Middle-earth has inspired dozens of video games across four decades. Which Lord of the Rings game deserves the One Ring?
1Shadow of MordorA 2014 open-world action-RPG celebrated for its revolutionary Nemesis System and fluid Assassin's Creed-inspired combat.
2Shadow of WarThe 2017 sequel that expanded the Nemesis System to fortress sieges and a fully open Mordor to conquer.
3LEGO The Lord of the RingsA 2012 surprisingly faithful brick adaptation using original film dialogue and covering all three Peter Jackson movies.
4The Two Towers (EA)A 2002 EA beat-em-up that put players inside the battle of Helm's Deep with stunning film footage as cutscenes.
5The Return of the King (EA)The 2003 EA follow-up — three-player co-op hack-and-slash across the entirety of Tolkien's final act.
6The Lord of the Rings OnlineThe 2007 massively multiplayer RPG set in Middle-earth that is still actively updated nearly two decades later.
7Return to MoriaA 2023 survival-crafting game set beneath Khazad-dûm — praised for its fidelity to Tolkien lore and atmosphere.
8The Third AgeA 2004 Final Fantasy-inspired turn-based RPG that charted an original fellowship's journey alongside the main story.
9The Hobbit (2003)A 2003 stealth-platformer faithfully following Bilbo's journey from the Shire to the Lonely Mountain.
10The Fellowship of the Ring (Vivendi)A 2002 atmospheric RPG following the book rather than the film, praised for its faithful recreation of the novel.
11ConquestA 2009 Pandemic Studios battlefield game allowing players to relive — or rewrite — the great battles of Middle-earth.
Comments 1
Eleven games span more than twenty years here, and the best-liked of them runs a plot that appears nowhere in Tolkien: https://youpick.best/articles/lord-of-the-rings-ranked-many-ways
YP
ypb-teamAug 21
