Windows

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth

Unglaublich, unglaublich, unglaublich ... Ich könnte diesen Kasten nur mit diesem Wort füllen. Es ist das einzige, das wenigstens ansatzweise das Spielgefühl beschreibt, das HdR: Die Schlacht um Mittelerde erzeugt. Nicht nur Herr der Ringe- und Echtzeitstrategie-Fans weinen vor Freude, wie Herr Brehme, als er seine erste Banane verspeiste. Bei solch spektakulären Kämpfen habe ich zuletzt nur in den Kinofilmen derart mitgefiebert. Eine so geile Atmosphäre ist bisher einzigartig. Der absolute Wahnsinn!

Fans of Peter Jackson and the “Lord of the Rings” movies bid a bittersweet farewell to the trilogy when the final extended DVD, “Return of the King,” released in December for the holidays. For the final time, hardcore fans walked into the store to buy their beloved film, knowing full well that the 4.5-hour final chapter would see much use in the years to come. About that same time, Electronic Arts released a real-time strategy, called “Battle for Middle-earth,” based on the events in all three films. The game was overshadowed by the onslaught of holiday games, not to mention the conveniently timed release of the aforementioned DVD, so many PC owners might have missed it altogether. But regardless of your affinity for all things Tolkein, Battle for Middle-earth is an outstanding RTS, challenging enough for devout RTS players yet scaleable to make even an RTS freshman enjoy the pursuit (or destruction) of the One Ring.

Was würden Sie von einem Echtzeit-Strategiespiel zum Kinoerfolg Der Herr der Ringe erwarten? Eine umwerfende Optik und geschmeidige Animationen? Bombastische Filmmusik? Cineastische Zwischensequenzen in Spielgrafik, welche Originalszenen aus den Filmen nachstellen? Wie wäre es mit zwei Solo-Kampagnen, in denen man entweder die Geschichte von Frodo und Co. nachspielen oder als finsterer Sauron Mittelerde erobern kann?

De Lord of the Rings koorts slaat opnieuw toe en deze keer in de vorm van een uitzonderlijk knap RTS-spel.

The real-time strategy (RTS) game The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth had a lot to overcome to prove itself. Another RTS game set in the LOTR world, War of the Ring, came out at the end of 2003, and it was unfortunately just an okay game at best. Coming out relatively soon after War of the Ring, Battle for Middle-earth had to be more than just good if it wanted to resurrect interest in an RTS set in the LOTR world. Thankfully, BFME rises to the occasion by offering us a lot that we didn't have before. Yes, it lets players command armies in the big battles of the LOTR trilogy (while War of the Ring didn't involve battles from the LOTR storyline), but it lets us do something even better than that. It lets you command orcs to KILL THE FELLOWSHIP HOBBITS.

On the heels of the big DVD release for the final chapter in the epic Lord of the Rings saga, comes a new RTS out of EA, LOTR: Battle For Middle Earth (BFME). Giving the players the choice between four armies and the opportunity to decide the fate of Middle Earth, BFME brings a great deal of potential to the table. Fortunately, BFME turns out to be a great RTS game for LOTR fans and non-fans alike.

Blizzard set the precedent for real-time strategy games with Warcraft, and since then games have spiraled towards ever-increasing complexity, having players manage labyrinthically complex upgrade trees and a frivolous number of resources. In a refreshing change, EA has stripped away the mundane chores, focusing on creating grand battles that faithfully reflect Peter Jackson's ambitious vision of The Lord of the Rings.

After transforming Peter Jackson's Lord of the Ring's movie trilogy into two successful action games and a moderately successful RPG, EA takes the series into the genre it was made for. While it isn't as genre defining as other games, The Battle for Middle-earth is still an amazing experience.

Overall though, LOTR: BFME is a superb real-time strategy game, which is enhanced greatly by the online play. A must-have for LOTR fans and lovers of the C&C games.

Here at Puteanus Towers we're not afraid of a nice battle where we can take on the enemy with more than a couple of archers/tanks/robots. We're also not afraid of some projections of the LOTR movies from Peter Jackson. And that's why we looked forward for a while to LOTR: The Battle for Middle-Earth, a game where we could replay the great battles from the movies. And look, what is blinking in front of us ? A reviewcopy of this game ! Puteanus Towers goes crazy !

Those that liked the movies and are looking for a way to be a part of Middle-earth will find it to be a worthy choice for the collection. Even those who don’t have RTS in their hearts. It certainly caught me deeply and I can recommend it without a doubt. Lovers of Sauron will certainly enjoy their chance to stomp a hobbit or two.

Ja, ich gebe es zu: Ich würde gerne in Mittelerde leben. Und das schon, seit ich vor 27 Jahren das erste Mal Tolkiens Bücher gelesen habe. Deshalb habe ich in Die Schlacht um Mittelerde große Realitätsflucht-Hoffnungen gesetzt – und bin jetzt schon ein wenig enttäuscht. Klar, es gibt die fantastischen Großschlachten wie in Helms Klamm. Nur sind die viel zu selten. Allzu oft muss ich mit meinen Truppen über arg langweilige Karten eilen, nur um eine räudige Bande Orks zu verprügeln. Die ausgetüftelten Heldenfähigkeiten, mit denen ich so manches verloren geglaubte Gefecht doch noch gewonnen habe, stimmen mich aber wieder versöhnlich. Auch die tollen Animationen der Einheiten haben mir gut gefallen. Und die schicke Karte ist eine Klasse für sich. Aber wer ist bitteschön für die unnötigen und unpassenden Story-Änderungen verantwortlich? Trotzdem kehre ich immer wieder in den Ringkrieg zurück, nur wohnen möchte ich in dem veränderten Szenario sicher nicht mehr.

