The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II has been eagerly anticipated by fans of the first Battle for Middle-Earth, and they have much to look forward to with the release of the sequel. EA recently got the rights to develop the Lord of the Rings stories, not only based on the movies, but to use the books for material as well. Luckily, for gamers, EA brings out new parts of Middle-Earth not seen or experienced in the movie trilogy. In the movies, the war for Middle-Earth was concentrated in the south, taking place in battle locations like Helms' Deep, Minas Tirith and Isengard. In Battle for Middle-Earth II, EA takes gamers into the north to wage war in newly created areas like Erebor and Mirkwood.
Gamers get to delve deep into Middle-Earth by commanding all the races of Middle-Earth, adding three new factions of Dwarves, Goblins and Elves. New battle controls and a detailed "Create-A-Hero" system allows for extensive customization for looks, armor, strengths and abilities. For those with higher ambitions, try War of the Ring mode, and wage a war by controlling all the armies to conquer Middle-Earth and create a unique war campaign. Play on the side of good, or take to the dark side to bring Middle-Earth under control of Sauron and Mordor. Other game features include the ability to control armies and individual units with more precision. With features like Planning mode for more intricate and carefully timed maneuvers, the ability to control huge battalions for war on a grand scale and extending the battlefield to the sea with new navy battles now exists. With Battle for Middle-Earth II, EA continues to bring Middle-Earth to life, and by opening up the battlefields in the north, gamers get to experience a Middle-Earth they've never seen before
| Rating | 5 / 5 |
| Genre | Real-time strategy |
| Console | PC |
| Publisher | EA |
| Hot | New middle-earth worlds, huge battles, character customization |
| Not | Newbies might be overwhelmed |