Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II for Xbox 360 Reviews by Gamers

I have only had LOTR for a day now and I am finding the game play to be very addictive and fun. Overall, I give it a 9 because it is a great addition to a much needed genre for console gaming. It is long overdue.

Some of things I noted in this game are as follows: (Note - I am playing on a HDTV in case it matters to anyone)

-Frame Rate: seems to be really bad in some places. The initial trailer was really buggy on my system for some reason. Got audio but video real jumpy. Notice this throughout the game in places as well and when involved in big battles.

-In-game help: There is a very big lack of help in the game. Multi-player for instance lets you choose an emblem for your team. This is not a bad thing unless you do not know what the emblem of your preferred race is. There is no help provided and we had to look it up online as it was not in the manual either.

-Controls: If you miss it on the tutorial (limited) then you will have to learn it from someone else or on your own. I have found the D-pad to be a blessing but don't think it is really covered in the tutorial unless I missed it.

-Online (XBL) Gaming Menu: This menu is lacking a lot of the things we have grown so fond of. This was one of the reasons we needed some help but it was not provided anywhere. Maps and flags are reset when an option such as game type is changed. All flags (ready status) are reset when any option is changed including personal options (if host). Hard to determine what race you want to be (I feel sorry for you if not on HDTV). Even on my 60" HDTV the team (race) emblem was very small. You will just have to play around with the different game types and team emblems to get the feel for it. Also, when the game ends, you are kicked to the main online menu and must re-create your match and re-invite your friends or party (grrr).

I think this game deserves a 9 despite its problems. Hope you find this helpful. It is worth renting or buying, so do it!

I have the pc version, and was skeptical about the control scheme...but EA pulled it off great. I find my hands get LESS fatigued with this version than on the PC version and the multiplayer modes are WAY better...XBOX live is the bomb. Try it to see if you like it but this game is THE premier strategy game and i plan to get it asap.