The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II

"A Lord of the Rings Masterpiece"

A Lord of the Rings Masterpiece

Game History:

The original Battle for Middle-earth was the bestselling Lord of the Rings game of all time, created by EA / LA Games. Several years later, EA has produced the Battle for Middle-earth 2, an improved version of the original game and it definitely shows both the graphics, quality and standard of game play has been revolutionized from the original BFME. As well as a much stronger AI. This review is my own personal feelings about the LOTR the BFME 2 and the ratings are demonstrated as follows: 1,2 ‘Poor' , 3,4 ‘Needs improvement , 5 ‘Average' , 6,7 ‘Of a high standard' 8,9 ‘excellent' , 10 ‘virtually floorless'. Each section will be given one of these ratings.

Game Play:

BFME 2 is an RTS style game with some Lord of the Rings twists. You are able to create and customize your own bases, build an army with almost limitless possibilities and play on a large majority of maps from both the films and the books. The Skirmish option enables you to play as virtually any faction and on any map. Online multiplayer is a brilliant system of play and enables you to learn and share new tactics with other players, through battles and scenarios. War of the Ring is a new system of play that incorporates the whole of middle-earth and is a typical Conquest scenario.

Although the above mentioned areas of the game are improved from those in the original BFME, the campaigns for BFME 2 have been significantly reduced in length and unless you are playing on the hardest difficulty, most of them are relatively easy to defeat. However, the campaign includes never before seen battles from the books including the dwarven fortress of Erebor and Sauron's Mirkwood fortress of Dol Gulder. An advantage of the new campaigns is that the computer AI is much stronger than in the original BFME.

Overall, there are 16 campaign missions (8 for the forces of good and 8 for the forces of evil.) Despite the lack of missions for the campaign, I still highly rate the game play for BFME 2 and I appreciate the significantly stronger and more advanced AI. Also, there are a large number of additions to the original selection of maps, buildings, units, heroes and options in BFME.

My rating for ‘Game Play' : 8/10

Graphics / Sound:

The graphics in BFME 2 are breathtaking, especially for a PC game. As an upgrade from the original, the scenery and game play map have been substantially increased in quality from the original game. Compared to other RTS games it is up there with the best and the attention to detail in each map is an evident fact that the designers worked tirelessly to perfect the graphics systems for the game.

In fact, in order to play BFME 2, you have to have a pretty modern graphics card. I had to purchase a new one just to run the game. This shows you just how much the graphics have been adapted and improved from BFME 1. In order to fully understand and appreciate the intricate graphics applied to BFME 2, you really have to play the game. If I was going to tediously describe the individual graphical details for each map, I would probably end up writing a novel longer than the LOTR's itself!

My rating for ‘Graphics' : 10/10

As well as graphical improvements, the BFME 2 also deals with increased sound quality to that of BFME 1. Settings for volume can be altered to improve sound clarity for different speakers and volume settings.

My rating for ‘Sounds' : 9/10

Additions:

BFME 2 deals with a large number of add-ons and upgrades from BFME 1. One of these such upgrades is the new Create-A-Hero option, which allows you to create and play a game with your own custom hero. This option is a major success of the game and functions in both single player and online games. Also, the game incorporates an entirely new style of base building that has not been experienced in LOTR's (or most other RTS) games before. This new way of constructing and fortifying your city is a great asset to the game and separates it from the original.

A new difficulty setting, entitled ‘Brutal', give those players who find the ‘Hard' setting a bit too easy, some more of a challenge. A handicap option on the skirmish set-up screen is a way of making it easier or harder for you and the computer AI. These features mean that most players will be satisfied with the game difficulty; from beginners to RTS experts. Note that the new brutal difficulty does not appear in the options for the campaign difficulties.

My rating for ‘Additions' : 8/10

Game duration / Replay ability:

The duration of the campaign depends on your knowledge of RTS games / BFME and the difficulty setting you choose. There is no fixed time for each level, although playing a campaign on easy difficulty will inevitably be quicker than playing that campaign on hard. If you are an experienced RTS player than I would personally recommend that in order to give yourself a challenge, you should begin playing the campaigns on medium difficulty.

Scenarios can last anything from 15 minutes (very quick) to over 5 hours (extremely long.) Like with campaigns, the duration depends on your strategic skill and the difficulty or handicap that you have chosen for that mission. Remember, if you decide to play either hard or brutal you must come prepared for a long battle.

It is quite good to play through the campaigns on all three difficulty settings. An advantage of this is that players can develop their playing skills over time. Also, you can find that playing through certain levels again, is a good way to test out new strategies and ideas. Fortunately, every time you reach a new level on campaign mode, the game automatically saves that particular level. Overall, I find that the style of BFME 2 campaigns enables them to be repeatedly played, in order for you to develop important skills, or just for fun.

My rating for ‘Game Duration / Replay ability' : 9/10

Story:

(*This section includes a few minor campaign spoilers*.)

The story for the campaigns of BFME 2 relate to the ‘War in the North' and battles in the campaigns are not seen in the film but are mentioned in the book. The Shire, Rivendell, Dol Gulder and Foremost are a few examples of battles that didn't make it into the films but were referred to in J.R.R Tokein's books. Unlike the first game, you don't go through the lands of Middle-Earth selecting which regions you conquer. The campaign missions are already in a pre chosen order and you can do nothing about that. If you would like to play Conquering than I suggest you do it on the War of the Ring mode of play.

The plot line for the game is pretty straight forward. The forces of Sauron and of the Goblin's under his dominion threaten the Elves and Dwarves of Middle-Earth. You're job is to either destroy Saran's presence in the North, or ensure that is dominates Middle-Earth forever. Of course, what you try and do in each mission depends on your side; good or evil.

Overall, the storyline of BFME 2 is taken from the books and gives Lord of the Rings fans and game players a new prospective on Middle-Earth that was not visualized in Peter Jackson's Films. You are given a short cut-scene at the beginning and end of each mission, so as to set the scene. The main plotline of the game is pretty easy to understand and those people who have a broad knowledge of Lord of the Rings will appreciate the new battles incorporated in the main storyline.

My rating for ‘Story' : 8/10

My Final Recommendation:

Lord of the Rings, the Battle for Middle-earth 2 is, in my view, the greatest and most successful LOTR's game ever created. EA have triumphed in making a fantastic game, the possibilities of which are virtually as limitless as your imagination. Regardless of if you have BFME 1, or if you don't have the original, BFME 2 is must buy; especially for fans of Lord of the Rings.

My overall rating for Battle for Middle-earth 2 is 9/10. A brilliant game that incorporates new and old battles from both the books and the films. The only criticism I have of this game is that the campaigns are relitivly short, compared to those in the original BFME. Otherwise, this game is a must play!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/06/07