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| The Lord Of The Rings: Shadows Of Angmar | 
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| From: Midway
Category: Video Games
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $5.73
You Save: $24.22 (81%)
New (35) Used (10) from $2.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  103 reviews
Sales Rank: 2252
Platform: Windows Xp
ESRB: Teen
Media: Video Game
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Age: 12 - 20 years
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 1.6
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
MPN: 50107
Model: 50092
UPC: 031719501076
EAN: 0031719501076
ASIN: B000GR9P76
Release Date: April 24, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New, Retail Box - 60 Day Return Policy, Opened or Not Opened
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| Customer Reviews:
 Relatively few flaws November 13, 2008
I found LOTRO superior to WoW in graphics and overall game play - while it has a number of "yo-yo" missions (take message from A to B, take the response back to A, go get some materials, deliver to B, take item to A, take it back to B, etc.), grinding in the WoW sense (gather 12 feathers from creatures from whom only 1 out of 5 will drop the needed feather) is minimal. In Guild Wars the initial game has an interesting story line but the rest of the game's expansions lacked that same epic sweep; WoW can be played without regard to any story - the story for LOTRO hovers in the background but does not seem, until relatively late, to play much of a role. Two things mar the experience. First, LOTRO has a poor mapping system compared to WoW - there is not the broad, user-generated add-on community. You spend a fair amount of time just stumbling around the countryside trying to locate things, including things that, thanks to online databases, you have specific latitude and longitude for (and I generally don't use those aids except when I find I've spent an entire day trying to find a cabin that is "Northwest of Bree" - directions tend to lack specificity and NPCs never mark a point on your map). Get into the habit of keeping a logbook as you cannot put notes on your maps. I'm guessing that the yo-yos and stumbling were the cost of minimizing the grinding - like all MMOs I've encountered, stretching out the time needed to get anything done is one of the ways of keeping players in the game and paying. The second is that the LOTRO community seemed a bit odd - definitely into role-playing, which was fine, but not as interested in helping each other out (unless in the same kinship [guild]). Many times I saw players fighting for their lives and other players would run on past - in WoW I know it happened but in my months (I made level 70) I almost never saw it. Otoh, there did not seem to be any difference in the degree of difficulty of forming a group for a specific quest. If you like Tolkien and can find a good kinship (check Wiki for server by server lists) and can handle a bit of frustration with the lack of good mapping utilities, you'll probably like this game.
 A great game with excellent storyline! November 10, 2008
Speaking as a veteran mmorpg'er and a player of LOTRO since the closed beta, many of the misgivings players had with the game during beta have been addressed. Even the pvp has been improved somewhat. I'm looking forward to the expansion since I recently finished the main quests and am looking forward to fresh material and newer instances.
My favorite things about the game.
The crafting system, you can make items in game that are better than most quest items. (Raid items being the exception)
The mature audience. It's rare when I end up playing with people who have the maturity of a 11 year old.
The regular updates to the game make it enjoyable. There are regular updates to the storyline outside of the expansions. (the first one is being released in a few weeks).
The last thing I love about the game is the option for lifetime membership. If you think you'll end up playing the game for more than 20 months.... get the lifetime membership. ($199 right now) I love not having to pay month to month.
Not Just for Tolkien Fans!! October 29, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Although the game is doing pretty well subscriber-wise, I still don't understand why it's not more popular. I wouldn't expect that this game or any other MMO would be able to get close to WoW's subscription numbers, I really feel like a lot of people are missing out on a great game. And obviously I'd like to see bigger numbers because that means more money for the developers to put into the game and expand it and keep it running as long as possible.
I've played WoW and other popular MMO's, and in my opinion LOTRO is the most fun. LOTRO is actually closer to a WoW clone (only in GUI and player/world interaction methods) than any other MMO that I've seen, which is a good thing because the WoW template is fantastic. Leveling up doesn't feel like a grind unless a player forces that feeling by just killing mobs over and over again to level up or rushing through quests without immersing themselves in the lore or story.
I'll be honest, I actually only started playing this game because I'm a big fan of the Middle-Earth universe so I'm definitely very biased, but in the fantasy RPG (MMO or single player) community, who isn't a Tolkien fan? :) I know those people are out there and I actually personally know a couple people who aren't really into The Lord of the Rings but really love this game. So it's definitely not just for Tolkien buffs.
The game is one of the most beautiful MMO's out there and Turbine has done a fantastic job of recreating Tolkien's universe. There is plenty to do and character development and customization is tops with the deed/trait system and the new changes coming up with MoM. The game is pretty lacking in the PvP area, but it doesn't claim to be a PvP game. It's a PvE game, although they did include a PvP feature, Monster Play, which is actually really fun. There's nothing more exciting than battling a full army of player controlled Orcs, Uruks, Spiders and Wargs.
