10 to play the PVP as a monster. After 9 days I am still level 9, says it all, isn't it? It's a game developped for a market that existed 5 years ago but with WOW at it's present state it' a really dull affair. We will have to wait for WARhammer on line to see perhaps a better competitor. And really guys: combat has to be fluid ! We are not living in 1999 anymore (or is that 1989 stuff?).
CVG may have overscored this game a bit, but it does have a lot going for it. I am mildly into LOTR, having read the books a few times etc, I'm also into MMOs so feel I have a balanced view.
Played Beta for 2 months and am still hooked enough that in the 9 days pre-release so far I have a level 26 and a level 11 (To Benbo - levelling from 0 to 10 takes about 3 hours, surely you arent that bored?). Have ordered the lifetime sub for 100 ukp.
This is a better game technically/bugwise/storywise than WoW was at release. I played WoW for the first year and it took a large part of that time for Blizz to get some point to the game, the backdrop of LOTR blows away any chance of Blizz being able to compete in this area. The graphics are very good if you have the kit to get the best out of them.
It's also not too grindy, my level 26 has done no grinding to level, apart from quest mobs and looking for mats for crafting.
Have tried out 4 classes and 7 crafts so far and found most of them enjoyable, playing hunter and minstrel in live. Farming seems oddly pointless, but apart from that no big complaints
The games flaws to me are really the parts that its copied from WoW/EQ, a shame when there are other games doing things better that Turbine could have emulated. Examples - The "Traits" system is similar to WoW-Talents. Its slightly better as a lot of them are earned through questing, but neither system is very good. Auto Assault is a game that springs to mind as having a top draw levelling/talents process as its totally up to the player how the points distribute, similar can be said of Anarchy Online. WoW and Lotro have gone for the - "you're too dumb to do it yourself approach". The crafting is better than WoW, but still by no means perfect, and the cash flow balance the game currently has are an invitation to Gold Farmers.
Judgement reserved on the pvp (I am a pvper usually), I'm not into playing a "monster" just to pvp, will be levelling my characters up to 40 plus so I can pvp properly. The idea of monsterplay is bizarre to me, I hope it works as so much of the game is good. If you liked Planescape Torment for its story, the "Epic" quests have a similar feel to them, obviously making an MMO as good storywise as PST is still probably not doable, but this game makes an effort.
The combat animations are uninteresting and could be improved, no arguments with those who've already pointed this out.
So my score? Most of the things I've criticised are minor. The quests are good, the story great, the graphics very good, the first (free) expansion has already been announced for June, the Codies community people have been fantastic during beta and the game world is huge. 8.5
You guys must be kidding! You're publishing a review (!) before the game is even on the shelves, it's impossible to judge a mmorpg with just 2 days (or so) playing without all the community-features and thousands of players on the servers. You must have been paid to do this!
9.2 ... paid A LOT.
not the only people suggesting this, and it's very interesting that this is (so far at time of writing) the only online review of LOTRO that can be found, and that CM had a emailshot sent out with the CVG elite icon nicely laid out in it the morning after the review... i work in graphic design, and that's a fast turnaround i appreciate that turbine/codies would want to shout about it but it looks a little pre-ordained shall we say?
incidentally, enjoying the game so far but i'm getting sick of the comparisons between this and wow. the two are not mutually exclusive. simple as that. i'm playing both and with the lifetime sub option i don't even feel pressured about how often i play LOTRO.
CVG must be getting paid plenty for this one...I seen an ad from Codies with the CVG Elite logo before I even heard about the logo on this site !
Now the CVG logo itself is all LOTR themed...haven't seen them get that friendly with a game before.
And the icing on the cake, the review is now blasted back onto the front page 2 weeks after it was first on the site!!
All in all...shame on you CVG. We may aswell be reading an issue an "Official" magazine...god I hated those.
Oh yeah, they also got a very early playtest of DIRT...you scratch my back and all that..
I would love to have a PC that could run decent games as I am an absolute LOTR nut. I know every little bit of the map and have read the book once a year for the last four years or so and my mum read it to me when I was six, I also adore the fantasy genre in general.
I would love to roam around Middle-Earth, though I would probably become very annoyed if I found anything in the map that is not in Tolkien's original maps. I am a huge nerd you see.
Geeee CVG, didnt expect it to get a low score due to how heavily involved you are with this game. Hyping it no end. However that score shows you have sold your soul to the Devi.. i mean publisher
I have only played this for a couple of days and it's very enjoyable. Easy to get into, UI works quite well, looks nice, LOTOR fans will love it, and so will MMO fans in general I think.
But I have to agree with previous comments, there is no way you can review such a game so early on, hence why I just gave my initial impressions, in a months time I could write an honest review after seeing some of the bigger instances, how raids work etc.
