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How Metascores Are Calculated
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4 Elements
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games. |
Full of new content, including an entirely new faction, a completely new single player campaign, and additional units for all six existing factions, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II, The Rise of the Witch-King, allows players to explore the evil side of Middle-earth. The all new single player campaign's innovative new units help to tell the story of the evil Witch-King’s rise to power, domination of Angmar, and invasion of the great kingdom of Arnor, home to Aragorn's ancestors. To fully experience the evil side of Middle-earth, gamers can now play as the all new Angmar faction in skirmish, multiplayer, and War of the Ring modes. Experience a whole new depth of strategy and upgraded War of the Ring and Create-A-Hero features. Create-A-Hero's entirely new Troll class boasts additional weapons and armor that will allow players to have even more freedom in customizing their game play. War of the Ring, the risk-style meta-game, offers upgraded army persistence, a new siege dynamic on the Living World Map, and unified territories that serve as major control points. [Electronic Arts]
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 90
Games Radar
A few months ago, "Company of Heroes" was a lock for RTS of the year. With Rise of the Witch-king, we're on the verge of flip-flopping. Seriously.
 90
AceGamez
An essential purchase, as it increases the longevity of the original and more importantly improves on it, to make the whole experience of Tolkien's world feel even more complete.
85
ActionTrip
One of the most commendable aspects of the expansion pack is the inclusion of a revamped version of the War of the Ring turn-based mode.
83
GameZone
Witch-King may not leave that same sense of wonder as when the original Battle for Middle-earth II launched, but it is – nonetheless – a challenging game that offers a new look at the rich tapestry of Tolkien’s world.
83
Pelit (Finland)
Just like its predecessors, BfME is probably the most fun RTS at the moment. I liked the Witch-King campaign, but the new and improved War of the Ring still feels like a war of randomly moving chess pieces. [Dec 2006]
80
Jolt Online Gaming UK
Although RotWK certainly doesn’t justify rushing out and purchasing the original if you don’t already have it, BfME2 fans who can put up with the micromanagement and fancy some new challenges will find plenty to love here.
80
PALGN
There's no reason why you shouldn't purchase this if you already have the original. While it could do with some improvements in areas, the experience is still fantastic.
80
Game Informer
War of the Ring mode offers more persistence for units and greater movement allowance, and with the addition of the Thrall Masters and other useful evil units, this is a good expansion pack that does more than just hold the fort.
80
PC Zone UK
With the War Of The Ring turnbased campaign also receiving some minor though effective tweaks, this is one add-on pack you should snap up like a slavering Warg. Amazing what's possible when consoles don't get in the way, isn't it?
80
GameDaily
Although it doesn't entirely change the game around, this expansion makes enough improvements, allowing gamers to get lost in Middle-earth all over again.
80
IGN
The additions and fixes to War of the Ring mode make that style of play a much more inviting option this time around. There are still some AI issues on the strategic map and using navies needs to be an option, but overall, War of the Ring should bring plenty of hours of entertainment.
80
GameSpy
An excellent expansion that does exactly what an expansion pack should do -- add in new stuff while improving the core gameplay. The game remains a bit over- reliant on micromanaging special powers and hero units, but for fans of The Battle for Middle-earth II's gameplay style, the expansion pack is a must buy.
80
Yahoo! Games
A must-have for fans of the original game. It adds enough new stuff and fixes enough old stuff that you won't want to miss it.
79
Worth Playing
A fantastic expansion. It does everything right, fixing some troublesome bugs, adding new units and a new faction, and continuing the story without completely destroying the original good-versus-evil concept that has been the staple of the Lord of the Rings universe.
78
Strategy Informer
It carries that rare trait of success where many expansions suffer miserably and leave many gamers in despair.
78
PC Format
A solid expansion for fans of either the game or the backstory, but not one capable of breathing new life into its tired predecessor. [Jan 2007, p.67]
73
GameSpot
The Rise of the Witch-King is a fairly standard expansion that adds a brief campaign centered around one of the more enigmatic characters from the movies.
72
PC Gamer
More LOTR action is always welcome, be aware that Rise doesn't add a whole lot on. [Feb. 2007, p.67]
70
Computer Games Magazine
With Rise of the Witch-King, EA has officially left precious few licensing stones unturned. [Mar 2007, p.64]
70
Armchair Empire
For those gamers that were fans of the original from a single player aspect, Rise of the Witch King doesn't really add that much more such it should grab your attention. For die-hard Lord of the Rings fans, the minimal content additions will likely be enough.
70
PC Gamer UK
Ultimately, Rise is meant for the BFME hardcore. [Christmas 2006, p.74]
50
Detroit Free Press
Unlike the original game, which offered the freedom to choose sides, this expansion pack forces players into the dark shoes of Sauron's henchman.
Bao V. gave it a10: Mathew E. gave it a10: Holly J. gave it a3: Glenn K. gave it a2: Kelly J. gave it a2: Flak K. gave it a1: Mike J. gave it a10: |
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