The game is also suitable for either solo players or players who like to group up. If you prefer to venture alone you will still have a lot of fun, but personally I feel a game like this is much more enjoyable with a Fellowship. But no player will be penalized if they decide to spend all their time solo.
My only gripe is that it's really not possible to play an evil character, except in the Monster Play zone, The Ettenmoors. And then you are only limited to one zone which is strictly a PvP area and you don't have to option to level up a character. But once again, this holds strong to Tolkien's lore. The game was designed around the idea that the player-base would be fighting for the salvation of Middle-Earth and aiding the fellowship in their quest to destroy the one ring. And you definitely feel this when you play along the Epic Quest line.
So, RPG players are a very fickle breed, but I would hope that more people would give LOTRO a chance as it's really a well-designed game that a person of any age or demographic can immerse themselves in and get plenty of entertainment from. Casual or hardcore MMO players should find something to love about LOTRO.
May be left n the dust October 13, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Unfortunately, with the successful release of Warhammer Onlne and World of Warcraft's unwavering player base and upcoming Expansion, it seems like LOTRO may be getting left in the dust. But please, if you are considering this game, give it a try, it can still hold it's own against it's massive competitors. It's absolute brilliant and true to heart depiction of Middle Earth alone warrants it's meager $10 price, but it is also brilliant as an MMO too.
The player base is smaller than the other two, but it's still big enough, and the community by far is the most intelligent and mature. One of my biggest complaints about Wow was it's racist and childish community, but that type is virtually non-existent in LOTRO. There are many adults who play the game to immerse themselves into the LOTRO story, but it is still kid friendly, if not more kid friendly than the other two, with it's toned down and more mature community. From the quests, the programming and layout of the world, and the crafting, to the little things in the game such as player music, the genius soundtrack of the game, and the RPing, make this the most immersive of the three by far.
If you are a Lord of the Rings fan and want to enter the world, almost literally, than this is the game for you.
If you are an MMO fan, heed my opinion: For the most polish (since it's been out the longest), great PVE/PVP balance, Arena PVP, item-based play, the best mount system I've seen, and an insufferable community, go to WOW. For what is in my opinion now the best MMO available, the best and most rewarding and addictive PVP(RVR), the best character creation, the most creative and original classes, and (to describe it using it using one adjective) classy MMO, Warhammer Online is the game. And for the best story by a long shot (considering the source material), for rping, for the most lush and beautiful world, the best community, the most well-written music, and the best PVE content, LOTRO is your game (and mine, even though I rate WARHAMMER Online as a slightly better game).
One more thing
The music is absolutely brilliant. It's perfectly appropriate (the music of each race feels native to that country land), very well written, and helps to evoke the atmosphere even further. My other big complaint about WOW and probably my only complaint about WAR was the music. WAR's music is absolutely terrible, and Wow's isn't much better. But LOTRO's soundtrack is a true work of art. I can't tell you how many time's of just stopped playing for a second to sit and listen to the music intently. I even have the cd in my car.
great MMORPG August 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I wouldn't say that LotRO is better than WoW or any of the other great games of this type, but it certainly incorporates some of their better elements, avoids some of their worst, and throws it all into a well designed and beautiful Middle-Earth world. The beginning section of the game is designed with novices in mind, which is great for novices, but a turn-off to some experienced gamers. But once through that, it's much like any of the other MMOs. The story, environment, and vast areas to explore, have been the best parts for me and I can honestly say getting my first character to level 50 never felt like a grind anywhere along the way. The population is kept within reason to lessen server bog and to eliminate the problem with supposed "wilderness areas" being overrun with adventurers and heroes. The players in general seem to be more mature in LotRO than in other games. And as some former WoW players have commented in our kin, the game is less social because there is always so much to do - you don't find yourself waiting around with a bunch of other people for a rare MOB to spawn.
On the down side, once you get to 50, augmenting your traits (character buffs) by completing deeds (killing X number of creatures in certain areas or finding X number of ruins or points of interest in areas) can be somewhat of a grind. But again, that's really only after you get to 50. There was a lot of non-grinding play to get there and the expansion in fall 2008 will add 10 more levels on top of that. In addition, crafting is a bit of a grind, but that is only a side part of the game for me. Others, who focus more on crafting and less on story or exploration, will probably find it a bit tedious. Some of the best items in the game are only available from crafters and they tend to overprice them in the auction hall. Get into a good kin and you can often get the same items significantly cheaper, in exchange for other items, or just plain given to you, if you aren't a troll in real life.
Turbine has made various subscription plans available, plus a lifetime subscription can be purchased for a very reasonable price compared to how much a year of monthly fees could cost. I would recommend LotRO over WoW to anyone who enjoys Tolkien and recommend it as a comparable yet more story driven and graphically prettier game to anyone else.
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