The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-Earth II, The Rise of the Witch-King

The J.R.R. Tolkien-created lands of Middle-earth have never been shy on stories waiting to be told. While the world was a definitive look at good versus the evil that was Sauron and his minions, the characters the English author created were deep, with back stories waiting to be told. That one can be told in real-time strategy fashion is remarkable.

But while The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II – The Rise of the Witch-King delves into the rise of power of one of the more notorious of the Third Age villains (and he actually initially appeared in the Second Age, and was killed in the Third Age), the way the EA title evolves is somewhat linear in nature and is more of a ‘conquer or be conquered’ game than a telling of the rise of the Witch-King’s seat of power in Angmar.

In 3441 of the Second Age, Sauron was overthrown by elves and men of the Last Alliance and the One Ring was taken by Isildur. Sauron secretly returned to Middle-earth in about 1050 of the Third Age and built a stronghold on the edge of Mirkwood at Dol Guldur. In about 1300, the Nazgul reappeared and the Lord of the Nazgul, the Witch-King, went north into Eriador and established the realm of Angmar on either side of the Misty Mountains.

The solo-player campaign of Middle-earth II’s expansion pack, picks up on that thread and challenges players to cull his stronghold from the northern region and then defend it while dominating the lands surrounding his kingdom.

The game also has a host of new features and units that add to the original title. However, when compared to the depth and entertainment value of The Battle for Middle-earth II, Rise of the Witch-King just does not seem to carry the urgency or excitement level. It is a much more pedestrian experience by comparison. This is not bad, though. In fact, if you are a fan of a solid RTS title (and you must have the original Battle for Middle-earth II to play this expansion), then this is a worthy expansion. And if you are a Tolkien fan, and one who has Battle for Middle-earth II, then this expansion is a no-brainer. It gives the evil perspective on the world, has a host of challenges and really provides a new viewpoint for the goings-on in the realm.

Let’s outline some of the new stuff:

• The game has a new hero class – the Olog-hai. These are trolls, and EA has introduced a new variable hero cost, which essentially means that customization will cost the gamer a lot (remember resource management in an RTS is key).

• New units include the Rohan Spearmen and knights of Dol Amroth (for the Men of the West); Lindon horse archers and Noldor warriors (for the elves); dwarven zealots and a new dwarven hero – Prince Brand, Captain of Dale; Uruk deathbringers, wildmen axethrowers and a warg pack (Isengard); new heroes in Gothmog and the Black Riders, Haradrim lancers and black orcs (Mordor); and for the goblins – a new hero is Azog of Moria, the half-troll swordsman and the fire drake brood.

• For new structures there is the siege works and clan steading for Isengard; Mordor gets the Haradrim palace, the great siege works and the orc pit; while the goblins get the goblin fissure.

• The game adds a new faction in Angmar with five heroes (the Witch-king, Rogash – Troll of the North, Morgomir, Karsh and Hwalder), eight base units and six summoned units, seven structures, four fortress expansions, six fortress upgrades, five wall upgrades and nine spells that are associated with Angmar.

The game’s AI seems to have gotten a bit of an upgrade as well. The adversaries you encounter will make more tactical use of the terrain to flank and come up from behind. You really have to pay attention to what is happening in this game.

Additionally the expansion brings in two new historical scenarios to the War of the Ring mode, including flexible scenario options (you can select one of four conditions for victory now), and the ability to play the War of the Ring campaign without the use of Ring Heroes.

The missions do vary and some will have you sitting on the edge of your seat as you race time to meet the mission objectives. There are challenges here, make no mistake about that. But the level of excitement or perhaps dread that should be associated with playing on the evil side just is not there.

Angmar does have some great new units, including the Thrall Masters. These are Black Numenorean emissaries who can summon units instantly. If played right, and protected, these can swing the tide of battle most conveniently.  The general gameplay is the same as the core title, and the graphical quality – new units aside – is the same. Some of the newer units look more entertaining than conveying that sense of evil and devastation that should be associated with the forces of Sauron. The game’s sound is still top drawer.

Rise of the Witch-King is a solid expansion to a very good RTS title. It combines new elements with streamlined gameplay, good graphics and outstanding audio with a challenging and entertaining multiplayer experience. This is an easy recommend for owners of the original game.

Gameplay: 8.0
Typical RTS elements with a gentle learning curve. The AI is a bit smarter this time around so players will have to put on their game faces to win at the higher difficulty levels. The game also failed to convey the menace that is associated with Witch-King. This could have been a grittier and darker game.

Graphics: 8.2
The game is still sound graphically, though some of the units look more comical than nasty mean.

Sound: 9.0
Still superlative with great voice work for the new units.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
The missions may not feel as compelling as opposed to the first time into the base game, but still you will find challenge here.

Concept: 8.3
This title adds new units and a new perspective to the struggle between good and evil in Middle-earth. This is not to say you will like Sauron or his objectives any more than you did before, but you do – at the least – get a fresh look at what led up to his return.

Multiplayer: 8.5
Still solid, with the campaign available online. This is unchanged.

Overall: 8.3
A short campaign, new units, fixes to the original title all add up to an expansion that is worthy of being on the shelf of Middle-earth gamers. Witch-King may not leave that same sense of wonder as when the original Battle for Middle-earth II launched, but it is – nonetheless – a challenging game that offers a new look at the rich tapestry of Tolkien’s world.