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

"RTS Ported to Consoles? **** yes!"

Lord of the Rings, Battle for Middle Earth II is in many people's opinions, one of the best games out for the Xbox 360, and possibly one of the best Real Time Strategy (RTS) games out for any system today. It features great graphics, sound, and for the first time on a console, it features great gameplay and controls as well. But what made it so successful compared to other attempts to make an RTS for a console? Was it the brilliant set of controls? The great gameplay? The excellent sound and graphics? In my opinion, it's the combination of all these things, and a whole lot more.

The gameplay in this game is unbelievably simple, easy to learn, and fun. Although it takes two 20 minute tutorials to learn the assorted controls, and several hours of campaign and multiplayer to master it, that's to be expected from a game with so many features and controls. One feature is the ability to purchase powers, such as unleashing a Balrog on your unfortunate enemy, or summoning the Army of the Dead, depending what race you are.

The object of the game is to use resources to build an army, then use your army to defeat your enemy's army, and destroy his base(s). Along the way, you'll more than likely have several minor battles, which allow you to build up power points and level up heroes (characters from the movies, and some that aren't the in the films or books) as well as leveling up your troops.

There are a total of six races, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. The good races (Men of the West, Elves, and Dwarves) combine to make the Good Campaign. The evil races (Isengard, Mordor, and Goblins) combine for the evil campaign. Both campaigns stay away from the events of the movies and books, instead revolving around the events of the northern part of Middle Earth. You can use all 6 of these races in multiplayer.

The graphics in this game are easily the best I have seen for any RTS, console or not. The landscape is full of peaks and valleys, and really brings the Middle Earth you always imagined to life. The individual character is absolutely incredible. Zoom in on any one member of a battalion and watch as he/she makes each step on the ground instead of floating as some games have adopted. Most of the buildings have a person or two walking/ crawling around that you can watch (Mordor's slaughter houses are the funniest).

The audio in this game is extremely well-done, despite what several other people might think. The music, without a doubt, continues to deliver the quality we've learned to expect from the Lord of the Rings, delivering several of the best tracks from the movies to the game. When you complete a building, you're being attacked, or a hero dies, a voice (which varies depending on what race you have) alerts you to the development. However, if you and your enemy is simply scouting out the area, you could find yourself hearing "We've spotted the enemy" over and over again, which can get extremely annoying (and distracting).

The controls in this game are the first to work so extraordinarily on a console. Use the "A" button to select a unit, then hit the "A" button again to tell it to attack something, or move somewhere. The "RT" brings up the palanar, from there, you can select your entire army, select a builder, a hero, or a power. If you have a unit selected, you can choose to upgrade, decommission, or an assortment of other options using the palantar. If you have a building selected, you can upgrade it or build troops from the palantar as well. It might sound complicated, but it's actually unbelievably easy.

I have spent hour upon hour upon hour playing Lord of the Rings, Battle for Middle Earth II online. Though occasionally someone will glitch or standby, it's relatively peaceful, compared to Halo 2 or Gears of War. You can play with up to 3 other players, although you cannot do local multiplayer or system link, only Xbox Live, it's still an enormous amount of fun. Some maps are bigger than others, ranging from the tiny Buckland, to the massive Mirkwood. With the great gameplay and controls not affected by Xbox Live, there's not much more I can say about it.

All in all, this is a brilliantly well put together game, with an extremely small amount of flaws. The graphics, sound, gameplay, and controls come together to form the first successfully ported RTS. It has one of the best multiplayers I've ever used, and I've used it over and over again. Many fans eagerly await a sequel or expansion pack, and I guarantee I'll be first in line.

Gameplay - 9/10
Graphics - 8/10
Audio - 9/10
Controls - 8/10
Replayibility - 9/10
Overall - 9.0/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/04/07

Game Release: The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II (US, 07/05/06)