Written by Matt Cabral, 9/5/2008
Aside from 2006's real-time strategy effort The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II, Tolkien's rich fantasy-filled universe has been notably absent from this console generation. Well, hang on to your blood-drenched battle axes because that's about to change. On a recent visit to Electronic Art's NYC Holiday Press Tour, I got my hands dirty and my battle senses tested in Pandemic Studios' upcoming Lord of the Rings: Conquest. It's no coincidence that the house that built the recently released Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is handling EA's treasured licensed property--one that all but allows its holder to print money. You see, the folks behind Mercs are also the Jedi-loving creators of the Star Wars: Battlefront series, and now they're taking that series' recipe for recreating epic on-screen battles and applying it to Lord of the Rings' layered lore. Bring Battlefront into the current gen, complete with jaw-dropping visuals, replace Wookiees and Stormtroopers with Hobbits and Trolls, and you get the idea.
My demo kicked off to a ferocious start, as my warrior--archer, mage, and scout classes are also available--was tossed into a chaotic battle in Pelennor Fields. As with the Battlefield series, specific objectives need to be captured on a large map. In this case I was tasked with bringing down some siege towers, which was no easy feat given the crowded battlefield before me. Using some basic sword-swinging attacks and cool-looking combos (that I no doubt pulled off accidentally) I was able to cut an impressive swath through hordes of trolls and orcs--all looking appropriately pissed-off and wielding a variety of equally ugly blades and blunt objects. My slicing and dicing skills, however, didn't bring the pain to the screen-dominating oliphants; these tusky behemoths required a bit more skill, specifically getting close enough to them without being flattened by their enormous hooves, and then climbing onto them via a brief minigame. My persistence and patience (I was flattened a few times) paid off, and with the snorting beast successfully scaled, I was able to fell him with a quick button-matching challenge.
It's important to point out during these melees, the action unfolding around me was totally representative of the orchestrated chaos we've witnessed in the films--Peter Jackson would be proud. The developers have done an outstanding job of re-creating breathless battles with frenetic pacing, producing that intense feeling that you could be face-down in the dirt at any moment. Upon taking down another elephant-like baddie, and several more trolls and orcs, I hightailed it to the first tower and set it ablaze. While I admired the impressive fiery effects, a band of trolls took advantage of the distraction, ending my life and demo.
All was not lost, though, because with my sword sheathed I was able to discuss the game further with one of its developers. The conversation quickly revealed one of the game's coolest features, the ability to play on either side of this epic war; the campaign, in fact, is split about 50/50, with gamers playing from the perspective of the good guys, and then seeing the tables reversed (including--gasp--an on-screen death for Frodo.) Fans will also be able to get behind the blades, bows, and magic of their favorite characters, in addition to the more generic, but capable classes. Another tasty bit I can barely wait to see in action is the ability to tear up the Shire and stomp Hobbits as the brutality-bringin' Balrog--and who hasn't dreamed of that?
Electronic Arts has acquired the rights to both the film franchise and the books, so we can expect to see battles from both unfold in the game--plan on checking Helm’s Deep, Mines of Moria, and The Black Gate off your battle map. Regardless of where you're kicking orc (or elven) ass, you'll encounter battlefields brimming with cool effects and smaller touches, injecting plenty of LotR richness into the game. While soldiers from both sides will no doubt crowd the screen, battering rams, catapults, and ballistas will litter the landscape, and winged beasts will puncture the clouds. Also count on beautifully rendered outdoor environments--snowy mountains, burnt skies, lush foliage, crumbling castles--playing host to the in-your-face bloodbath. While I didn't see it in action, mounted combat will also keep things moving, literally, in the final product.
Being a Battlefield successor, you can bet your one ring Conquest will glow like the fire-spitting Mount Doom online; multiple modes, including Stronghold, Conquest, and Ringbearer are all planned. This latter mode should be especially interesting for fans of the franchise; here, one player assumes the role of Frodo, while the rest hunt him down as ringwraiths. Capture the hairy-footed hobbit, and you're "it." These modes will support 16-player online matches, and co-op on- and offline will keep two-man teams busier than Frodo and Sam. My time with the game only served to get me more excited about it. While I enjoyed my brief romp as a blade-wielding warrior, it only offered a tease as to what his class, as well as the others, are capable of. I'm counting the days till I can sneak about beneath the scout's magic cloak, unleash poison arrow triple-shots as the archer, and fill the screen with baddie-burning lightning as a mage. Looks like I'll be spending much of the holiday season in Middle Earth--I hear it's nice that time of year.
