GAME DESCRIPTION: In The Lord of the Rings™, The Battle for Middle-earth™ II, the sequel to the critically acclaimed RTS game The Lord of the Rings™, The Battle for Middle-earth™ you now have the chance to experience all that Middle-earth was meant to be.
Given a new agreement with The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises that grants EA the rights to develop games based on the books, in addition to a separate agreement that allows for games based on the New Line Cinema films The Lord of the Rings™, The Battle for Middle-earth™ II will introduce players to depths of the fiction never before explored by EA.
With all new content from J.R.R. Tolkien’s original fiction, delve deeper than ever before and engage in new battles that go beyond the award-winning movie trilogy. Wage war in the North and assume command of the most storied civilizations in all of Middle-earth history – the Elven and Dwarven armies – or fight on the side of Evil with heroes and creatures that have never been seen in The Lord of the Rings films. Defend or overtake never before seen lands such as Dol Guldur, The Misty Mountains, and Mirkwood as you unleash powerful new weapons and abilities – summon dragons, cause volcanoes to erupt, or bring down a cataclysmic lightning strike.
But beware, with greater power comes greater adversity. Your enemies, commanded by a powerful new AI system, possess a greater tactical edge and more powerful spells. Will your armies have the fortitude to persevere?
Key Features:
New races, places, heroes, and battles from books & films
* Command all the races of Middle-earth with 3 all new factions including Elves, Dwarves, and Goblins.
* Win the war in the North single-player campaign with all-new story that takes you to places and battles of Middle-earth previously unseen.
Customization, Command, & Control
* Build your own landmark castle with fully customizable and upgradeable fortresses and walls
* Create your own hero with all new customized RTS units that are your avatars in-game
* Control battles with all-new enemy AI, melee combat, and flanking, adding unprecedented tactical fidelity
Core RTS Depth of Strategy
* Master next-gen unit control with smart formations, battle lines, and planning mode
* “Build anywhere” brings creativity and strategy to base building and battlefield dominance
* Control the entire war with a high level “Risk” style meta-game on the Living World Map with all new strategic AI
* Extend your battlefield with larger than life navy battles at sea
PLAY: Sequels are best when they play like the original but are completely different from the original. Middle Earth II has some fantastic campaigns where you can play on the side of good and evil. As much fun as it is to hack and slash monsters it’s even more exciting to cause mass destruction as a goblin.
The addition of new factions; Elves, Dwarves, and Goblins is great. Each faction has its own style and adds a great amount of detail to game play. Each has their strengths and weaknesses. Each also is better at building and that comes into play with the addition of “Build Anywhere.” Building is important in creating strategy—particularly building walls.
The elves are very strong, move quickly, and combine forces to become nearly unbeatable. The more time the elves have the quicker they build up and become more and more powerful. Another issue is how powerful generals can become. Once they pass your frontline they seem unstoppable. It’s like chasing your tail as you try to capture them.
GRAPHICS: The visuals are brilliant. Anyone that loves eye-candy while find a plethora of it here. The characters are wonderfully detailed and the special effects are impressive. You need a good machine in order to realize all of the details. The water and ice sparkle with realism and the animation is fluid and lifelike. EA nailed the graphics for Middle Earth II as goes above and beyond its predecessor.
SOUND: Aurally Middle Earth II sounds like the film as it should. The conversation, even though it’s not understandable in most cases, is very cool.
FRANKLY: Bravo to EA for a solid release. Even if you don’t like the Lord of the Rings this is a great RTS game. The addition of multiplayer adds even more replay and value.
+ Charlie Craine
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.