Wage an epic war from the comfort of your living room. by Mike Chasselwaite

July 10, 2006 - Almost identical to the PC version, Middle-earth II on the Xbox 360 suffers only slightly in terms of control. Surprisingly EA managed to overcome the unavoidable control hurdles of porting an RTS PC game that requires the use of a keyboard & mouse with only a minimum amount of leftover frustration. PC gamers won't want to admit it but Middle-earth II is much more efficient and functional on the 360 than any of us would have expected a month ago. Who knew? It seems that the last PC genre hold out has fallen; RTS games can be played on the consoles and EA will certainly tweak its methods further so future games will be even more comfortable.

The story inasmuch as you might care about it, features another skew of the battle waging in Middle-earth. While the famous characters from the books/movies are working their way towards Mordor to deal with the ring once and for all, Middle-earth II provides a tapestry of violence and destruction which is taking place simultaneously in the north. You may not recognize all of the heroes and enemies within the game, but having only a limited knowledge of the books I do believe that most of what you'll find here has been lifted from the imagination of Tolkien's treasures.

If you're familiar with the PC version, you'll decry the absence of the create-a-hero feature, but despair not as you will be able to unlock more characters as you progess and complete achievements. The gameplay is identical and once you work your way through the excellent tutorial, you'll be well on your way within an hour. All for all, the game is comprised of a single player campaign which features both good and evil sides (8 missions each) and an online mode if you desire to be humbled by your peers. The online mode features 360 exclusive multiplayer skirmishes King of the Hill, Versus, Resource Race, Capture and Hold, and Hero Versus Hero.

Base building, management and battle has always been the cornerstone of the RTS genre and Middle-earth II will allow strategy freaks to dive in headfirst. The level of control given to you is definitely overwhelming and FPS or action genre loyalists will probably turn the game off after ten minutes due to a migraine headache. Once you get underway and come to grips with the games reliance on the 360's A button for most commands and executions and the shoulder buttons and analog sticks for selection and field movement you might discover, like me, that it feels so good when you're bad. I always prefer playing the bad guys and Middle-earth II allows you to be as evil as you want to, without ever limiting your dark side. If you want to decimate the Hobbit's shire, so be it.

The single player campaigns feature 3 levels of difficulty and even on the easiest mode can be quite challenging, which translates into a fair amount of replay value overall. The multiplayer online games are easier to connect to than the PC version was initially and finding a match or creating one is a snap. Sour grapes losers abound however.

If you're PC was strong enough to run the game at its highest visual levels, you may not see much of a difference on your Xbox 360. The high res graphics are nice but come at the price of some slowdown which is disappointing to see on Microsoft's workhorse. I imagine its due to the time constraints of porting the game, but that's really no excuse. Unfortunately you'll experience the sluggishness off and online and it doesn't always happen when the battlefield is loaded either. It seems kind of arbitrary actually.

Much like Bioware's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Middle-earth II has been created from the ground up with the Tolkien fan in mind. Those who appreciate this incredible body of fiction will love being able to wage epic battles with the touch of a few buttons. Why play as one character when you can control dozens? If you're not much for the RTS genre, it's doubtful Middle-earth II will convert you. It's not an entry level piece of software and I truly only recommend it to LOTR fans who just happen to be hardcore RTS lovers. There are some minor squabbles about the control that doesn't translate completely hassle-free to the controller and the slowdown issues, but if you can overlook these, you'll have an almost never-ending battle to wage.

Features:

• Command the Armies of Middle-earth Like Never Before—An intuitive control scheme developed specifically for Xbox 360 makes it easier than ever for console gamers to master and enjoy the strategy genre.
• A Bigger, Richer Middle-earth Comes to Xbox 360—Experience the cinematic battles of Middle-earth like they were meant to be, rendered in visually stunning detail utilizing Xbox 360’s HD technology and 5.1 surround sound.
• Strategic Control of the Battlefield—Directly manage and control huge armies while engaging in intense real-time battles in your quest to rule Middle-earth.
• Take the Battle Online via Xbox Live—Challenge friends online to new multiplayer battle options such as King of the Hill, Capture and Hold, or Hero Versus Hero, all exclusive to Xbox 360.

By Mike Chasselwaite
CCC Freelance Writer

Rating out of 5 The Lord of the Rings: The Battle For Middle-Earth 2 (Xbox 360) 3.8 Graphics Aside from the dizzying amount of action onscreen at times, the visuals are standard fare. Nothing really stands out. Some slowdown marrs the experience. 4.3 Control EA bridges the keyboard & mouse / controller gap with minimal headaches and succeeds overall. 4.5 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting A powerhouse of sound and music. 5.0 Play Value With the online play and 3 difficulty levels for the single player, this game could almost be never-ending. 4.4 Overall Rating - Great Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.