One can not simply walk into Mordor (The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of Angmar (PC))

Member Name: Had0uk3n

Product:	The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of Angmar (PC)
Date:	15/09/09 (7 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tolkien themed and very story driven, refreshing for MMO content

Disadvantages: Generic MMO style combat system and a lack of varied items

The first thing that it is important to note is that I am an MMORPG fan reviewing this product as apose to a Lord of the Rings fan reviewing this product.

The game it's self is set in the world of Tolkien, and while at release featured little of the area's featured in the films, it has since grown to include some of these. It is also important to note that later this year Mirkwood will also be joining Moria, Lone-Lands and the other areas of the game world.

Lord of the rings online (LOTRO) falls into the generic class of fantasy MMO, and while it does have some features that stand it apart from the crowed it is nothing distinctly new. This was a little disapointing for me as the game its self looked brilliant from the box art.

I started playing the game after taking a break from world of warcraft, where the gameplay had for myself began to feel stagant. LOTRO's gameplay does not stand it apart but what does is the quest's. The quest's carry a significant story line to them and attempt to tie in with the books. You also get to meet and assist some characters from the books, which is a brilliant feature.

As another review here on dooyoo mentions all characters do look the same to a certain extent. I tried to see if I could form an argument against this but saddly I couldn't. I can however justify it. The items everyone is wearing is required for the end game content, and this end game content is far superior to that in any MMO I have played.

While endgame raids do feature your generic combination of Boss (difficult) and trash (easy to kill filler type npc) mobs, it is the fact that the raid content continues to be story driven, with scenes that you can stop and watch and dialogue. Addmitadly to get the decent gear you will have to visit these instances several times, you do quickly tire of watching the content.

I have not tried the PvP system so I can not comment on it, I can only say members of my Kinhip (guild) enjoy it.

All in all LOTRO is a generic MMO with a Tolkien skin, if you are already playing an MMO and enjoying it, do not give it up to make the change. If you are looking for a new MMO oor want to give one a shot, LOTRO is a good choice.

Summary: The best MMO I have played due to the mature community and story driven content