86
CRITIK
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar
Much of the gameplay is typical of the MMO format: The player controls a character avatar which can be moved around the game world and interacts with other players, non-player (computer-controlled) characters (or "NPCs") and other entities in the virtual world. Camera angles can be switched between first-person and third-person options. Characters are improved by gaining levels. A character's level increases after it earns a set amount of experience points through the player versus environment (or "PvE") combat and storyline adventures. Characters' abilities are improved by increasing in level, but character skills must be purchased from specified NPCs after gaining a new level. The main storyline (also known as the "Epic Quest Line") is presented as a series of "Books", which consist of series of quests called "Chapters". There were initially eight Books when the game was released, with new books added with each free content update. Tolkien's Middle-earth as represented in The Lord of the Rings Online implements magic in a different manner than other MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft. There are only five "wizards" in the fictional world, none of which are player-controlled. Instead, there are active skills which require "power" (the equivalent of magic points). Some skills behave like magic (like healing or throwing a burning ember at an enemy), but are based on "lore". In addition, objects and artifacts are used to create effects similar to magic. Other features include a fast travel system and a detailed quest log with tracker and history.
Game analysis
Critik Scorecard
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Reviews
40 reviews found96
Worth Playing
Jan 1, 1970
Probably the biggest question about LotRO is, "Does LotRO have the potential to surpass World of Warcraft?" The answer is yes. Not only does LotRO take place in the world that created the fantasy theme, but the title is far more polished and ahead of any MMORPG during its release.
94
Gaming Illustrated
Jan 1, 1970
Summary and quote unavailable.
93
Gamer's Hell
Jan 1, 1970
Summary and quote unavailable.
92
Computer and Video Games
Jan 1, 1970
With Turbine's long-standing MMORPG expertise powering proceedings and one of the most welcoming communities in gaming, LOTRO presents a stunning and evocative world of Tolkien magic to explore - if you're any kind of fan, it would seem pretty much an essential purchase. LOTRO seems destined to become the next big MMORPG contender and we've no hesitation in saying prepare to make your move to Middle-earth - we'll see you there.
90
Games(TM)
Jan 1, 1970
Summary and quote unavailable.
90
PALGN
Jan 1, 1970
Summary and quote unavailable.
90
GameSpy
Jan 1, 1970
Summary and quote unavailable.
90
GameZone
Jan 1, 1970
Summary and quote unavailable.
90
Boomtown
Jan 1, 1970
Special praise also has to be dealt to Turbine for creating an MMO that managed to ship in a fairly completed state, and with stability issues kept to a minimum. Server downtime is sparse, and whilst there have been a few glaring outages and a number of large patches, the overall experience is one of rock-solid and largely lag-free play. With the seemingly never-ending popularity of World of Warcraft, quite what the future holds for LOTRO is a mystery at the moment; but with a healthy subscriber base and an attractive monthly rate, a few choice expansion packs could certainly solidify the experience into a genuine contender for the best of its type.
90
1UP
Jan 1, 1970
Summary and quote unavailable.
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