This game is really cool. It is easy to play and understand. The violence isn't bad and it is not one of those games that you buy and you have beaten it by 8:00 that night. I've had the game for a year and im still have not gotten past Minhistirith(is that right?) on hard for the good side.
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Not age appropriate for kids under 10, age appropriate for kids over 11; suggested age 11. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Excellent and addictive.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 11 and Up
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What Parents Need to Know
This review of The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth was written by Liz Perle
Parents need to know that this is a battle game but it's about strategy more than anything else. Yes, it's all fighting but as T games go, this one is less bothersome than many -- no blood, no close-ups. It's easy enough for inexperienced kids to get hooked, yet it becomes quite challenging tand keeps kids playing. This game has an online option; Common Sense Media does not recommend online play for anyone under 12.
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- Families can talk about what they find so compelling about the game and tryto use it as a way to get the kids to read the original books.
More on The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth
What’s the Story?
Drawing from all three Lord of the Rings movies, players can command any of their heroes and armies as they battle for control of Middle-Earth. This is a real-time strategy game that allows players to choose their armies -- Gondor, Mordor, Isengard, or Rohan -- each of which comes with its own heroes and villains.
The game allows the player to be good or evil and control one of four groups each of which has its own playing style, resource management, and base-building techniques. The game is played across a three-dimensional Middle-earth map. The armies express emotions, cheering each other on but also becoming enraged at times. Players can challenge each other with the online multiplayer component.
CloseIs It Any Good?
The standard strategy options are all here, but what really makes THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE BATTLE FOR MIDDLE-EARTH so captivating (besides the excellent graphics and sound) is that the game invites the player into the battlegrounds of the movies. It's an intimate battle game without being too violent. Ultimately, this game is an imaginative kid's dream.
ClosePublisher’s Details
Released on 12/06/2004, price $49.99, not online enabled
ESRB rating: E
ESRB rating: E
Our Members Say
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Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
SWEET!!
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
FUN!!!
This game is GREAT! This is a great game for any kid ages 7+. The violence is minimal, all that is shown is a group of warriors fighting another by swinging their swords around (which rarely actually hit) and some of the warriors dying, and all that's shown there is a warrior falling over and sinking into the ground, in other words...NO BLOOD! Hoorah! Note to parents: one Skirmish takes about 1 to 1.5 hrs, but you can save your progress.
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
AWESOME!!!
This is a GREAT game!!! I've played it for hours at a time! I never seem 2 get tired of it. There are 4 factions: Gondor, Rohan, Isenguard, and Mordor. Also, if you're worried about magic, there is none (minus a few lightning sword and fireball abilities possessed by Gandalf and Saruman) It helps depict the epic struggle between good and evil displayed in the movies. A MUST HAVE 4 FANS OF the MOVIES AND REAL-TIME STRATEGY GAMERS!!!
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