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How Metascores Are Calculated
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Altered Beast
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games. |
Based on the PC version of the same name, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II for the Xbox 360 will bring players into the heart of Middle-earth to live the battles seen in the blockbuster New Line Cinema films and classic J.R.R. Tolkien literary fiction. The game boasts a new and intuitive console-specific control scheme that will allow novice players to enjoy the game’s signature strategy gameplay while giving expert players the flexibility needed to engage in a deeply complex strategy experience. Players will directly control hundreds of units in an attempt to defeat enemy armies, conquer new lands, and seal the fate of Middle-earth. [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
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AceGamez
Sure, the camera can be a pain and the map isn't in any way natural to use, but you get used to these quirks and they don't get in the way of the very engaging gameplay, while very authentic renditions of every aspect of the LOTR world, both visually and aurally, are spread across the various campaigns and multiplayer game modes.
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Official Xbox Magazine
We have seen the future of real-time strategy on Xbox 360, and its name is Battle for Middle-Earth II. [Sept 2006, p.76]
85
Play Magazine
The control scheme, though a bit Byzantine, works well. [Aug 2006, p.58]
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Games Master UK
A genuinely successful console RTS and a sumptuous slice of strategy. [Sept 2006, p.74]
84
Pelit (Finland)
I thought it was impossible to play an RTS with a gamepad, but I stand corrected. BFME2 is an expertly crafted console conversion of a good strategy game, but you definitely need a high-definition television to play it. [Aug 2006, p.39]
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360 Gamer Magazine UK
The definitive LOTR game. [Issue #12]
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Game Informer
Taking into account the uphill battle this title had to fight, it comes out much the same as the PC edition (minus the Risk-like War of the Ring mode)--which is not a bad thing to say. [Aug 2006, p.86]
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GamerFeed
With the new control system there is a bit of a learning curve, especially if you're not familiar with other RTS titles. However, if you give the game a few missions and a chance to learn the controls properly, BFME2 should appeal to most RPG and Strategy fans out there, and even a few of the action-oriented gamers.
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Electronic Gaming Monthly
Each campaign mission plays out in wonderfully designed stages created specifically to capture your imagination. [Aug 2006, p.86]
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X360 Magazine UK
As long as you're a fan of the RTS format, it's hard to fault Battle for Middle-Earth II on anything other than the controls. We think most will adapt soon enough, though. [Issue 9, p.84]
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games(TM)
Probably the best console RTS that we’ve ever played in terms of flexibility and control, but it will still prove frustratingly slow and awkward to seasoned PC and Mac users. [Aug 2006, p.116]
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1UP
This superport does an admirable job of taking a complex PC game from an intimidatingly complex PC genre and making it an accessible console title. If any part of your heart enjoys playing on Live, you'll be too busy crushing the hobbits to even notice that you can't quite select the unit you were aiming for.
67
Entertainment Weekly
While Battle does a serviceable job of distilling the requisite commands into an intuitive sequence of button taps on the controller, it doesn't come close to the convenience of the tried-and-true keyboard and mouse combination. Playing on the 360 feels like flying an airplane using only the ''cabin lights off'' switch.
60
Lazar A. gave it a10: Red XIII gave it a9: Tim T. gave it a9: Reel W. gave it a4: Joe G. gave it a10: Carcas G. gave it an8: James gave it a10: |
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