Game Tracker
Developer EA Los Angeles
Publisher Electronic Arts
Platforms Windows
Release Date 06.12.2004 (US) | 09.12.2004 (DE/FR/DK/NO/NZ) | 10.12.2004 (UK/ES/PL) | 16.12.2004 (IT)
Current Version 1.03
Multiplayer LAN | T3A:Online
DRM SafeDisc v4 + custom trigger + serial key
Unavailable for purchase
What is The Battle for Middle-earth?
The Battle for Middle-earth was the first real-time strategy by EA Los Angeles’ RTS team that was not tied to the Command & Conquer franchise, but it used the same SAGE engine that powered C&C Generals. It was created in the period when Electronic Arts held the license for The Lord of the Rings video games, but was tied only to the material seen in the film trilogy by Peter Jackson.
There are four playable factions in The Battle for Middle-earth: two good (Gondor and Rohan) and two evil (Isengard and Mordor). The game has two singleplayer campaigns, one for the good factions, and one for the evil ones, and both follow the events from the films, with clips from the films themselves showing up in several key moments.
In a stark departure from the Dune/Command & Conquer gameplay model, base building has changed to a node system. Around every Fortress (main building of a base), there are nodes upon which other structures can be built. There is a limited number of building nodes, while some nodes can be found on maps for building faraway resource structures. Resource gathering is limited to structures like farms which constantly generate resources and increase the population cap. Capturing inns allows access to unique units for each faction to mix up players’ strategies.
For the most part, units can be divided to the following categories: infantry (pikemen, archers, swordsmen), cavalry, siege units, and heroes. Standard infantry were exclusively deployed in squads, building up from the Angry Mob unit from C&C Generals. Heroes are similar to those seen in Blizzard Entertainment’s WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos, in that they can level up through battle (up to level 10) and get new abilities as they do so. Support powers are similar to those seen in C&C Generals, where the player gets points during gameplay that can be used to unlock new support powers, with the catch that adjacent two upper-level powers are prerequisites for lower-level ones in the spellbook.
Video Trailer
Names in different languages
- Simplified Chinese: 指环王：中土战争
- Traditional Chinese: 魔戒：中土戰爭
- French: Le Seigneur des Anneaux: La Bataille pour la Terre du Milieu
- German: Der Herr der Ringe: Die Schlacht um Mittelerde
- Hungarian: A Gyűrűk Ura: Harc Középföldéért
- Italian: Il Signore degli Anelli: La Battaglia per la Terra di Mezzo
- Norwegian: Ringenes Herre: Kampen om Midgard
- Polish: Władca pierścieni: Bitwa o Śródziemie
- Portuguese: O Senhor dos Anéis: A Batalha Pela Terra Média
- Russian: Властелин Колец: Битва за Средиземье
- Spanish: El Señor de los Anillos: La Batalla por la Tierra Media
- Swedish: Slaget om Midgård: Slaget om Midgård
- Thai: เดอะลอร์ดออฟเดอะริงส์: แบทเทิลฟอร์มิดเดิลเอิร์ธ
Ratings
ESRB: Teen | Violence, Game Experience May Change During Online Play
PEGI: 12 | Violence
USK: 12
OFLC (AU): M15+
DJCTQ: 14 (Objetos freqüentemente)
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