In the realm of video games, Lord of the Rings has had success, but never to the heights that the license could potentially provide. From LEGO Lord of the Rings’ humor-filled retelling of the trilogy to Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor’s combat-heavy experience that puts Middle-earth’s dense lore in the background, the IP hasn’t truly had a game that fully captures the magic of Tolkien’s incredible invention. On the other hand, another of fiction’s biggest properties, Star Wars, has been spoiled with how many video game offerings it has had. This is in no way indicative of the potential that each franchise has, as Lord of the Rings has more than enough in its lore to rival anything that comes from the galaxy far, far away.
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Middle-earth’s Plateau of Lore
While Star Wars has TV shows, films, books, and video games that fit into its wider canon, Lord of the Rings has been far more conservative in how its events have unfolded. Middle-earth is a sprawling, gorgeous, and diverse world that’s packed with mighty heroes, unassuming communities, and all-too-powerful villains. Each of the books and films’ characters have an essential part to play, and when Frodo and his heroic fellowship enter the harsh land of Mordor, they feel like they don’t belong. Middle-earth’s world is far smaller than the one Star Wars presents, but it’s clear when investing time into anything Star Wars related that much of its setting is unexplored. Lord of the Rings takes place in a world that is forged by the people who inhabit it, which makes for a far more intriguing video game setting, especially in the RPG genre.
In many video games, lore and world building is essential. Entering a landscape that already feels lived in, and fought for can make the setting feel alive, making every side activity, main quest, and optional collectible feel as though players are making their mark in the game’s history. For example, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt leans so heavily on the world it creates to provide players the feeling that they’re making an impact. Star Wars has taken advantage of its world building in titles like Jedi: Fallen Order and BioWare’s Knights of the Old Republic with maximum effect, but with the decades-long and ever-evolving lore that makes up The Lord of the Rings it’s evident that the latter can easily challenge what Star Wars offers.
The Sounds of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings
In the fantasy genre, there are few components that are as important as music, and Lord of the Rings has always been exceptional at providing songs and pieces fitting of the situation unfolding on screen. Much like in horror films, it’s crucial to understand the importance of sound design, implementing the right musical flourishes at the right time. Star Wars has some of the most iconic themes in all cinema, and plenty of its unforgettable scenes wouldn’t have had the impact they did without them.
Lord of the Rings is similar in so many ways, making it as ripe as George Lucas’ crowning achievement for the video game medium. From Megalovania in Undertale to Gourmet Race in Kirby Super Star, music is essential in games. It serves as the backdrop for the events that occur, whether they’re tense, funny, scary, or exciting. Lord of the Rings has such an extensive repertoire of tunes that cover a vast range of emotions and situations, meaning any moment in a new Middle-earth game could be backed by a suitable song, no matter the occurrence.
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The Sting of the Lightsaber
In each respective property, combat moments are aplenty as each extensively cover the cost of war and political disagreements. Both always seem to end up with violence, be it the Battle of Helm’s Deep or the events that follow Order 66. In many gaming genres, a good combat system is very important, but perhaps even more so is the way in which it is implemented. Having players hack and slash their way through a game that’s intended for children would be a strange, and wouldn’t connect with what is expected of it. Thankfully Lord of the Rings, like Star Wars, has a story that lends itself beautifully to something more combat-focused.
With games like Jedi: Fallen Order and The Force Unleashed, there have been developers that proved that combat can be effortlessly implemented into a Star Wars game, resulting in a positive experience. Star Wars: Battlefront showed it could do the same but with very different mechanics and weapons, sitting in the FPS genre. Conversely, Shadow of Mordor’s gameplay was smooth, and Shadow of Mordor’s nemesis system was a breath of fresh air for gaming as a whole. However, one of the game’s criticisms was that it didn’t take full advantage of the license, and as such it isn’t necessarily a must-play for Tolkien fans. The next great Lord of the Rings game should put the best qualities of the license at the forefront, hopefully providing an engaging combat system to make battling through the war-torn landscape feel justified.
If there’s one fictional genre that has the most potential for a great video game experience, it would be fantasy. A world that feels so different from reality is ripe for so many interesting narrative twists and turns gives any game more freedom to explore new and innovative ideas. The restrictions are loosened and in the realm of cinema, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings show that this path can provoke overwhelming critical and commercial acclaim. Star Wars is continuing to find success in the gaming space, but Lord of the Rings is more than capable of doing the same, despite the offerings being far less frequent.
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