The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar

Of all of the popular franchises in the media, The Lord of the Rings seems to be one of those that lend themselves very well to the MMORPG genre. Presenting a rich world with tons of details and nuances that fans will pick up immediately and tons of characters and races, Lord of the Rings is ripe for the picking for a persistent universe. Very soon the franchise will see its very own online game with Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Agmar. Developed by Turbine, the seasoned team behind Asheron’s Call and D&D Online, Lord of the Rings Online is looking to retain the magic and detail of Tolkien’s world of Middle-earth while offering up some great new features for the MMORPG genre.

The pricing scheme for LOTRO is a little different from how previous MMO games work, if only for those who pre-order the game. If you do so, you’ll be able to play the game for 9.99 a month (it is 14.99 a month regularly). You’ll also have access to a lifetime subscription that gives you unlimited access for $199.

LOTRO lets you play as four different races from the books, each with their own subset of classes. There are a few unique ones in the mix, like Champions (fighter classes that can dual-wield) and Captains, which are a cross between bards and hunters from other MMOs, in that they have the ability to rally their group with support magic and have a herald creature with them to help them fight.

The mission structure is pretty common fare for an MMORPG, but something that the interface does with your missions that I found pretty cool was that it will set up a hotlist that appears on the side of the screen. You can adjust this however you see fit, by dragging and dropping missions that you are currently doing or would like to keep an eye on, saving you the trouble of opening a menu in order to check out your current progress.

One cool feature is the Monster Play areas, which play out like a game of Battlefield 2, only in a fantasy MMORPG setting. You can either play as your character or an evil facsimile as you and your side attempt to capture areas from your opponents. You’ll be able to gain destiny points through your victories, which can then be used to purchase added abilities and game features.

LOTRO is also a pretty beautiful looking MMO, not only in technical prowess, but in art direction as well. The game feels like Tolkien’s world in breadth and scope, and feels crafted with a real appreciation for the subject matter. It helps that the character models and environments look very impressive, especially when held up against other MMORPGs on the market.

Lord of the Rings Online has come a long way during its development, and should be a force to be reckoned with when it ships this coming April.