Lord of the Rings Online Game Review
As you know, Professor Tolkien's epic saga "The Lord of the Rings" is almost the most important fantasy work in history. Naturally, the first mass online RPG based on the book had to become something epic, corresponding to the source material. And The Lord of the Rings Online in many ways became such when it was released in 2007. In this review we'll tell you what made the game so appealing and how relevant and interesting it is now.
About the plot, quests and atmosphere
Already at the development stage it was clear that the authors will bet on an epic story - and otherwise, in the case of "The Lord of the Rings" and in principle could not be. The action of the game unfolds after Frodo's departure from the Shire and initially confronts the heroes with the false king of Angmar, Mordirith, as well as with the Sorcerer King, the owner of one of the 9 rings.
As the supplements were released, the storyline that followed the events of the book expanded, and new locations and characters became available, allowing us to participate in iconic battles and interact with our favorite characters. Thus, in "The Spears of Moria" we fight alongside the dwarves of the Underhill Kingdom to free their homeland from the Nasgul, in "Allies of the King" we travel south to Aragorn and participate in the Battle of Hornburg. The "Power of Sauron" add-on takes us further on Aragorn's trail and allows us to do our part in the liberation of Gondor, there we also see with our own eyes the destruction of the One Ring. "The Black Book of Mordor" sends us to fight what remains of Sauron's mighty army, with the main event being the siege of Barad-dûr during the War of the Last Alliance. Finally, "Darin's Legacy and the Trials of the Dwarves" allows us to visit the origins of Anduin and Gundabad.
As the supplements were released, the storyline that followed the events of the book expanded, and new locations and characters became available, allowing us to participate in iconic battles and interact with our favorite characters. Thus, in "The Spears of Moria" we fight alongside the dwarves of the Underhill Kingdom to free their homeland from the Nasgul, in "Allies of the King" we travel south to Aragorn and participate in the Battle of Hornburg. The "Power of Sauron" add-on takes us further on Aragorn's trail and allows us to do our part in the liberation of Gondor, there we also see with our own eyes the destruction of the One Ring. "The Black Book of Mordor" sends us to fight what remains of Sauron's mighty army, with the main event being the siege of Barad-dûr during the War of the Last Alliance. Finally, "Darin's Legacy and the Trials of the Dwarves" allows us to visit the origins of Anduin and Gundabad.
Each such plot segment is called a volume, and it is in turn divided into books and chapters, which are added on with additions. In Shadows of Angmar, for example, there were 15 books. So it's a truly epic story. There have been a total of 9 major supplements from 2007 to 2021. And even in the last one to date, which is called Destiny of Gundabad (released in November '21), we saw new missions and a continuation of the storyline.
In general, we repeat, the plot of the game corresponds to the events of Tolkien's original work, but at the same time, of course, there are certain liberties inevitable in a video game. After all, we play for fictional characters created in the editor, and not for the same Frodo Baggins. And that's why we run at the requests of Argorn and give quests to Gandalf. There is an opportunity to develop reputation with different factions and even play for monsters (more on this later).
It is also important that representatives of different races start the game in different regions of Middle-earth and in different, let's say, story conditions. For example, a high elf (or an elven woman) immediately get into the cycle of epic events - we participate in a large-scale battle at the gates of the elven capital, meet and listen to the nobility and carry out the orders of their ruler, and soon encounter the Wizard King, who hurts us badly and makes very strange predictions. But for an ordinary (not high) elf the scriptwriters have prepared a completely different prologue, which begins in the library - it is attacked by enemies who want to seize an important scroll. In the role of, for example, a man, we generally begin the passage in the captivity of robbers, who in addition to us captured several hobbits.
In general, we repeat, the plot of the game corresponds to the events of Tolkien's original work, but at the same time, of course, there are certain liberties inevitable in a video game. After all, we play for fictional characters created in the editor, and not for the same Frodo Baggins. And that's why we run at the requests of Argorn and give quests to Gandalf. There is an opportunity to develop reputation with different factions and even play for monsters (more on this later).
It is also important that representatives of different races start the game in different regions of Middle-earth and in different, let's say, story conditions. For example, a high elf (or an elven woman) immediately get into the cycle of epic events - we participate in a large-scale battle at the gates of the elven capital, meet and listen to the nobility and carry out the orders of their ruler, and soon encounter the Wizard King, who hurts us badly and makes very strange predictions. But for an ordinary (not high) elf the scriptwriters have prepared a completely different prologue, which begins in the library - it is attacked by enemies who want to seize an important scroll. In the role of, for example, a man, we generally begin the passage in the captivity of robbers, who in addition to us captured several hobbits.
