Renewed shall be the blade that was broken, right after we’ve listed the best Lord of the Rings games of 2023!
This article is a dream come true for me. I have four lord of the rings tattoos, multiple books on Tolkien (not just the trilogy), and a dog named Bilbo.
Yes, you can read on safe in the knowledge that I’m a huge LotR fan and love these games way more than a human ever should.
From battling through Helm’s Deep as the heir of Isildur himself to discovering why a wraith has set you on a revenge mission in Mordor, the following games are choc-a-bloc with Tolkien goodness.
And man, are they addictive.
So, fasten your cape, sharpen your sword, and pack some Lembas bread; it’s time to check out the first of our best Lord of the Rings games!
Table of Contents
10. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King kickstarts out our best Lord of the Rings games of 2023 with two-player co-op action!
That’s right; play through scenes from the movie and original levels as members of the fellowship alongside a friend.
Do I need to say anymore?
Your mission, should you choose to accept it (which you must), is to take down Sauron and destroy the ring of power.
Hey, you’ve all seen the movies; you don’t need me to tell you what happens.
Unlike the Two Towers, a game that you might well find further down this list because it’s pure awesomeness, players have more choice than just Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli.
You can now take Gandalf, Sam, Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and Faramir on the road, slaying orcs and battling the forces of Mordor.
And the best bit is that the characters are all voiced by the actors from the films!
9. The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth (2004)
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth needs no real introduction, though as that would make for a terrible article entry, I might as well give one anyway.
This real-time strategy game sees players joining one of four factions from Mordor, Rohan, Gondor, and Isengard.
Essentially, it’s Age of Empires but set in Tolkien’s fantasy realm. Build structures and farms, recruit units to fight, level up characters and command battalions in war!
There are two different modes for players to tackle – a good campaign and a dark forces campaign. If you’ve played and enjoyed Lord of the Rings Risk, then this should be a piece of cake.
Graphically, it’s easy to see what’s going on and keep tabs on different factions and proceedings, with characters, buildings, and skirmishes sharply defined.
The storyline follows that of the film closely and even features some choice moments from the movies in cutscenes!
8. The Lord of the Rings: Conquest (2009)
The Lord of the Rings: Conquest takes the 8th spot in our best Lord of the Rings games article!
Wouldn’t it be great if you had a game where you could just play the main battles from the LotR trilogy. Well, there is!
Choose a side and lead them to victory as you relive the battle at the Black Gate, Helms Deep, the battle of Minas Tirith, and many more.
Take on a Resident Evil 4-esque over-the-shoulder view of your character as you battle your way through treacherous levels.
Pick from one of four classes, wield the usual weapons from bows to swords, and pull off special attacks like calling down lightning.
Both the single-player and multiplayer modes have fun features for gamers to sink their goblin teeth into. Find the Ring is a cool take on capture the flag, though the Team Deathmatches are the only real mode you’ll ever need!
7. The Lord Of The Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II (2006)
The Lord Of The Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II adds to the foundations that the first BfME game brought to the table, this time on Xbox 360 as well as PC.
This time there are six factions to choose from, with Dwarves, Elves, Men of The West, and Goblins joining the forces of Isengard and Mordor.
Much of the gameplay is the same as the first title, with players building structures and fighting to take control of certain areas. Still, with new modes and updated graphics, it just has the edge of it’s predecessor.
Get ready for more LotR such as the One Ring and new powers found in the Palantir. There’s also a new game mode called War of the Ring featuring turn-based skirmishes.
If you’re after a Lord of the Rings game that requires thought and patience rather than just running in swinging a sword shouting ‘ELENDIL’, then this is it.
6. The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (2004)
The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age is further proof that my favourite film franchise is actually a documentary and not fantasy.
That’s why I slapped it right at the top of my best GameCube RPGs article.
RPGs like Final Fantasy and the best Tales games are always good fun and boast exciting worlds. Still, an RPG set in Tolkien’s world will always… always beat them hands down.
Like Number 3 a little further down, players don’t play alongside the Fellowship. They do follow in their footsteps, however, sorting out all the enemies and cleaning up the mess that Gandalf and co leave behind.
Plus, you get to take part in some of the epic battles from the books/films too. There’s plenty of orcs to kill, even after Legolas and Gimli’s competition.
One of the things I love the most about this game is that you don’t have to play for the side of the good either. you can choose to fight under Sauron’s banner and destroy Middle Earth if you want, or you can save it.
I reckon I’d rather have a Balrog of Morgoth on my side than be against one, wouldn’t you?
5. Middle Earth: Shadow Of Mordor (2014)
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor takes place between the Hobbit and the LotR, and it has a story that could definitely slot into Tolkien’s Unfinished Tales very easily.
