BUY IT FROM AMAZON: RIGHT HERE!
ESRB RATING: Teen
DEVELOPER: Pandemic Studios
PUBLISHER: EA
Lord of the Rings: Conquest has made me more torn than any game I’ve played in months. On one hand, the combat is fantastic, the multiple classes varied and fun, and the multiplayer is addicting. On the other hand, the single player game is atrocious, a frustrating and buggy mess that frustrates more than it entertains.
This review is a week late because while I got an early review copy and beat it before release date I felt the need to really dive into some full online matches to give the multiplayer its full chance, and I’m thankful I did.
It’s a completely different experience.
THE PITCH
“Let’s take Lord of the Rings and stick it in Star Wars: Battlefront!“
The story is actually the most interesting thing about this game. Gamers have all played through the surprisingly decent Lord of the Rings movie adaptations and we all know how the story goes, so it’s no surprise to see all of the big battles from the trilogy displayed here. It’s when it all ends (in a battle at The Black Gates) that things change, and you’re allowed to play the evil campaign. From here the story takes a decidedly non-canon turn, and the forces of evil amass once more to negate all the progress the humans made.
It all ends with a fantastic battle against the hobbits at the Shire, who prove to be more formidable (and annoying) than previously imagined. Strength in numbers, indeed.
CHUDTIP- It’s hard to tell which one’s Gandalf and which one’s Saruman in a heated battle, so it’s best just to stay out of their way completely when the magic starts flying.
But if you’re skilled enough you’ll burn the little hobbit holes to the ground, kill Gandalf, and generally feel good about yourself.
There are four different classes you can play as-
* Warrior: The basic brute. He’s got the most health and a bunch of powerful combos and can take out groups of enemies at ease, provided he can get close to them. He’s got special fire attacks that can brutalize any foe. Long range combat is his enemy, and if you can dodge his attacks and stay a swords length away you can easily take them out.
* Archer: The shooter. He’s got fire arrows (to burn down Ents and knock down enemies), poison arrows (which slow down enemies and damage them slowly) and a triple shot attack. He can zoom in for headshots, which do massive damage. Taking archers out is easy, provided you can catch them.
* Scout: The sneaky guy. He’s got a move that cloaks himself predator style, which allows for one hit kill backstabs if you sneak up on people. He’s pretty fast and does a bit of damage in melee combat, and also has a satchet bomb that he can throw. Keep an eye out for enemies trying to sneak around you and throw some fire around to make him uncloak, and he’ll be dead in no time.
* Mage: The support unit, and my favorite. He’s got a lighting attack that can be charged up and chained through multiple enemies. He can heal anyone around him in a small radius, and his other attacks are a fireball (that stays on the ground to do lots of damage) and a ground smash move that’s performed with his staff. Along with all this he also has a shield that he can raise to shield yourself and others against archer and mage attacks. Taking him out first is key, because his healing move’s a bitch.
It’s important to use the right man for the job, and a team without any variety is a losing one. They all make up for each other’s weaknesses, and you’ll soon find out that a team of people that work together will easily trounce anyone else…. in multiplayer, at least.
If you’re thinking about getting this game but have no one to play it with- reconsider. The single player campaign is fun at parts, but more often it’s frustrating because of incredibly cheap opponents and stupid friendly AI.
CHUDTIP-
You don’t have to worry too much about Eagles or Nasguls grabbing you off the ground, but it might be worth it for you to go for a ride…
Head to page 2 for more impressions and the score!