After the prologue all events more or less converge into a single line, but always remain epic, elaborate and diverse - the central story quests are divided into many stages, during which we consistently travel throughout the game world, meet many characters from among the powerful (but not only), perform their tasks (for example, act as a diplomat-mediator between the high elves and dwarves) and witness various dramatic events. Moreover, what is happening is also dynamically changing - returning to a familiar location, we can witness other events. And the key characters are constantly moving around the world.
In addition, the magazine quickly swells from the abundance of side quests - here you have the obligatory quests in the spirit of "kill 10 spiders", "bring 5 wolf skins", and more non-trivial tasks, when we, for example, get the opportunity to take part in a festival and play musical instruments.
In summary, the authors managed to convey the spirit of "The Lord of the Rings", those epic and dramatic adventures that covered the whole Middle-earth. And among other things it happened thanks to the excellent work of artists - all regions look very atmospheric and in their own way. And the locations of the same high elves, all these twisted staircases, bridges and houses, drowning in red foliage - a pure aesthetic pleasure for the eyes. Of course, purely technically the graphics looks, let's say, not the most modern by today's standards - but this does not detract from the talent of artists, who filled the game with a lot of beautiful landscapes and epic battle scenes. Also the music works perfectly on the atmosphere, which is quite accurately matched to each important location and to each significant event.
In addition, the magazine quickly swells from the abundance of side quests - here you have the obligatory quests in the spirit of "kill 10 spiders", "bring 5 wolf skins", and more non-trivial tasks, when we, for example, get the opportunity to take part in a festival and play musical instruments.
In summary, the authors managed to convey the spirit of "The Lord of the Rings", those epic and dramatic adventures that covered the whole Middle-earth. And among other things it happened thanks to the excellent work of artists - all regions look very atmospheric and in their own way. And the locations of the same high elves, all these twisted staircases, bridges and houses, drowning in red foliage - a pure aesthetic pleasure for the eyes. Of course, purely technically the graphics looks, let's say, not the most modern by today's standards - but this does not detract from the talent of artists, who filled the game with a lot of beautiful landscapes and epic battle scenes. Also the music works perfectly on the atmosphere, which is quite accurately matched to each important location and to each significant event.
About raids and battles between players
The emphasis on story and epicness, as well as the special atmosphere and uniqueness of the "Lord of the Rings" universe, has also affected other modes, not only the story. Naturally, as in all MMORPGs, there are special trials, events, raids and "instances" that involve encounters with more serious enemies - so you often need to join groups. So, unlike most similar games, here we usually do not clear various dungeons and casemates, but take part in epic battles and sieges. In one of the "instances" we defend the castle walls and shoot from the ballista at the crowds of advancing enemies - you have to load it yourself, turn it left-right, up-down, pump and repair it. And in another challenge you have to defend the massive castle gates - in the process we also have to repair them in time. And in addition, you can control other characters by giving them orders.
There is also a mechanic that allows you to "do" quests with other players - if someone is in the same region and performs the same task, you can invite the user together to do this mission. By the way, groups and guilds in The Lord of the Rings Online are called commonwealth and brotherhood - a small thing, as it seems, but it also works well for the atmosphere. Interestingly, when playing in a brotherhood with other players, you and your allies can activate group skills to gain powerful bonuses - mostly through the efforts of characters of the hack-and-slash class. When such an ability is activated, players must fill special gray circles appearing on the screen as soon as possible - it's just a pity that you can't use such an opportunity indefinitely.
There is also a mechanic that allows you to "do" quests with other players - if someone is in the same region and performs the same task, you can invite the user together to do this mission. By the way, groups and guilds in The Lord of the Rings Online are called commonwealth and brotherhood - a small thing, as it seems, but it also works well for the atmosphere. Interestingly, when playing in a brotherhood with other players, you and your allies can activate group skills to gain powerful bonuses - mostly through the efforts of characters of the hack-and-slash class. When such an ability is activated, players must fill special gray circles appearing on the screen as soon as possible - it's just a pity that you can't use such an opportunity indefinitely.
