It's no secret that J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series is one of the most praised and loved stories of all time. Any mega LotR fan has binged the movies, read the books, bought the merchandise, and is eagerly awaiting the upcoming Middle Earth-based TV show. However, some big fans may not have played all, or even any, of the Lord of the Rings video games based in Middle Earth.
There have been many Lord of the Rings video games made over the past decades and some are definitely worth the investment. Though there are many games to choose from, there are a few that definitely take the cake in being the best LotR video games based in Middle Earth.
Updated January 26, 2022, by Jourdan Silva: Lord of the Rings has surged in popularity once again these past few months, as the series celebrated the 20th anniversary of its cinematic debut. The beloved actors and actresses from the films reunited for a variety of talk shows and interviews, reigniting the public's passion for the fantastic film series. Then, the first teaser for the new Amazon Lord of the Rings show, named The Rings of Power, was released. For those who love the works of Tolkien, but haven't played any Lord of the Rings video games yet, this is the best list to reference. Prepare for hours of the most beloved games in the franchise.
12 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
This thrilling third-person video game was released shortly after the first movie of the LotR series, back in 2002. It was playable on the PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox. The single player game follows the story of the first volume of Tolkien's novel, with the player controlling Frodo, Aragorn, and Gandalf at different points in the game.
Though the video game sold over a million units, it was criticized for poor graphics and boring combat gameplay. However, that doesn't cancel the fun and joy that the game brought to Lord of the Rings fans across the globe back in 2002. It's iconic, and worth checking out.
11 Lord of the Rings: War in the North
This 2011 game was the very first video game that incorporated elements from both J.R.R.Tolkien's literary works and the films from Peter Jackson. It doesn't actually follow the story of the films, as other games have done that before, but instead follows three new characters on a parallel journey to the main characters of Lord of the Rings.
Players can hop between the three main characters on their way to take down the evil Black Númenórean, Agandaûr. Unfortunately, this game never received the recognition it deserved, for it was released at the same time as the acclaimed Dark Souls, Uncharted 3, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Unsurprisingly, this meant it was overshadowed.
10 LEGO The Hobbit
Is there a LEGO video game that isn't a blast? The answer to that is no. The LEGO video game franchise did it again with their amazing adaptation of The Hobbit. The 2014 game was released on nearly every gaming console at the time, including the PlayStation 3 & 4, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox 360 and One, the Wii U, Windows, and OS X.
The plot follows the story of The Hobbit, adding in the classic LEGO humor and silly shenanigans that fans of the games love. For a new, refreshing, and hilarious take on the traditional series, this game is an absolute must-play.
9 The Lord of the Rings: The Battle For Middle-Earth
Ask any fan of LotR what their favorite Middle Earth themed video game is, and they will either say this one, or its sequel to. The Battle for Middle Earth was the first Lord of the Rings game that features of a real-time, open world. Players have the choice of fighting for good or evil, commanding the armies of whichever side they choose.
Gamers can play with troops of all kinds as they traverse through the battles from the films. The 3D map of the land is so exciting and well-made, and the detail that goes into each character is truly incredible. Wage an all-out war and come out victorious!
8 The Hobbit (1982)
For those who only really play modern 3D video games, this game will offer quite a different experience. The very first game to come out based on Tolkien's The Hobbit was released way back in 1982 as a text adventure computer game.
Though the game might seem a little old school now, it had some very impressive and exciting qualities back in the 80s that made it thrilling. Each playthrough of the game will offer a new outcome and the charming graphics and format will keep players smiling throughout the entire game. It's definitely a must-play for any and all LotR fans.
7 Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)
EA and Surreal Software released multiple games based on the storyline of the movies, giving fans a chance to play through their favorite moments and scenes from the films. The best of these games was undeniably Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, as it was the highest-rated game by both fans and critics. It is available on a variety of platforms, including both Windows and multiple consoles.
To be fully immersed in the action of Return of the King, players should definitely head to their nearest old-school video game shop and try to find a copy. Fighting off enemies as an array of iconic characters is definitely something to look forward to.
6 LEGO Lord of the Rings (2012)
Not everyone is a fan of the silly, less serious LEGO video games, but this one is just too good not to play. The game covers all three books from the trilogy, spoofing the most quotable moments and making it fun and light-hearted. There are plenty of cool collectibles to find, exciting characters, and fun magic.
The game allows players to travel across Middle Earth and explore it to their heart's desires. One could spend hours adventuring through the cute yet very detailed and intricate LEGO version of the famous fantasy land.
5 Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014)
Shadow of Mordor went above and beyond to deliver the most stunning visuals and accurate landscape of Middle-Earth for hardcore LotR fans to be blown away by. The developers worked directly with Peter Jackson and Weta Workshop to make a beautiful and realistic atmosphere.
The open-world adventure game is one of the most famous LotR games that even those who haven't read the books or seen the movies will enjoy. It is jam-packed with exciting gameplay and offers an incredible gaming experience.
4 Middle Earth: Shadow of War (2017)
Building off the success of the game before it, Shadow of War offers a new look at the iconic stunning graphics, intricate storylines, and fun gameplay. There was a bit of criticism for this game due to the lack of very established characters and the introduction of microtransactions and loot boxes, but overall the game was a fitting sequel. It's a must-play for those who enjoyed the game before it, as the story of Talion continues.
3 Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth II (2006)
When the original Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth came out in 2004, fans loved the concept and gameplay but had a few complaints about the graphics and CPU mechanics. Two years later, the sequel came out and fixed all of the issues fans had with the original, making it a super fun and enjoyable game based in the beautiful Middle Earth.
The real-time strategy video game offers two campaigns, both Good and Evil. The award-winning game unfortunately had its original servers shut down in the early 2010s, but there are unofficial servers still running to this day, allowing players to carry on battling for Good or Evil.
2 Lord of the Rings Online (2007-2019)
For fans of Lord of the Rings and MMORPGs, this game will be a match made in Heaven. Players can design their own characters and explore the massive expanse of Middle-Earth. There have been multiple expansions and volumes released over the decades with new storylines, maps, characters, and more, introduced in each one.
The game is still highly loved and relevant, with the latest update released in 2019 and the next coming in 2021. There is so much to do and see in this giant online world, there's no better game to explore a wondrously large Middle-Earth map than this one.
1 Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Though fans may claim that The Two Towers wasn't quite as memorable as the game that came after it, The Return of the King, this game is definitely still a great one. It follows the story of the second book, with Aragorn set as the main character that players can take control of. The game is pretty short and quick to complete, but it is still very immersive.
The game includes much of the original cast and actual scenes from the movies, making it a new fun way to enjoy the story. This game and the one that follows definitely outshined the first game in the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, also developed by Surreal Software, which got pretty bad reviews from both players and game critics.