I was starting to get incredibly cynical about the whole MMO genre when I was given the opportunity to try this game out. Considering myself a budding fan of Tolkien's Middle Earth, my biggest concern was that this game was going to just borrow the visuals of the movie. While Tolkien had varying degrees of detail regarding how the various aspects of Middle Earth looked - leaving more interpretation for the reader - the game's release seemed like it was just right to ride the wave of the movies' successes. I'm glad now that seems a bit more like a co-incidence.
Graphically speaking, it is simply mind-blowing. Especially for an MMORPG. It's obvious that the scenery was made to look like a piece of art, with the rustic farmlands of the Shire, and Weathertop being two of the most amazing locations I've seen so far, and I know I've got many more vistas to experience yet. The characters are relatively good too, although seeing a little more variation would've been more welcome, particularly the armour types. I must say, however, while the world seems to fit in with the vision of Tolkien, that vision appears to have come to a screaming halt with some of the crazy headwear you can don. Thank goodness you have the option of showing your helmet or not.
The graphical effects in regards to spells are good, but from a Tolkien fan's perspective are a little over the top. While the game understandably needs to show that spells have been case, or that a character is under the influence of a buff/debuff they should have been a bit more subtle. But on the plus side, one of the spellcaster classes isn't what you'd normally consider a spellcaster. Seeing as the lore of Middle Earth states the world was made by music, the minstrels were a clever way of portraying that music is magic as well.
Speaking of music, the audio in the game has its ups and downs like the graphics, but is generally a good effort. While the soundtrack only has one or two signature tracks - Tom Bombadil's house for example - the rest of the music is easily forgettable. The sounds are generally immersive, right up until you hear the Minstrels screaming at their opponents. The biggest saving grace of the sound is the ability to play your own music. While this does mean you sometimes go somewhere where someone's playing either a tune from a Mario game, or vaguely trying to keep in theme and playing the melody of May It Be, it does mean that a hobbyist musician like myself has another platform to show off. (Oh, and for the record, I personally I veer away from playing existing music.)
So, now the cosmetics are out of the way, time to get down to the more pressing matters of why this game has kept my attention. Firstly, depending on what race you choose, the game starts off differently. Playing as a human starts you off fighting bandits near Archet, while playing as an Elf will see you defending Edhelion to begin with. They also put you in your own personal instance of the world, which certainly allows the players to immerse themselves in the storytelling, as well as a little ego-stroking as it really does feel like it's "your story." Another way they do this is by introducing a level of dread. Every now and then, players will witness something distressing which will inspire a level of dread in them, making it harder to fight; while certain conditions will inspire hope in the character, making them fight all the harder. Sometimes the environment helps, like the natural calming atmosphere of the Shire, or the sinister Old Forest. Other things like encountering a ringwraith will instantly fill you with dread. Getting beaten up doesn't help matters either.
So far, I've been playing a mostly solo-existence in the game, which suits me just fine. With the exception of following the main story, I've had no real need to join or form a group to go adventuring. There are quests that can be done on their own, and those that are better suited for groups so it serves both playing styles quite nicely.
However, there is one feature that really benefits from working in a group - Monster Play. Monster Play is the game's PvP mode. You can join in on the action either as a Monster (affectionately nicknamed "Creep") when your main character reaches level 10, or you can go to the PvP area with your character when they reach level 40, as one of the Free People (affectionately nicknamed "Freep.") You get to spend destiny points on your monster to upgrade their abilities and traits - as they start of at the top level of level 50 and have no other way of being upgraded.
Being able to customise your character is usually an important choice for gamers of the RPG genre. While that may be a little lacking on the graphical front, there's more you can do than just cosmetically change your character. You are able to earn traits by performing specific feats that could range from using a certain skill a certain number of times to discovering a number of landmarks. These traits give you small boosts in your statistics, reinforcing your strengths, or patching up your weaknesses as you see fit.
All in all, I've found the game revitalised my faith in the MMORPG genre - finally an MMO that doesn't so much follow the MMORPG formula, as use it as a rough guide.
Learning Curve: Takes a second
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