The Lord of the Rings is one of the most popular stories ever told, and it has spawned a number of games that have taken its world into new territory. Here are the 15 best Lord of the Rings games you can play now.
The the lord of the rings: gollum is a game that lets players control Gollum and explore the world of Middle-Earth.
J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy series The Lord of the Rings was written during World War II. The plot is a classic “good versus evil” type of story set in Middle-earth – a mystical alternate version of the real Earth – and revolves around a group of creatures and people (i.e. dwarves, wizards, and men) on a quest to prevent an almighty ring known as the Ring of Power from falling into the hands of the dark lord Sauron and his malevolent forces.
The Lord of the Rings grew in popularity during the twentieth century, culminating in Peter Jackson’s cinematic adaptations of the three novels from 2001 to 2003, as well as his adaptation of The Hobbit (the prequel) from 2012 to 2014. The Lord of the Rings series has its own line of video games in addition to the movies. From the beginning of video games until the present, there have been a number of Lord of the Rings games produced. With that in mind, which of these games does the greatest job of turning Middle-magical earth’s environment into a virtual and interactive experience?
The Middle-earth series, game adaptations of films (such as The Two Towers and Return of the King), and Lego games based on LOTR are the greatest Lord of the Rings games. The Battle for Middle-earth series and Lord of the Rings Online for PC, as well as many mobile games, deserve special attention.
It is really remarkable that these video games were able to accurately translate Tolkien’s rich and complex fictional universe. In the remainder of this post, we’ll look at each game separately to see what characteristics make them distinctive and enjoyable to play. We’ll also divide the games into categories based on the platform they were launched on. Here are the greatest games regarding the Lord of the Rings series, in no particular order, starting with games published on both consoles and PC.
Lord of the Rings Video Games
We’ve compiled a list of the greatest Lord of the Rings games on all platforms below. The greatest Lord of the Rings games for Playstation, Xbox, PC, PC-only, Nintendo, and mobile phones have all been covered.
The Best Lord of the Rings Games for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC
1. Middle-earth: Mordor’s Shadow
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was developed by Monolith Productions and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Shadow of Mordor follows Talion, a ranger, and Celebrimbor, a wraith (ghost), on their journey for revenge against Sauron’s troops, who ordered the murders of their loved ones. Shadow of Mordor is a third-person open-world action-adventure game that is comparable to The Witcher series in terms of gameplay. Furthermore, its fighting system was reported to be similar to that of the same publisher’s Batman: Arkham series.
The Nemesis system, in which the behavior of the in-game adversaries (Uruks) responds to your actions, is the most intriguing and distinguishing element of Shadow of Mordor. If you let an Uruk flee during a fight, for example, that Uruk will be promoted to a higher rank. Getting slain by an Uruk will also enable him to advance in rank, making him more difficult to defeat the next time he appears.
The campaign in Shadow of Mordor was panned by reviewers, who said that the major missions were dull and that the overarching narrative grew uninteresting as you progressed through the game. Despite the campaign’s flaws, the game’s excellent gameplay compensated for them, and it was even nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2014.
2. Shadow of War in Middle-earth
Shadow of War, being a sequel to the highly acclaimed Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, did not hesitate to build on its predecessor’s popularity and foundation. The game picks up exactly where Shadow of Mordor left off, focusing on Talion and Celebrimor’s quest to destroy Sauron by crafting a new Ring of Power (a ring that gives the bearer limitless power).
Upgrades from the prequel are included, as well as new features. Fortresses are a significant new feature that Talion may attack and take over with an army of Uruks that have been indoctrinated to fight with him. Overlords, a new tier in the Nemesis system, is also introduced in the game. These overlords are the game’s most formidable adversary, and they are encountered and defeated while conquering castles. Aside from the additional features, the game now has a larger and more biologically varied terrain, as well as new Talion powers.
Unnecessary narrative alterations and the introduction of microtransactions were among Shadow of War’s faults, which were ultimately eliminated a year after the game’s debut. Middle-earth: Shadow of War, based on the Lord of the Rings, is still an entertaining and content-rich video game. This, like its predecessor, is a must-play for Lord of the Rings enthusiasts due to the quantity of playability and overall contemporary gameplay.
3. Lord of the Rings Lego
Lord of the Rings is one of Traveler’s Tales’ famous Lego-themed video game adaptations of popular movie series. Unlike the Middle-earth series, which used the books as primary material, Lego Lord of the Rings used the cinematic adaptations of Peter Jackson. In reality, the storyline is identical to that of the three films, although tweaked to suit Lego’s juvenile humor and eccentricity.
There are many playable characters in Lego Lord of the Rings, each with their unique set of abilities. In the game’s version of Bag End, the user may construct their own character in addition to the existing characters from the movies. The gameplay in this game is extremely straightforward, consisting of button mashing to strike opponents with melee or projectile assaults.
