Battle for Middle-Earth: Exclusive new shots

These exclusive new screenshots of Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle-Earth give us some idea of the epic scale of the film-based realtime strategy. We've also got the latest in the series of trailers that talk you through the game.

The RTS, which feature a total of 45 individual missions, is based around a 'living world' map and gives players the option to undertake missions in which you can play on either the 'good' or 'evil' side. While most RTS conventions are included, there's a host of new innovations that provide a new twist on an ageing genre.

While the title is clearly inspired by the recent movies - not least with its ambitiously-sized landscapes and hordes upon hordes of characters - it doesn't necessarily follow the films' storylines: whether it does or not depends on how you decide to play it. However, there are plenty of familiar sights, from the Army of the Dead to Isengard to those rubbish walking trees (your best bet here is to set them on fire with flaming arrows).

The game is being created by the same team that developed Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 and Command and Conquer: Generals, who say that they've had more time to polish this than their earlier offerings. "The play experience will be better than we've been able to deliver in the past," they reckon.

(Quicktime, 51MB)
Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle-Earth is released for PC in November