Overview

Lord of the Rings: Conquest (LOTRC, for short) is practically the next installment in the Battlefront series. However, here we are not dealing with lightsabers and blasters; the universe of the Star Wars trilogies will be taking a back seat to another popular trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien’s centerpiece and Peter Jackson’s blockbusters, The Lord of the Rings. Being made by the same developers, Pandemic Studios, that brought you Star Wars: Battlefront 1&2, we can expect that same approach of throwing us onto the battlefield as one of many soldiers in a classic good vs evil fight for victory. Fight as any and all the soldiers you saw in the movies, ranging from a heavily armored Gondorian to a scantly armed orc, and claim victory for all free peoples of Middle-earth or lay waste to the lands in the name of the dark lord, Sauron.

What to expect from LOTRC:

• To be released on the XBOX 360, PS3, PC, and DS
• The freedom of the Battlefront series, but set in the LOTR universe.
• Battle scenes ranging from under the Misty Mountains in Moria to the fields of Pelennor near the very walls of Minas Tirith.
• Choose from four different classes such as the warrior, archer, or scout to vary how you fight the battles of Middle-earth.
• Take control of siege engines, such as catapults and battering rams, or mount a horse or warg to turn the tide of battle in your favor.
• Unlock the might of the heroes and villains of the War of the Ring, like Aragorn and the Witch-king, to dispatch your enemies to a certain death.

The Places:

• Helm's Deep
  • Fight from the deepening wall to the inner keep, putting the ultimate fortress to the test.
• Osgiliath
  • Battle in the ruined city to save or completely obliterate what is left of the former jewel of Gondor.
• Pelennor Fields
  • An open field of grass and death lies before the gate of Minas Tirith. Who will emerge victorious?
• Minas Tirith
  • The seven tiers of the city are near impregnable, will they stand firm?
• The Black Gates
  • Built by the Numenoreans to keep watch on the ever changing valley of Gorgorth in Mordor, now serving as a gateway for Sauron. Keep it in the hands of the Dark Lord or reclaim it for Gondor.
• Mount Doom
  • Forging pit of the one ring. Protect it at all costs or take it and cast the ring back into the fires from whence it came.
• Minas Morgul
  • Another fallen spire of beauty, it now serves as the stronghold of the nine and an evil place that drives men mad. Is such a place capable of falling?
• The Mines of Moria
  • The dark, dank mines of Dwarven Khazad-dum. The Balrog sits in waiting, will you be brave enough to challenge him for these caves?
• Weathertop
  • The ruins of the watchtower of Amon Sul. Take control of its heights with the forces of good or evil.
• The Shire
  • A peaceful land of Hobbits. Keep it so or raze it to the ground.
• Rivendell
  • The Last Homely House. Will it continue as a refuge for any in need or will it become the final resting place for good in Middle-earth?

The Classes:

Warrior

the standard melee soldier class. Take up sword, spear, axe, mace, or any other melee weapon available and get in there to handle the dirty work.

Archer

the standard range soldier class. Use bow and arrow or crossbow and bolt to take out the enemy from a distance. Provide firing support from the walls or another safe vantage point.

Scout

the stealthy, infiltration soldier class. Sneak around the battlefield to achieve your goals in secrecy. Set traps and assassinate your enemies or use your abilities to scout out the enemy’s positions.

Mage

the support soldier class. Use magic powers to assist friendlies. Blast the enemy with your uncanny magical abilities or play a supporting role to those around you.

Other

Heroes= play as the leaders of each side. All of them play out differently, so choose wisely when deciding on who should be summoned to the front lines. The Known list includes:

• Good: Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Theoden, Gandalf, Elrond, Frodo
• Evil: The Nazgul/Ringwraiths, Witch King, Gothmog, The Mouth of Sauron, Saruman, Grima Wormtounge, Lurtz

Beasts/Creatures= take controls of the creatures of good or monsters of evil to reek havoc among the enemy ranks.

• Good: Ents, Eagles, Horses(mount)
• Evil: Trolls, Fell Beasts, Balrog, Mumakil/Oliphaunts, Wargs(mount)

Siege Equipment= use the machines of war to destroy your enemies fortifications or counter their siege weapons.

• Good: Trebuchets
• Evil: Catapults, Ladders, Siege Towers, Ballistae, Battering Rams

Character Progression:

“Each class can unlock and build up more powerful special abilities based on their combat skills and action during the match.”

“For example, as a warrior, the more damage you do to your opponents, the more rage you build, allowing you to unleash devastating new attacks and special abilities.”

Singleplayer:

• Learn to play through the use of a tutorial fittingly set during the War of the Last Alliance (aka that cool opening battle sequence in FotR).
• Fight through two structured campaigns. Fight off the darkness of Sauron and his forces of evil or take those same forces and destroy all that is good in Middle-earth.
• listen to the sounds of a "familiar" voice, narrating as you play through these campaigns.
• Play out battles as you wanted them to be. Take to a variety of battlefields across Middle-earth and just fight it out however you desire, in a multitude of different “instant action” modes:
• Conquest: Capture control points and play the game of territorial control and reinforcements, made popular through the Battlefront series.
• Capture the Flag: Capture the enemy’s proverbial flag and return it to your designated area for points. The game is won when one team reaches the point goal.
• Deathmatch: n/a
• Hero Deathmatch: Use only heroes in a battle royal of who’s the toughest being in Middle-earth.
• Ring Bearer: A fun, tag-like game in which one player is Frodo and the other players are Ringwraiths. The longer you stay alive as Frodo, the more points you get until a Ringwraith finds you and kills you. The Ringwraith who kills him then becomes Frodo, starting the cycle all over again until someone reaches the point goal.
• And possibly even more modes to come!

Multiplayer:

• The game will have a split-screen capability for four players on one system as well as allowing players to connect online for battle.
• Up to 16 players allowed at one time, but “that number isn't set in stone yet, it could go up.”
• The campaigns are co-op compatible, so you can play split-screen with friends or go online and play with up to four others through the entire campaign.
• All instant action modes are playable online.

***If you are looking forward to this game don't forget that "game footage and the first trailer for The Lord of the Rings: Conquest will premiere exclusively on Spike TV’s GameTrailers TV with Geoff Keighley on Friday, June 20."

*All the information gathered in this preview can be located in the three interviews of Game Director, Eric Gewitz released by IGN, GameSpy, and TheOneRing.net as well as the interview of Sean Soucy, LOTRC lead designer, by Crispy Gamer and the game's official press release which can be found here at MEMW.