Lord Of The Rings: Shadows Of Angmar Special Edition

As a World of Warcraft addict, I entered the Beta test for this game with some cynicism. WoW seemed to have everything an online adventure game could have, and I'd pretty much mastered it. What could this new game offer that was any better?For a start, it's prettier. Not in a color-palette sense (WoW is remarkable in its use of color) but in the environments and sense of depth. Grass blows, leaves fall, water... does everything water should. You'll find yourself playing in pools just to watch the ripples.And of course, it's Lord of the Rings, the mythos that started it all. So you'll stumble across the Prancing Pony, Tom Bombadill, and even "me old Gaffer" as you journey around the world. Quite a thrill.Solo play is carefully structure to make you think you know what you're doing, which is encouraging for those of us who are less than coordinated. But "fellowship" teaming is where the fun really happens. It's not mandatory to team-up, but when you do it's a blast.Sure, there are a few weak points. Character generation is limited for a next-gen game, and some of the models are kinda *cough* ugly *cough*. The resource-gathering system is clumsy, and sees you fighting other players for mining nodes and randomly distributed tree branches (ore and wood respecitively). Using those resources to craft items will often break the bank, and rarely do the crafted items compete with quest-found items (so they're hard to sell).One thing I did find interesting was the similarity to World of Warcraft, in terms of controls and gameplay. The questing system is tried and true, so it's hard to say that was duplicated. However, the character controls, UI layout, and even the chat system are almost direct copies from WoW. I've no doubt the developers sat in front of WoW and had to list all the things they liked and didn't about the game... and then they were told to improve on them. While this is not a bad thing in my mind, it will have a lot of people thinking they're tramping familiar ground.Overall, the game is superb and will probably succeed in what it aims to achieve -- to replace World of Warcraft as the planet's most played online game -- even if it does feel a little dated in places already.

I've played a number of MMORPGs including, yup, WoW. But, let it be known that I'm not an "achiever". I could care less if I get to level 60 in 24 hours. I just want to have fun.That being said, I think LOTRO is a very well executed game. Much like WoW (at least so far), the game is largely bug free and enjoyable out of the gate. You definitely see the usual bug/rat-killing, FedEx missions and the like but you also get a great feeling for the LOTR world and environment.There are some innovations, like the music system, which make the gameplay different. Things like Deeds which are essentially running side quests that give you abilities or bonuses to your stats, a much better quest tracker than WoW's default one, Felloship maneuvers, Monster Play, and some interesting crafts like Farming make the gameplay more immersive and fun. There is also an instancing system which is used very well early in the game to give you the sense that the environment is changeable.Most of the downside of the game is limited to either existing MMOG limitations (like the aforementioned bug/rat-killing and some almost laughable FedEx missions that make you feel like a tennis ball at Wimbeldon) or are minor glitches that will (hopefully) be corrected soon (like the fact that the quest list keeps collapsing when you level up or instance). The crafting system is extremely expensive but is thankfully better than Vanguard's ridiculous one.All in all, if you're a fan of LOTR or if you are tired of WoW, this is definitely a game to try out. For MMORPG noobs, this can be a good experience, especially right now without the overly mature (read: lots of high-level experienced players) populations that EQ and WoW currently have.

This game is the most fun I have had on the computer in a while. The world is kept true to Tolkien's descriptions, and you can meet most (possibly all...) of the characters in the books. I have gotten lost in the Old Forest and found Tom Bombadil's house. I have met Barliman Butterbur and Strider in the Prancing Pony. Farmer Maggot tends his fields in the Shire.There are enough different elements in the game to keep most people amused. There are more quests than one character can manage, and are easily identified by a ring above the NPC's head. The quests are also well written, eliminating frustrating hours wandering in the wrong area. The crafting of items is well set up, with cooperation between characters encouraged to create some items in almost every profession. There is an auction house set up so you can sell items to others, and find the elusive item you need.The extra items you get in game for getting the special edition are worth the extra money, but there is no figurine and no CLOTH map. The soundtrack CD and extras DVD are also very nice.If this had actually included the cloth map and figurine that were promised, it would get five stars.