Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar

We haven’t covered LotRO much recently. There’s no dark reason for this, no sinister conspiracy – it’s just that this is an MMO that’s remarkably adept at keeping its head down and getting on with things. On the quiet, it’s accrued a massive and very happy audience. On the eve of its new expansion, it seems a good time to peer at what the game as a whole is like these days. » Read Full Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar preview

So weve played the beta, weve chatted with the developers a few times, weve seen the films and weve had our junior-high English teacher read bits of The Hobbit out with a raspy voice and exaggerated hand gestures. But we still dont know what Angmar is, and were still not sure why its got shadows. “Thats where the Witch King rises from, the guy who leads the Nazgul,” explains Codemasters Ed Blincoe while slapping his forehead. “Thats where he started from - he was doing » Read Full Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar preview

We could tell you about how you can play as a breakfast-loving hobbit or a Legolas-like ranger in The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. We could gush over the games crisp graphics that makes World of Warcraft look like Diablo II. But even though immersing ourselves in a beautifully crafted world with Nazgûl and knights fills us with glee, thats not what grabbed our attention when we sat down with Jeff Anderson, President & CEO of developer, Turbine. Sure, LOTR Online has » Read Full Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar preview

This latest stab at recreating the hallowed lands of Middle-earth doesn't mess around: from the very start you're dabbling in and around the much loved and extraordinarily well-known Fellowship storyline, spanning the lovingly recreated lands of Eriador. Be it clearing the path for Frodo and Sam with Boromir, or bumping into much-loved tree-hugger Tom Bombadil, you'll be thrust into your own personal story within the events of Middle-earth, without necessarily infringing on the adventures of » Read Full Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar preview

In the wrong hands, the richly-woven veins of lore and adventure that define J.R.R. Tolkien's books could've proved bridling, and possibly insulting - after all, it has in plenty of previous games based upon The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. But a few dozen hours in the closed beta of The Lord of the Rings Online gives the opposite impression: one of freedom and excitement in a familiar world that's nevertheless brimming with untapped potential, whether you enter it as Human, Elf, Dwarf or » Read Full Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar preview

High-profile licensing is no guarantee of widespread success for MMOs, as Star Wars Galaxies proved. Being faithful to the source can restrict the evolutionary freedom a virtual world needs; on the other hand, a fully-developed franchise can provide a well of detail that's invaluable in quenching these games' ceaseless thirst for content. In this respect, LOTR Online producer Jeffrey Steefel is confident he's sitting on a goldmine. "I could spend all the money in the world to find the best » Read Full Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar preview

Monday 14 August 2006 High-profile licensing is no guarantee of widespread success for MMOs, as Star Wars Galaxies proved. Being faithful to the source can restrict the evolutionary freedom a virtual world needs; on the other hand, a fully-developed franchise can provide a well of detail that's invaluable in quenching these games' ceaseless thirst for content. In this respect, LOTR Online producer Jeffrey Steefel is confident he's sitting on a goldmine. "I could spend all the money in the » Read Full Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar preview