The game was panned for having an outrageously simple puzzle level and for using a repetitious, copy-and-paste game concept seen in many other Lego games. Despite its faults, Lego Lord of the Rings is aimed at a younger audience, and it succeeds in being an enjoyable game for kids.
4. The Hobbit Lego Set
Lego The Hobbit, like its predecessor, accurately transforms Peter Jackson’s films into a Lego-themed interactive adventure. The only difference is that this time it’s based on The Hobbit, a prequel to the main Lord of the Rings trilogy. Lego The Hobbit doesn’t have much to offer in terms of gameplay since it’s nearly identical to Lego Lord of the Rings.
The player may swap between several characters, each with their own set of skills. A certain character may sometimes be required to overcome a challenge. In this game, the combat stays the same.
There isn’t much to say about Lego The Hobbit other that it’s another Lego game adaptation of a famous film series that follows the same pattern. The puzzles in Lego The Hobbit, like its predecessor, were panned for being overly simple, especially for youngsters. Regardless, whether you’re a Lord of the Rings fan or just like Lego video games in general, Lego The Hobbit and Lego Lord of the Rings are worth playing since they do a fantastic job of translating complex history into a short-term entertaining experience for both children and adults.
5. The Two Towers of the Lord of the Rings
After the success of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the audience was eagerly anticipating the sequel. Stormfront Studios and Electronic Arts capitalized on this by developing Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, a video game adaptation of the second film in the series. Because it was published two months before the film’s premiere in cinemas, the game effectively functioned as a marketing tool for the sequel. Furthermore, the game included nine previously unseen scenes from the film, which piqued players’ curiosity.
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers featured a linear hack-and-slash style of gameplay that included key moments from both the first and second films. It was also referred to as a “Devil May Cry clone sans weapons” in a Gamespot review from 2002. You may play as Aragorn, Legolas, or Gimli in each playthrough, giving the game a plenty of replay value. Aside from the gameplay, the game was acclaimed for its stunning visuals at the time.
The game’s short duration (about five hours) and strict linearity were both criticized by critics. Others despised gaming annoyances like a defective camera system. Despite its faults, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was a critical and commercial triumph when it was released in 2002. A year later, a sequel based on the third film was produced.
6. The Return of the King from The Lord of the Rings
Electronic Arts has released another another video game in preparation of Michael Jackson’s third and final film trilogy. Return of the King, the sequel to the popular Lord of the Rings, followed in the footsteps of its predecessor. The game was also published before of the film, and it was based on it. It also included unique material from the film.
There isn’t much of a difference between Return of the King and The Two Towers in terms of gameplay. The game included a simple fighting system as well as the option to play as several characters from the film. Each of these characters has their unique set of skills, giving the game a lot of variety in terms of battle. What’s new in the game are “Fellowship Upgrades,” which enable the player to unlock a certain combo move for not just one but all of the game’s characters.
In addition, the game features a rating system that assesses the player’s combat performance in-game and awards them with experience benefits based on their rating. The most notable feature of this game is the co-op mode, which enables players to play with their friends.
Return of the King, like the prequel, was panned for its clumsy camera technique and short running time. The good responses, however, managed to outnumber the negative ones. Return of the King, along with The Two Towers, established a reputation as one of the finest video games based on the Lord of the Rings series accessible on major platforms and computers. The Middle-earth series ultimately took over and breathed fresh life into the franchise’s video game line after more than a decade.
The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (Lord of the Rings: The Third Age) (Lord
Why not have one game that focuses on all three films, after producing video games that were separately centered on each of the films? This is exactly what EA Redwood Shores accomplished in 2004 with Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, in collaboration with Electronic Arts.
Despite the fact that the game’s storyline was based on the film trilogy, it was not a faithful adaptation of all of the events due to certain changes. For example, in situations that were exclusively single encounters in the film, several characters emerged.
Because Electronic Arts only possessed legal rights to the Jackson film trilogy (which they had previously exploited with The Two Towers and Return of the King) and not to Tolkien’s book, they were restricted in their creative freedom and forced to make do with what they had. Thankfully, this did not prevent the game from being utterly forgettable.
Lord of the Rings: The Third Age’s gameplay is similar to Final Fantasy X and the Persona series. The player may explore the environment using a conventional third-person camera; but, when the player joins battle, the game switches to a turn-based system.
The player takes control of the film’s good characters, and each character has their own set of abilities that may be utilized in combat, much as in the previous games. Surprisingly, the game includes a “evil mode” where the player may command Sauron’s evil troops. Co-op is also available in The Third Age.
The game was lauded for its stunning graphics, but it was panned for being a shallow RPG that resembled Final Fantasy X too closely. According to an IGN review, despite the fact that The Third Age provided a decent RPG experience, the game will not be enough to satisfy RPG enthusiasts. The poor narrative and characters were also criticized by critics, despite the fact that this was not the game’s main focus to begin with.
