The Lord of the Rings Online is a downloadable MMORPG set in Middle-earth, the fantasy world created by J.R.R. Tolkien. If there is one genre that tended to dominate PC gaming but which has fallen off of the radar somewhat recently, it is massively multiplayer role-playing games. MMORPGs, largely starting with Sony’s EverQuest series but then popularized by Blizzard’s World of Warcraft, were some of the most lucrative franchises out there.
If you could do them right that is.
One game that did do an excellent job of challenging WoW’s dominance is The Lord of the Rings Online.
How to Download The Lord of the Rings Online
In order to download the free client of the game click on the Download link below the review. If you like Tolkien you should also check out and download one of the Middle-earth movies, for example, The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies.
The Game Review
Based upon the lore of the world created by author J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings Online is largely a World of Warcraft clone with a Tolkien-esque paint job.
As in WoW, you choose a race, a class, and begin questing on behalf of your faction. The world, based upon the films and drawing their aesthetic almost entirely from Peter Jackson’s work, are vast and expansive, with graphics that were fitting then but aged now.
Absolutely dripping with character and lore, this MMORPG is a feast for fans of Tolkien’s work but also a refreshing break from other games with shallower worlds. If you enjoy WoW for its story, then you will be bowled over by The Lord of the Rings Online.
Developed by Turbine and released in 2007, the game features a leveling system, multiple modes of play, and even a morality alignment system. Players can also purchase instanced player housing.
The game largely borrows from WoW for its combat model. This means that players assign actions to keys and execute after certain cooldowns are over. Working together with groups to achieve certain in-game goals is a necessity and cooperative play is a big part of the game. There is also PvP (player-versus-player) content as well as PvMP (player-versus-monster player) combat.
Soundwise, the game is a high-fantasy RPG and most of the music and sound effects serve in this mode. The music is particularly outstanding and appropriately epic. Again, the whole game borrows heavily from Peter Jackson’s cinematic universe. Fans of that realization of Tolkien’s work will find a lot to love with The Lord of the Rings Online. People who didn’t enjoy the movies will probably think a lot of this is just generic, video game fantasy. We assure you it is not.
Players expanding their Windows PC library also frequently check our full review and download details for Dead Space.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I download and play The Lord of the Rings Online on PC?
Use the green button on this page to access the official store and download page for The Lord of the Rings Online.
What are the PC system requirements for The Lord of the Rings Online?
Refer to our technical specification box and review analysis on this page for platform support, performance notes, and hardware requirements for The Lord of the Rings Online.
How is the gameplay in The Lord of the Rings Online?
Our editorial review above evaluates The Lord of the Rings Online across gameplay mechanics, graphics, audio design, and replayability, complete with a full Pros and Cons breakdown.
Does The Lord of the Rings Online support controllers and widescreen displays?
Modern PC releases of The Lord of the Rings Online include configurable display settings and standard input options as detailed in the official release notes.