Players take a dead soldier called Talion who has been possessed by a wraith on a revenge mission through Mordor.
I mean, how cool is that!!
The best thing about this game and the title in the 2nd spot in this list is the incredible Nemesis system.
If you thought the generated A.I speech in Skyrim was impressive, then get a load of this.
Enemies remember your attacks, and the ones you’ve killed come back to try and attack you in a similar that you defeated them.
Enemies that beat you also end up being promoted up through the ranks of the Sauron’s armies, so they become harder bosses and still remember your move patterns etc from before.
Another cool feature is having the ability to control the minds of some enemies, having them destroy their factions from within. I could go on, but I figure you get how good it is already!
4. Lord Of The Rings: War In The North (2011)
Our 4th-place Lorien Leaf medal goes to Lord Of The Rings: War In The North, one of the best PS3 RPG games of all time!
War of the North is one of those games that compliments Tolkien’s existing work perfectly. It could almost be a lost novel of sorts, intertwining with the main storyline smoothly.
You can’t take any of the fellowship into battle, but you can fight alongside them which is pretty exciting. Instead, you play as a team of fighters working to keep Sauron’s forces from advancing down from the North.
It wouldn’t be a LotR game without some sick special attacks and evil snarling enemies from the bowls of Mordor.
Still, some of you might be wondering how a non-open world LotR game made it this far down the list.
In all honesty though, Tolkien’s work isn’t an open world title; it’s a linear quest that we follow from start to finish. War in the North is also a linear quest… see what I’m saying?
Just kill bad guys and make sure Frodo has an easier time getting to Mount Doom, alright?
3. Middle Earth: Shadow Of War – Definitive Edition (2017)
Middle Earth: Shadow Of War – Definitive Edition could well be the best Lord of the Rings console video game in existence. It builds upon the success of Shadow of Mordor and enhances all the features that we know and love from that game, including the Nemesis system.
Once again, the proceduraly generated enemy system makes Orcs come back at you if you defeat them.
Chop off a limb of a goblin, and you’ll recognise it as it comes back at you later for another piece of the pie, hoping to be promoted up the ranks.
The Nemesis system also moves onto people that you meet along the way that aren’t enemies too.
And what’s more, you can transfer your top Nemesis and top Follower from Shadow of Mordor into the game.
Because everyone wants the unbeatable character that ticked them off from the last game doing the same in the sequel. That would be like if Hop from Pokemon Sword/Shield followed you through every Pokemon game!
The graphics, the storyline, the gameplay, the controls, the weapons… it’s all perfect and a credit to PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
2. The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers takes the 2nd spot in this list of the best Lord of the Rings games of all time.
I played this game to death on the GameCube. For LotR film fans, this is the ultimate movie-based adventure. Playing through key scenes from the first two films; the battle with the cave troll in Moria, the siege at Helm’s Deep, Fangorn Forest.
What a rush!
Play as either Legolas, Gimli, or Aragorn, levelling up characters as you play through movie scenarios and levels that have been written specifically for the game.
Pull off epic special attacks as you slay Uruk Hai and Orcs in incredible locations.
It’s a shame this game isn’t two player like Return of the King. Still, I’ll never forget the excitement of playing at Weathertop or en-route to the Gates of Moria.
1. The Lord Of The Rings Online (2007)
The results are in, though it might not surprise many of you that The Lord Of The Rings Online is the best Lord of the Rings game of all time!
For those of you don’t know, this is an MMO set in Tolkien’s legendary world. It’s not just Helm’s Deep or Rohan; we’re talking places that feature in the books and as they are described in Tolkien’s masterpiece.
Play as a Human, Dwarf, Elf, or Hobbit as you pick a class and work your way up the ranks, travelling through a massive expanse killing enemies and doing deeds.
Sometimes you have to work alongside other players to complete tasks and professions too. Deliver objects, kill specific enemies, pick a vocation, gain titles – it’s the ultimate online nerd-fest and one that we’re honoured to be a part of.
I’ve hit the nail on the head there – LOTRO is a thriving community and not just a game. It’s the players that make this one of the best Lord of the Rings games of all time, not just the fantastic graphics and immersive levels.
There have been so many iterations and add-ons since the game first dropped in 2007; get on board and find out what all of the fuss is about!
Seb Santabarbara has bought every Nintendo console that has ever been released in his 33 years on Planet Earth. His favourite game franchise is Zelda, and he’s patiently waiting for Banjo-Kazooie to come back to the fold. When he’s not playing games, he’s travelling the world in his self-converted camper van.