I mean I got the game through the post the other day and it already has a CVG elite award sticker on it, hmmm.
But I have to agree with previous comments, there is no way you can review such a game so early on, hence why I just gave my initial impressions, in a months time I could write an honest review after seeing some of the bigger instances, how raids work etc.
I mean I got the game through the post the other day and it already has a CVG elite award sticker on it, hmmm.
CVG, PC Gamer, and I imagine most other major reviewers, have had beta access for months. The beta population was so big that CM launched a second server, and there is no difference in the live game from the end of beta, apart from the graphics being enhanced - in short, they've had plenty of opportunity to assess the game.
Dear oh dear. How hideously embarassing - I've not read such a transparent 'written by the marketing men' 'review' for many a year. They could at least have put some effort into making it read like a proper review, rather than an edited press release!
Shocking lack of journalistic integrity on the part of CVG - I feel embarassed that a magazine I subscribe to (PC Zone) is affiliated with it.
CVG, PC Gamer, and I imagine most other major reviewers, have had beta access for months. The beta population was so big that CM launched a second server, and there is no difference in the live game from the end of beta, apart from the graphics being enhanced - in short, they've had plenty of opportunity to assess the game.
A fair point by Daisy, perhaps I did't make my post too clear, I understand as it seems most people who have posted here do that a lot of players have had BETA access for a long time. However how many reviews are based on BETA? I was under the impression they were previews. CVG review still smells a bit whiffy to me.
CVG, PC Gamer, and I imagine most other major reviewers, have had beta access for months. The beta population was so big that CM launched a second server, and there is no difference in the live game from the end of beta, apart from the graphics being enhanced - in short, they've had plenty of opportunity to assess the game.
A fair point by Daisy, perhaps I did't make my post too clear, I understand as it seems most people who have posted here do that a lot of players have had BETA access for a long time. However how many reviews are based on BETA? I was under the impression they were previews. CVG review still smells a bit whiffy to me.
Well your point is reasonable and I guess I didnt make myself to clear either. I totally agree with everyone who's said the review is like a press release - its reads like an advert and CVG have done themselves no favours - My point was just that beta was no different to live to end up with, the last major patch was 5 weeks before the game was released (And that didnt make too many changes to content) so any reviewers who DID wish to write a decent review ready for release had the opportunity.
Strange, I was commenting in the PCG forum that I'd read a very flaky review somewhere of LotRO that didn't really say much about how the game plays and other useful stuff (like is the combat similar to DDO which is pretty dynamic for an MMORPG etc...).
Well bugger me, if that review I was complaining about wasn't just the CVG one. I though it was from gamespy, IGN or somewhere like that.
Then again, you wouldn't buy an MMORPG without checking out MMORPG.com first and seeing what they have to say. A site dedicated to MMORPG's tends to know what it's talking about, plus there's loads of feedback.
Hi, my name's Lockwood; I'm a level 15 Elf Hunter with a touch-typing of -1.
I'm having a fun time with Shadows of Angmar at the moment - only thing slowing my progression is my real-life job.
Anyway, just want to share my most memorable in-game moment so far.
I was tasked with destroying a stockpile of insurgent WMD's (or fireworks stolen by brigands, if we're being olde), and also to retrieve some yeast. There was a hostage named violet there, too - but she wasn't part of my objective (and being a woman would have slowed me down applying make-up and bitching about passers-by, and other womanly shizzle). Being an unsociable type (I'm playing an MMORPG, don't forget) I decided to attempt the quest solo.
I used my stealth ability (you can sneak around without being seen - unless you walk in front of an enemy) and got half-way into the base. I was hidden behind a large rock, staring at my secondary objective (yeast - presumably the local shop was out) and the Brigand Boss. An 'Osama Bin Laden' type, but without the facial hair, or crazy ideoloical ideals. I realised that I could not move forward, nor back the way I came, without being seen by passing patrols. Being set in Middle-Earth, I couldn't call in artillery, or air support. I would have to call for reinforcements another way. I managed to use bird call (or the Out Of Character chat panel, if we're stepping out of this comprehensive fantasy universe for a sec). I didn't get a response. Just a cohort of pigeons attempting to woo me. Then Daisie (I'm using there real names - hope they don't mind) said she was on the same quest and would be there shortly. I knew the two of us may struggle so I requested back-up again. Then?
DEUS EX MACHINA. My Savious. My Hero. Cardemel answered my cry (despite not having a quest there). He told me he'd be there soon. The patrols passed by closer and closer - I was withing touching distance of getting my ass beaten. I thought I was about to be discovered when I heard the clash of swords in the distance. Half the Brigands in the camp jumped and ran for this new aggressor - I had to help. I released a barbed arrow at the nearest combatant, revealing my position. None of the brigands turned - they were fixated on the other intruder - Cardemel! I turned expecting to see a low-health Guardian fighting a last stand - but he didn't need any assitance; he was gleefully doing away with anything that got close. Daisie came up behind, too, providing support now and then. We quickly went on to destroy the fireworks and battle our way out.