When much of the formerly Westwood team behind Command & Conquer Generals gets a mandate from EA to make use of the LOTR film license for a new RTS title, it’s no shocker that the game in question is great. Though it’s plagued by some surprisingly basic flaws (given the experience of the team), The Battle for Middle-Earth comes through as one of the best entries in the RTS genre this year.

As befits its source material, The Battle for Middle-earth is a huge game, and there's a lot of great gameplay to be had in it. The opportunity to command the forces of good and evil in the War of the Ring and rewrite history is sure to appeal to the many fans of the books and movies. And while some aspects of the game may seem lacking, it's still an enjoyable journey through the lands of Middle-earth--even if Boromir lives.

Was kann man eigentlich von so einem Herr der Ringe Spiel erwarten? Massenschlachten? Ja. Tolkiene Helden? Ja. Mächtige Optik? Ja. Eine Soundkulisse die ihres gleichen sucht? Ja. Geniale Fantasywelt die in sich mehr als nur stimmig wirkt? Ja. Und das beste ist: All das bietet Herr der Ringe: Schlacht um Mittelerde auch. Zwar wird an der ein oder anderen Stelle getrickst (wie im Review beschrieben), doch das fällt zum Glück überhaupt nicht auf. Nur die Einheiten KI und die Kameraperspektive lassen ein wenig zu wünschen übrig. Auch der Multiplayerpart könnte besser sein, doch Strategiefans finden hier ihr Eldorado.

Een geweldig spel in een fantastische setting, met hopen speeluren er in verscholen. De mogelijkheid om aan het hoofd van de krachten van het Kwade de Tolkien-geschiedenis te herschrijven is ook een uitdaging, die mogelijk de puristen tegen de borst zal stoten - maar de fantasten een leuke variatie zal bieden.

Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-earth is certainly a decent game. It stays with the great visual style (and some spectacular spell effects) and flair of the movies, though it doesn't do it quite as big. The addition of the living world map was fun even if the strategy of it was minimal and the new interface should help new players learn the ins and outs of real-time strategy without too much frustration.

Os produtores claramente priorizaram estilo sobre substância, além de dar preferência em fazer um game para leigos ao invés de se focar nos veteranos do gênero. Levando isso em conta, "Battle for Middle-earth" atingiu seu objetivo com muito sucesso. Cabe ao consumidor decidir se é isso que ele quer em seu jogo de estratégia.

This game was extremely ambitious and carried the burden of an immense license that could have crushed a lesser development team or game. The game has some flaws, but still provides a good solid RTS experience. Throwing in the well-done execution of the Tolkien license makes the game all the more enjoyable for RTS fans who love Tolkien as well. If you like the games that EALA has done in the past, you will really like this one. If not, it is still worth trying to get the epic experience of saving or destroying Middle-earth.

La Bataille Pour La Terre Du Milieu exploite à merveille l'univers du Seigneur des Anneaux, et c'est là sa principale qualité. C'est un jeu spectaculaire et qui dispose d'une bonne durée de vie grâce à ses deux campagnes, à son mode escarmouche et multijoueur. Maintenant, il est vrai que le titre a un gameplay très classique et qu'il n'apporte finalement que très peu de choses que l'on n'ait pas déjà vu dans d'autres STR. En utilisant des recettes éprouvées, le titre d'Electronic Arts ne prend aucun risque et offre aux joueurs un soft léché qui remplit à merveille son objectif : plaire au plus grand nombre.

Le Seigneur des Anneaux et Harry Potter sont les deux licences à la mode, indirectement originaires de la littérature et directement du cinéma. Mais il est un domaine où le petit sorcier cher à J.K. Rowling ne peut faire de l'ombre à l'Anneau Unique : le jeu de stratégie. A moins que le prochain roman de l'écrivaine britannique ne mette en scène quelques somptueuses batailles épiques, ce qui reste grandement improbable.

see a lot of effort has been put into this title and most of that effort has been repaid. While this is a game worth playing, it definitely has some downsides that mar the otherwise interesting, but sometimes sloppy conception. The hurried lack of the story could have made those downsides less visible or more tolerable. But this is not the case.

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth will not make you a part of the films any more than you were when you watched them, nor is it an RTS of incredibly epic scope. Instead, it is a solid, fun, slightly dumbed-down RTS that provides some good action even if it is inferior to three other recently released strategy games. It won't make you grow cool spikes or turn your eyes red, but at least The Battle for Middle Earth is proof that there are fouler things in the dark places of the world than merchandise.

Avec une durée de vie d'une trentaine d'heures en solo et des graphismes magnifiques sur une grosse configuration, cette adaptation fidèle ne pourra que charmer les fans du Seigneur des Anneaux. Les amateurs purs et durs de STR resteront cependant sur leur faim, le gameplay de Bataille pour la Terre du Milieu n'apportant pour ainsi dire rien à un genre déjà surchargé. Avec une technique défaillante et une campagne un peu trop lente et répétitive, ce titre honnête n'est hélas pas le triomphe espéré.