Battles between players in The Lord of the Rings Online are also organized in a special way, taking into account the specifics of this universe. There are no battles between peaceful races here. Therefore, the authors have come up with the mechanics of "playing for the monster". Upon reaching level 10 you can choose a high-level character of one of 6 classes - Orc Bandit, who is a strong melee warrior, Weaver (i.e. spider), who is strong in support and can summon a baby spider for help, uruk-Black Arrow, who relies on ranged combat, Uruk-Warrior, who can heal allies, Warg Trapper (a local wolf), who specializes in scouting and stealth, and Orc-Spawner, who not only supports his own, but also poisons enemies.
In this role you will develop, complete quests and fight other players, representatives of the "free peoples", which includes all peaceful races. To become one of the "free" and start fighting monster players, you must reach level 20 - you will have to play as your main character. Battles between monsters and other races take place on the Etten Heights - they include large battles for control points, and small battles, skirmishes, ambushes, sabotage. The authors called this unique mode PvMP (Player versus Monster-Player).
In this role you will develop, complete quests and fight other players, representatives of the "free peoples", which includes all peaceful races. To become one of the "free" and start fighting monster players, you must reach level 20 - you will have to play as your main character. Battles between monsters and other races take place on the Etten Heights - they include large battles for control points, and small battles, skirmishes, ambushes, sabotage. The authors called this unique mode PvMP (Player versus Monster-Player).
All their participants for their successes win, firstly, fate points - they are spent on various improvements, on opening new abilities, improving equipment, increasing damage, and also in the case of "free peoples" - on receiving temporary bonuses to certain characteristics like health and defense.
Secondly, to become stronger, you need to earn points of fame / evil glory (from monsters), which in turn increase the rank of the character - those who play for monsters, it will allow you to get new talents and skills, and representatives of free people open new equipment and access to a new horse, improve damage, energy and morale. Well, and, of course, everyone grows in ranking depending on their successes, which gives more rewards and bonuses.
Secondly, to become stronger, you need to earn points of fame / evil glory (from monsters), which in turn increase the rank of the character - those who play for monsters, it will allow you to get new talents and skills, and representatives of free people open new equipment and access to a new horse, improve damage, energy and morale. Well, and, of course, everyone grows in ranking depending on their successes, which gives more rewards and bonuses.
About the role-playing system and classes
And what classes and races are available to the main player characters, i.e. representatives of the free peoples of Middle-earth? There is quite a wide choice here. There are 7 races to choose from: humans, high elves, elves, dwarves, dwarves, hardhands, beornings and hobbits. And each has its own pros and cons. For example, humans receive penalties to will, but they have bonuses to healing, strength and faith; dwarves at the start of the game are not so strong in faith and agility, but are characterized by increased stamina and are able to fight without fatigue, which allows you to restore morale and energy faster in fights. Hobbits, on the other hand, are known for their bravery and their resistance to darkness (which gives them improved damage mitigation from Darkness), but because of their small stature they are not as strong as the other races. Talents also vary from race to race.
As for classes, there are 11 of them in the game. All of them differ in their role in battles, level of difficulty in mastering and other features. In addition, different classes are available to different races. For example, Beorning is available only to the people of the same name. Such characters are focused on healing and defense, and in battles are able to turn into bears. A bully can become representatives of all races except the Beornings - this class relies on defense and attack, and in battle they use the unique mechanics of "zeal" to increase damage and apply their most powerful abilities. And the already mentioned "Hackers", specializing in trickery and deception (this allows you to impose various negative effects on enemies), are unavailable only for Beornings and Dwarves. There are also classes such as Knights, Defenders, Rune Keepers, Minstrels, Hunters, Guardians and Warriors.
Upon reaching a certain level, it becomes possible to choose an improved class to specialize in one of the three skill branches. For example, a hunter will be able to develop skills that increase ranged damage or increase the chance of a critical attack. In battles all these skills are located on the "hotkeys" scale - according to the tradition of all old-school MMORPGs, we just need to choose a target and then press these or those buttons. But it doesn't mean that the battles in The Lord of the Rings Online are boring - in fact in the battle with strong opponents and especially against other players you need to choose the right "hotkeys" to tap, that is, what skills to use.