I guess the most important part of any MMORPG are the people in it. What has been your favourite moment from the game? From any game?
I've been playing since BETA and am still not bored. The game engine is good enough and, yes, exloring Tolkein's world is worth 9.2 in itself! Ok its not for everybody, but then again neither is WoW (the original game to steal all its ideas from other MMOs btw).
All I suggest is that you get your hands on a buddy key, play the game in full with a flourishing community, and then make your mind up.
This game is not Wow nor even guild wars it a rip of both them mixed in with there own dungen and dragons which might I say failed badly. This game probably deserves a 6-7 but no way a 9 there just nothing special about it nor does it even really capture lotr well it could been alot better and with a better company developing it it would of been.
Personally if you are Wow fan this is not game for you it is like playing a less developed copy of Wow which trys to copy many different games but fails in it own ignorant view. Save your money and keep playing your current mmo or take a break im sure better titles by better companys are in production.
By the way the reviews end statement are disinformative that company never was a huge sucess and Midway themself are only known well for arcade games, it comes across that this copy is trying get rich from the mmo craze but are doing so without any respect for gamers as the state of the beta is in no way ready for this game to be released this month.
You have no idea what your talking about. Game is 9 easy, co-operative play like you have never seen. Mature game that needs brains over twitch. Looks way better than WOW's saturday-morning-cartoon graphics. Community is superb.
^ The crux of your argument seems to be that MMORPGs can't be rated so soon after release. I tend to agree. In my humble opinion, a MMORPG should be re-reviewed every 3 months or so, due to the nature of the beast.
You have no idea what your talking about. Game is 9 easy, co-operative play like you have never seen. Mature game that needs brains over twitch. Looks way better than WOW's saturday-morning-cartoon graphics. Community is superb.
Hmm. Saturday-morning-cartoon is a gross misrepresentation of the wonderful artwork in that game. There isn't a cartoon in existance that looks anything like WoW, if anything, the style is completely unique. So it's not ultra-realistic (which lends an uncanny valley feel), but it's certainly no cartoon.
I found LOTRO to be bland, generic, average. But I'm sure it'll sell a crapton of boxes simply because it's LOTR.
Hi. I was thinking about getting this game but i didnt know a few things. I wanted to know how much it was a month to play online, if anyone knew. I also herd that the skills on certain characters were wacked up like gandalf. Is this something that is minor or major? And if this is almost exactly like the story line in the books. Pretty much all i want to know is if this game is great for a LOTR fan and if its worth the pay. It seems a whole bunch better than WoW.
It been a full a Year since I signed up for beta , and I'm still loving LotrO. I tried a lot fo games over the summer, but I'm back in Middle Earth fighting a good fight . Great Job Turbine !!
I found LOTRO to be bland, generic, average. But I'm sure it'll sell a crapton of boxes simply because it's LOTR.
Obviously you can't appreciate a good game when it hits you in the face =) I have played WoW since BETA, played for almost 3 years total. And I can say that, finally, finally a superior game has removed WoW out of my shelf.
I have only played for about a week but being a serious gamer since childhood I can recognize good things when they arrive.
Gameplay so far is immersive to say the least. Graphics you have to simply see for yourself. Storyline, driven by quests are entertaining. I have actually forgot what raiding is (But ofcourse looking forward to that in the end game in Lotro aswell=)
I can higly recommend it to mature people (kids aswell). If you say they copied stuff from WoW then take a look back and wonder what things WoW copied from other games. Even as we speak WoW are implementing things in their current game taken from Lotro, things such as their npcs responding in a familiar manner to players who have done a job for them. WoW's newest patch introduced talking in Shattrath, which is already a standard feature in Lotro. So obviously WoW are feeling the heat from their competitor.
Last but not least I predict a war between these 2 games. The community in Lotro is very nice and behavior in general is a new experience (So glad to be rid of screaming kids in trade channel in IF )
Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, UK BA1 2BW England and Wales company registration number 2008885
If there's one fantasy world almost guaranteed to push every gamer's inner beardy button it's JRR Tolkien's Middle-earth. Most avid PC gamers will have read the epic trilogy of books (at least several times) and with Peter Jackson's CGI-driven triumvirate becoming the Noughties' Star Wars, Middle-earth has opened its gates to a whole new generation of fans.
Great looks, authentic Tolkien feel
i appreciate that turbine/codies would want to shout about it but it looks a little pre-ordained shall we say?
I am a huge nerd you see.
