The Lord of the Rings: Conquest

The Lord of the Rings: Conquest (see GAMESPOT Review) is a game that’s sure to please fans of JRR Tolkien’s masterpiece – The Lord of the Rings. If you haven’t read the books or at least seen the movie (are there any gamers who haven’t?!), if you like strategy and war games, this game will still leave you entertained for hours and hours.

In the game you can play good or evil, which is kind of unique. After battling trolls, orcs and ents for a while, it might be good to switch sides and play one of the bad guys. Things like this make games even more interesting for a wide array of people. There’s more than one campaign you can play for each side – good and evil.

For most of the game, you’re going to play one of the four basic classes available – warrior, archer,  mage, or the scou. Each character class has their own strengths and weaknesses, so depending on your gameplay style, you may want to try one or more to see which one you like best.  There is both ranged and close combat.

The campaigns are tough if you’re fighting alone (alone with the game’s AI helper), but you can have two player cooperative play either locally or online, which will help out immensely with most of the campaigns.

Don’t worry, you’ll also get a chance to play as some of the movies heroes – Gandalf, Aragorn, Sauron, etc. This is great fun after controlling a lesser character in the game.

If you’re tired of the campaign, there are several 16-player online modes, including Hero Deathmatch (which is as exciting as it sounds.)

If you’re a fan of the movie or a fan of other Lord of the Rings games, you should make sure you give this one at least a try. I’m thinking you’re going to like it.