In addition, the already mentioned morale and energy parameters play a big role. The morale is affected by the parameters "hope" and "fear" - the first increases in favorable regions like the elven Rivendell and in the presence of famous heroes of Middle-earth, and the second, on the contrary, increases after death (especially from the most terrible monsters) and in such gloomy locations as Angmar.
Upon reaching a certain level, it becomes possible to choose an improved class to specialize in one of the three skill branches. For example, a hunter will be able to develop skills that increase ranged damage or increase the chance of a critical attack. In battles all these skills are located on the "hotkeys" scale - according to the tradition of all old-school MMORPGs, we just need to choose a target and then press these or those buttons. But it doesn't mean that the battles in The Lord of the Rings Online are boring - in fact in the battle with strong opponents and especially against other players you need to choose the right "hotkeys" to tap, that is, what skills to use.
In addition, the already mentioned morale and energy parameters play a big role. The morale is affected by the parameters "hope" and "fear" - the first increases in favorable regions like the elven Rivendell and in the presence of famous heroes of Middle-earth, and the second, on the contrary, increases after death (especially from the most terrible monsters) and in such gloomy locations as Angmar.
The most important role in character development is also played by equipment, which can deteriorate over time (especially after death, which forces you to often resort to repairing equipment). Especially valuable legendary equipment is pumped itself and gets bonuses as you use it, and there are also items where you can insert essence - it gives additional characteristics. By the way, among the parameters of equipment there is "joy" - it affects the ability to resist "despair", which in turn reduces the parameters and effectiveness of skills.
Huge knowledge in the game also has crafting - everywhere there are craftsmen selling recipes, forges, kitchens, ovens and workbenches. To make various useful items, such as weapons or armor, rings and amulets, as well as food that gives a temporary bonus to the characteristics, you need to master various professions and join the appropriate guilds of craftsmen. In The Lord of the Rings Online is implemented a lot of professions - you can become a farmer, blacksmith, cook, jeweler, scientist and many more. But you need to do it hard and join the appropriate guilds to achieve success and get access to making the coolest items.
Huge knowledge in the game also has crafting - everywhere there are craftsmen selling recipes, forges, kitchens, ovens and workbenches. To make various useful items, such as weapons or armor, rings and amulets, as well as food that gives a temporary bonus to the characteristics, you need to master various professions and join the appropriate guilds of craftsmen. In The Lord of the Rings Online is implemented a lot of professions - you can become a farmer, blacksmith, cook, jeweler, scientist and many more. But you need to do it hard and join the appropriate guilds to achieve success and get access to making the coolest items.
Finally, the gameplay uses an interesting mechanics of deeds and accomplishments. In fact, it is an analog of achievements and tests from other projects, but here such a system is interestingly, in its own way played. The essence comes down to the fact that for many successful actions, for the fulfillment of some quests, for opening and clearing locations, for killing certain enemies and so on, you fill the appropriate scale, and then get for this or that useful bonuses (called virtues) - basically it increases resistance to various negative effects, gives bonuses to health, to restore morale and so on.
The local analog of the combat pass works on the same principle - for entering the game, performing certain actions we get different rewards, currency, resources and "LOTRO points". The latter are considered very valuable and are also sold for real money - for LOTRO Points you can improve your account, get access to all races and clans, increase the number of characters on one account, buy add-ons and quest-packs in the in-game store. There is also an option to purchase VIP status to open all the possibilities - for example, it will allow you to play for monsters without restrictions. But the same LOTRO Points, as we have already said, are also given for ordinary actions, for the same accomplishments and deeds.
The local analog of the combat pass works on the same principle - for entering the game, performing certain actions we get different rewards, currency, resources and "LOTRO points". The latter are considered very valuable and are also sold for real money - for LOTRO Points you can improve your account, get access to all races and clans, increase the number of characters on one account, buy add-ons and quest-packs in the in-game store. There is also an option to purchase VIP status to open all the possibilities - for example, it will allow you to play for monsters without restrictions. But the same LOTRO Points, as we have already said, are also given for ordinary actions, for the same accomplishments and deeds.
Conclusion
We can actually talk about The Lord of the Rings Online for a long time - we haven't mentioned that players can cultivate various hobbies, go fishing, play musical instruments, participate in festivals, as well as purchase real estate. So this is a really great and addictive MMORPG that fans of true classic fantasy simply must try. Especially since it is still more than alive and quite actively supported.
Zarium. August 2023
Zarium. August 2023