• Publisher: Midway
  • Release Date: Apr 24, 2007
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 40 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 194 Ratings

  • Summary: The only massively-multiplayer role-playing game set in J.R.R. Tokien's Middle-earth. Travel with your Fellowship in the fight against the forces of Sauron. Across the wide lands of Middle-earth, the Free Peoples must face the threatening Shadow growing in the East. All of Mordor is stirring as Sauron dispatches the Nazgûl to hunt for the Ring. The rumor of war brings forth many eager adventurers who will find their place among the great events of the Third Age. High deeds call to the willing, for their time is at hand. Hundreds of thousands of people will enter the perpetual world of Middle-earth for the very first time. Prepare yourself to choose a path amongst the likes of Elves, Dwarves, and Humans. Will you choose to fight for the things that bring peace to the land or will you add to the corruption of Middle-earth as the forces of Sauron move swiftly to extinguish all that is good? [Turbine] Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 40
  2. Negative: 0 out of 40
  1. Probably the biggest question about LotRO is, "Does LotRO have the potential to surpass World of Warcraft?" The answer is yes.
  2. There’s a fantastic community of players online that are willing to help newbies, as well as plenty of sites with huge databases full of information if you get stuck.
  3. 86
    Powerful story elements, fellowship conjunction attacks, and superb audio-visual elements are merged with numerous small-scale interface enhancements that make it nearly impossible to dislike this one.
  4. The most perverse thing though is that the most enjoyable moments have little to do with Tokien or his wonderfully overactive imagination; it's much more to do with Turbine's ability to knock out a compelling MMO experience. [June 2007, p.56]

See all 40 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 51 out of 73
  2. Negative: 7 out of 73
  1. NickJ
    9
    I have played several MMOs before: Guild Wars, World of Warcraft, Warhammer Online...Hell, even RuneScape. I'd have to say that LotRO is my absolute favourite of all MMOs. It is streamlined, epic, and boasts an amazing amount of polish and balance. Not only that, but this is the original fantasy world, not some sort of D&D-ish knockoff. I think honestly, Tolkein would be proud at how much they stuck to the books while giving everyone a lot of freedom to do whatever they wanted. But then again, I'm not a fanboy, so I'm sure someone will come along eventually and tell me everything that Turbine messed up. However, as far as I can tell, it's extraordinarily accurate, and a hell of a lot of fun. Try the trial, you won't be disappointed if you like MMOs. Expand
  2. Daveydje
    8
    Pretty impressed so far. Very few glitches for a launch MMO, and very nice graphics and gameplay. Great intro into the game, and i don't mean an FMV sequence, and then your dumped in a start zone. I mean an intro sequence you can actually play through, and that draws you into the story. Yes, it has taken it's influence from many of the MMOs on the market, but it's been pulled together really well. Been playing since beta, and I'm really enjoying it. Expand
  3. 2007-2009 this game was a solid 8-9 rating. Great RPG, great story telling, really good Middle Earth lore, frequent updates and expansion. Then they converted the game to a free to play model. Sure they may be making more money but...very little content since Siege of Mirkwood. No expansion for 2 years. Every activity in the game now funnels you in to their micro transaction store. This mmo WAS a great gamers game, not it's a cash cow for Turbine and is no longer a gamers game (if that makes any sense to you gamers out there). Expand
  4. The game is only free to play until level 25 then you must pay for almost everything you want to do, monthly fee plus expansions make this game quite expensive in the long run. You are "allowed" to pursue your epic story line with the only "reward" being you are allowed to view more of the storyline. I've read the books and seen the movies so nothing new in pursuing the epic story line. Expand

See all 73 User Reviews