by Rhian Hibner
Daily Lobo
If it hadn't been for J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece, the world probably wouldn't have a very successful fantasy genre. No "Dungeons and Dragons," no "Harry Potter" and, very likely, no "World of Warcraft."
Tolkien invented or reworked into a more viable form almost all of the elements that make up modern fantasy.
So, it's quite ironic that nearly 60 years after The Lord of the Rings was first published, a massive multiplayer online role-playing game based on Tolkien's work has been heavily inspired by "World of Warcraft."
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"Lord of the Rings Online: The Shadows of Angmar" is clearly derivative of the older game. It has many of the same elements. It can be played solo, as opposed to requiring a group. Instance dungeons - dungeons that are run separately from the main game world - are everywhere.
Horses are available at higher levels, mimicking "World of Warcraft's" riding mounts. It's clear that developer Turbine Inc. was using the older game as a cheat sheet when developing "Lord of the Rings."
This is probably going to be considered a good move in the long run. Essentially, what Turbine is doing is taking the best elements of two of the most popular fantasy settings of all time and combining them into a single experience. Despite basing the gameplay on "World of Warcraft," the feel of the world the player ventures out into is all Tolkien. Ten minutes after creating a new character, the player gets to meet one of Aragorn's fellow Rangers and see that Ranger face off against a Black Rider. While no one gets to play as a member of the "Fellowship of the Ring," the game still has an epic feel.
Story elements aside, the world the player roams around in simply feels like Middle Earth. It has that air of a world whose magic is slowly leaving it.
Speaking of magic, there isn't much here. No one gets to log in to the game and start lobbing fireballs around. All the classes one can pick can be quite powerful, but they're a bit more subtle than most RPGs tend to be. This may or may not be a flaw. If "World of Warcraft" is any guide, most people like the ability to fling flaming orbs of doom around at will. The inability to do this, while in keeping with the spirit of Tolkien's books, may prove detrimental. This game is not yet perfect by any means. Some of this can be forgiven; like virtually all of its predecessors, it is currently in a beta condition. It's not quite finished, and some things can change.
That being said, if Turbine was to release the game today, even with the inevitable bugs, it would have a hit on its hands. Even if "Lord of the Rings Online" was a horrible game, people would buy it for the name alone. The fact that it's actually pretty good is just a bonus.
"Lord of the Rings
Online: The Shadows
of Angmar"
Grade: B+
Available as open beta March 30
Available at retail outlets April 24