Exclusively for PC, the Best Lord of the Rings Games
Lord of the Rings Online is number eight.
The PC is the primary platform for massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), so it’s encouraging to learn that a Lord of the Rings MMORPG exists and is still getting updates after more than a decade.
Unlike the Electronic Arts games, Lord of the Rings Online was based on Tolkien’s book trilogy rather than Peter Jackson’s movie. Shadows of Angmar was the game’s initial name before it was changed to Lord of the Rings Online.
Furthermore, the game was originally exclusively available to those who paid a membership, but this changed in 2010 when the game became free-to-play. Since then, the game has remained popular and active until this day.
Lord of the Rings Online is similar to other MMORPGs in terms of gameplay (i.e. World of Warcraft). The player builds their own avatar and then continues to complete missions and side quests in order to acquire more powerful weapons and improve their own stats.
In Lord of the Rings Online, users may have their own animal companion, such as horses or elks, to accompany them while they explore the in-game realm. In addition, the player may have their own home, which they can customize.
As expansions were published, the game’s features increased in quantity. “Legendary” goods, mounted combat, large-scale conflicts, and other new elements were added. By 2021, the developers want to release a new expansion.
There is no direct Player versus. Player (PvP) mechanism in Lord of the Rings Online where avatars may battle one other. The game does, however, have a mode in which users may construct monster avatars to employ against other players. Player versus. Monster Player was the name of this mode (PvMP).
Despite its lackluster PvP system and lack of genre originality, Lord of the Rings Online became a highly praised game, winning not one but two “PC Game of the Year” awards in 2007 and 2008. It is the most successful video game based on the Lord of the Rings series, and it is a must-play for fans of the franchise.
9. The Battle for Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings
In 2004, EA Los Angeles took the Lord of the Rings film series and framed it from a different perspective to develop Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-earth, a real-time strategy (RTS) game.
In classic RTS form, the player assumes command of the Free Peoples (the good guys) and battles Sauron’s evil armies by tactically placing troops with unique skills. When opponents are defeated, resources are collected, which may be utilized to build bases, deploy additional troops, or do anything else that will make the players more strong.
Furthermore, the player may incorporate well-known figures (dubbed “heroes”) from the series into their troops to launch powerful assaults against their foes.
The game has two campaigns: one in which the player controls the Free Peoples and another in which the player controls Sauron and his evil army. The campaign’s flow is determined by the player’s choices on the in-game map.
Due to its epic gameplay of large-scale battles, amazing visuals and music, and the inclusion of the real movie actors in the game, the game became a financial and critical success.
Despite the fact that some reviewers thought the game was boring and too simple at points, Battle for Middle-earth made an indelible imprint on RTS history and became a fan favorite. It was so popular that a fan version, dubbed The Battle for Middle-earth: Reforged, is now under development. Aside from that, the original game is still alive and well, thanks to fan-hosted unauthorized servers, even though official servers were shut down in 2010.
Battle for Middle-earth II (The Lord of the Rings)
EA Los Angeles returned to the RTS limelight two years after the original Battle for Middle-earth with the new and better sequel, Battle for Middle-earth II.
The gameplay is essentially the same as the previous game, with some tweaks and enhancements to make it a better and more spectacular experience. For example, instead of being restricted to particular locations, players may now build structures everywhere on the globe.
Furthermore, instead of selecting from a list of pre-defined characters, the user may build their own “heroes.” There are also more factions to fight with and new landscapes to explore. Both a “good” and a “evil” campaign are included in the sequel.
Because of how effectively it reproduced and conveyed the sense of the fierce and tumultuous battles that happened in the novels, Battle for Middle-earth II is considered as one of the finest video game adaptations of the Lord of the Rings series.
It was so popular that Computer Games Magazine named it the third greatest computer game of 2006. The game was also included in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s The Art of Video Games show, which was held in 2012.
The game’s imbalanced multiplayer and other gameplay annoyances were often mentioned as faults. Apart from that, Battle for Middle-earth II was an excellent game and unquestionably one of the finest to bear the Lord of the Rings brand.
Nintendo’s Best Lord of the Rings Games
The Two Towers and The Return of the King are the eleventh and eleventh Lord of the Rings films, respectively (Gameboy Advance)
Despite the fact that Nintendo isn’t a major player in the video game industry (the PlayStation and Xbox come to mind first), the majority of the major Lord of the Rings games (with the exception of the Middle-earth series) were released on Nintendo’s consoles, namely the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance.
Because of the GBA’s hardware constraints, the Game Boy Advance (GBA) ports of The Two Towers and Return of the King provided a unique gaming experience when compared to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox editions. Rather of using 3D visuals and a third-person viewpoint, the GBA versions used 2D isometric graphics and gameplay that was similar to the original Diablo game.
