Right, Have done a fair bit of work in the office today so could get some breathing space to post my views on this masterpiece!!
Thats right, masterpiece!! RTS aint one of my favourite genre's but this game captivated me since I saw the first movie of the Minas Tirith battle (Big one in Return of the King) on the net. Have been rattling through the campaign right now and am loving it!! Single player puts you in control of either side of the middle earth forces as you move through events from the film. I opted for the good campaign (but will DEFINTLY be doing an evil campaingn when done) and started in control of the Fellowship in the mines of Moria.
There are essentially two types of game you will play. One where you control a small band of heroes, IE. Aragorn, Legolas, etc and must battle through a set-piece from the movie (Mine of moria and the battle agasint the Balriog the highlights so far). The other puts you in control of an army tasked with defending and conquering an area of middle Earth. The later is my favourite as it lets you conrol hundreds of various troop types.
I have only controlled the Rohan army so farm, with superb cavalry and sweet archers. You must build up these armies throughout the game so they can be called upon in the later battles. Battalions that survive in battle can be given titles, which I love and become very powerful. Losing one of these veteran battalions is like a knife through the heart, hehe. You WILL look after them, you WILL look out for your best battalions and YOU WILL grieve when they fall in battle.
The game looks first class, with each individual unit animated perfectly. The maps are superb and allow for very varied gameplay. The first few missions can be beaten by brute force but it requries skill and strategy to succeed in the open mapped battles. Battalion choice and timing your attacks are essential. It really becomes a battle of wits with you having to move your army in sync with each other, positioning archers on hills, cavalry at front... it is fantastic and so rewarding when you win a battle, and since you are mostly outnumbered in the battles, strategy is the only way you are ging to conquer the enemy.
Tons of upgrades are available and the options in battle never get tired... you will NEVER fight the same fight twice, with the AI constantly adopting new tactics to breach your walls and take out your commanders.
The need for strategy is clinical to victory and thegame excels because of this.
The Graphics engine convinces you this is the real thing, the heroes are animated amazingly, with all there voice acting from the film included and usual quips!! Gimli and Legolas count how many they kill and shout out toeach other... how amazing is that?? The sound is also superb, with fantastic effects ALL pulled direct from the Movie. The use of the movie effects is obvious and IMO is spot on. The CG from the movie looks exactly like the action in the game. I am playing on a fairly cutting edge machine though, but the requirements are mid spec
The best feature of the game is the score... the music adds levels to the gameplay that most games cant even dream to touch!! Charging your cavalry into battle with Eomer at the front and the background music form the final battle at Helms Deep (when Gandalf comes down the hill) is the best feeling EVER. Big smiles every time. All the songs are intact and featuire at crucialpoints in battle!!
I have played around 50% so far and I know I have the best bits yet to come. I cant explain how excited I am about fighting the battle of Minas Tirith with all my armies being called upon!!
This game is a technical triumph and totally immerses you in the world we love from the movies. If you like LOTR you will admire this, if you like RTS you will find this an impressive addition to your collection... BUT if you are a fan of both you are in for the most exhilirating, testing, atmospheric and fun experience possible.
Battle for Middle Earth is the best LOTR game to date and a contender for best RTS.... simply breathtaking!!
Thats right, masterpiece!! RTS aint one of my favourite genre's but this game captivated me since I saw the first movie of the Minas Tirith battle (Big one in Return of the King) on the net. Have been rattling through the campaign right now and am loving it!! Single player puts you in control of either side of the middle earth forces as you move through events from the film. I opted for the good campaign (but will DEFINTLY be doing an evil campaingn when done) and started in control of the Fellowship in the mines of Moria.
There are essentially two types of game you will play. One where you control a small band of heroes, IE. Aragorn, Legolas, etc and must battle through a set-piece from the movie (Mine of moria and the battle agasint the Balriog the highlights so far). The other puts you in control of an army tasked with defending and conquering an area of middle Earth. The later is my favourite as it lets you conrol hundreds of various troop types.
I have only controlled the Rohan army so farm, with superb cavalry and sweet archers. You must build up these armies throughout the game so they can be called upon in the later battles. Battalions that survive in battle can be given titles, which I love and become very powerful. Losing one of these veteran battalions is like a knife through the heart, hehe. You WILL look after them, you WILL look out for your best battalions and YOU WILL grieve when they fall in battle.
The game looks first class, with each individual unit animated perfectly. The maps are superb and allow for very varied gameplay. The first few missions can be beaten by brute force but it requries skill and strategy to succeed in the open mapped battles. Battalion choice and timing your attacks are essential. It really becomes a battle of wits with you having to move your army in sync with each other, positioning archers on hills, cavalry at front... it is fantastic and so rewarding when you win a battle, and since you are mostly outnumbered in the battles, strategy is the only way you are ging to conquer the enemy.
Tons of upgrades are available and the options in battle never get tired... you will NEVER fight the same fight twice, with the AI constantly adopting new tactics to breach your walls and take out your commanders.
The need for strategy is clinical to victory and thegame excels because of this.
The Graphics engine convinces you this is the real thing, the heroes are animated amazingly, with all there voice acting from the film included and usual quips!! Gimli and Legolas count how many they kill and shout out toeach other... how amazing is that?? The sound is also superb, with fantastic effects ALL pulled direct from the Movie. The use of the movie effects is obvious and IMO is spot on. The CG from the movie looks exactly like the action in the game. I am playing on a fairly cutting edge machine though, but the requirements are mid spec
The best feature of the game is the score... the music adds levels to the gameplay that most games cant even dream to touch!! Charging your cavalry into battle with Eomer at the front and the background music form the final battle at Helms Deep (when Gandalf comes down the hill) is the best feeling EVER. Big smiles every time. All the songs are intact and featuire at crucialpoints in battle!!
I have played around 50% so far and I know I have the best bits yet to come. I cant explain how excited I am about fighting the battle of Minas Tirith with all my armies being called upon!!
This game is a technical triumph and totally immerses you in the world we love from the movies. If you like LOTR you will admire this, if you like RTS you will find this an impressive addition to your collection... BUT if you are a fan of both you are in for the most exhilirating, testing, atmospheric and fun experience possible.
Battle for Middle Earth is the best LOTR game to date and a contender for best RTS.... simply breathtaking!!
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