In the realm of MMOs, there’s no doubt that World of Warcraft is at the top of the pecking order. Each new MMO released, is inevitably compared to Blizzard’s raging giant and invariably, found wanting. Now comes a new challenger however, with the benefit of immense brand recognition on its side; Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar.
Tolkien fans have been waiting a long time for game developers to fulfill their ultimate role playing fantasy. Things looked bleak back in1999 when Middle Earth Online was given the axe. But the developers at Turbine have been grinding away for years to push out an MMO masterpiece not just worthy of WoW competition—but worthy of Tolkien’s legacy. Much to the dismay of fans, some early setbacks and a concern over a lack of content pushed the release date back from 2005 to 2007. Luckily, an open Beta this April has finally allowed fans to take their first precious glimpses at what many are hoping will be the next big thing in MMOs.
The legacy of such a high-profile license can prove both a blessing and a curse for the developer. On the one hand, it gives Turbine an edge over WoW and all other MMOs in terms of setting and a pre-existing fan base. On the other hand, working in the confines of Tolkien’s world hamstrings creative development. Example: according to the books, there are only five wizards in all of Middle Earth. Ergo, there is no wizard class in Shadows of Angmar. This alone could distinguish Lord of the Rings Online from all other MMOs; it’s forced Turbine to come up with new gameplay mechanics and different ways of doing the same things that WoW, Guild Wars, and Ultima Online have been doing for years.
Interesting quirks; a fresh approach to PvP, and an ever-evolving environment are but a few of the promising things emerging from Shadows of Angmar throughout the Beta test phase. There are also some clouds on the horizon too—but the central question remains: will the benefits of the creation of the game outweigh the problems? It’s a black-and-white kind of world in Middle Earth, and even if you’re not the biggest Tolkien buff, Lord of the Rings Online will suck you into the fantasy right from the load screen.