The GBA version of The Two Towers was notable for including co-op multiplayer, which was made possible via a special cable that connected two GBAs. Remember that co-op was entirely missing from the console versions of The Two Towers, so Nintendo had a significant edge here.
Return of the King’s GBA port was quite similar to its predecessor. However, one unique aspect was that if the user connected their GBA to their GameCube through another special connection, they may redeem the game’s bonus and exclusive goods. However, both systems needed a copy of the game.
The GBA versions of these games are clearly inferior than the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube versions. The GBA versions, on the other hand, managed to provide an enjoyable experience while demonstrating Nintendo’s distinctiveness.
The Best LOTR Mobile Games
War in The Lord of the Rings
Legendary tales of love, friendship, and grandeur from the past are no longer told. We’re on the verge of another War of the Ring, and it’s up to you to decide the destiny of Middle-earth. An unstoppable evil force has invaded every inch of Middle-Earth. From Minas Tirith to Mount Doom, gaining possession of the One Ring is a key objective for each party.
- Assemble Powerful Armies
Before the fight, all troops must be gathered, from spearmen, archers, and knights to fantastic animals and terrifying monsters. If your plan is solid and your troops are powerful, you will win.
As a Middle-earth Steward, you must enter a huge planet and take command by building your town, extending your domain, and forming your own Warband. Great difficulties are ahead.
- Live out your Lord of the Rings experience.
The One Ring has reappeared in Dol Guldur’s abandoned fortress. It bestows to its bearer unparalleled power over Middle-earth, enticing people from all sides into a great conflict.
- Construct a Secure Settlement
The effectiveness of your tactics is determined on your settlement infrastructure. Each structure has its own purpose, and your power increases as your colony expands.
- Factional Territories Should Be Expanded
Your strength grows over the season as you create expeditionary troops, extend territory tiles, gather precious resources, and repel attackers. You’ll be able to overcome any unforeseen difficulties thanks to the experience and strength you acquired throughout your conquest.
- Discover the wonders of Middle-earth.
Experience a re-creation of Middle-earth that puts you on the ground in J.R.R. Tolkien’s vast universe, from the towering grandeur of Minas Tirith to the brutish horror of Barad-dûr.
Middle-earth Defense (Lord of the Rings)
Mobile games based on well-known film properties have a history of being lousy money-grabs. Thankfully, Glu’s Lord of the Rings: Middle-earth Defense did not disappoint and is an entertaining tower defense game.
There are 18 stages in the game, many of them are based on well-known locales from the novels and movie. The game is designed to be played in a relaxed manner. Each level requires the player to deploy soldiers and, on rare occasions, the series’ real major characters (dubbed “heroes”) to defend the region against Sauron’s armies, such as Uruk.
The game fails to provide any genuine challenge, according to critics. Nonetheless, Lord of the Rings: Middle-earth Defense is entertaining and suitable for those looking for a Lord of the Rings game to play on the move.
Legends of the Lord of the Rings
Lord of the Rings: Legends is a role-playing game in which players may lead their own Fellowship of the Ring, assist Gandalf in his search for the One Ring, and finally vanquish the forces of evil.
At the start of Lord of the Rings: Legends, you must decide whether you wish to play as a hobbit, a dwarf, a human, or an elf. Your Fellowship’s leader will be this figure. On your journey across Middle Earth, you’ll have to recruit the remaining members along the way.
In all, more than 100 characters from the Lord of the Rings world are available for gamers to select from. These include Aragorn, Legolas, and Boromir, who will bestow unique abilities on you that will be used in battle.
Battles in Lord of the Rings: Legends progress automatically. That is, gamers may change various elements of their adventurers’ squad, including their equipment, formation, and so on. They can only watch their champions battle in the hour of truth.
Lord of the Rings: Legends is a comprehensive role-playing game with impressive visuals and creative use of the Lord of the Rings license.
15. The Hobbit: Middle-earth Kingdoms
The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth is a city simulator mobile game in which users build their own cities based on the Lord of the Rings’ settings. Players gather resources throughout the game and utilize them to develop their city.
Players may assault other players’ towns to steal resources, similar to Clash of Clans. Players may fight this by erecting fortifications around their city or forming alliances with other players. Two players may pool their resources by forming an alliance.
The game has been chastised for encouraging users to spend real money in order to improve their towns. The UI for the alliance function was also reported to be painfully complex. Even if the game has more flaws than Middle-earth Defense, it is still worth downloading since it has enough material to keep you entertained for around a week.
The best lord of the rings board game is a board game that was made by Milton Bradley in 1978. It is one of the best games to play with friends and family, or even just for fun.
Related Tags
- best lord of the rings games pc
- lord of the rings games ps4
- best lord of the rings game reddit
- xbox one lord of the rings games
- lord of the rings xbox 360 games list
