The overall feel and scope of the game is epic. Instead of ordering around a dozen or so soldiers, you are given command of massive armies. When you are creating soldiers, you are really creating small squads of troops that can be linked up to form massive armies. Selecting one soldier in the group orders the entire group, offering large scale battles with small-scale ease of control.
Everything is handled through a one-click system, offering controls that are easy enough for casual fans of the Rings trilogy. At the same time, the system is still deep enough that RTS vets will still be able to exercise enough control. Movement and attack commands follow the familiar point-and-click interface and are easy to use. Special commands, such as using hero abilities can be accessed through either choosing them from the menu or by keyboard commands. All other commands, such as closing gates to forts, are handled by selecting areas of the map and following the pop-ip menus. Admittedly, the system isn't as deep as recent RTS entries like Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War, but there's still enough here that the system never feels dumbed down. Instead it’s streamlined for efficiency.
Unit and base construction is handled a bit differently than in other strategy games. Bases are still a major aspect of the game, but are limited in comparison to other games. Instead of building sprawling structures around the countryside, you are limited to a set number of buildings, which are defined by the number of emblems present around your stronghold. Addition bases can be constructed after capturing outposts in the battlefield.
Another major difference between The Battle for Middle-earth and other strategy games involves troop upgrades. Once an upgrade, like flaming arrows, is purchased, your troops aren't automatically granted its ability. Instead you must purchase the upgrade for each unit in the field (for a small fee). This method adds a sense of realism to the game, but can become frustrating and ends up costing more resources over time. This wouldn't be too much of an issue if resources, especially gold, weren't so hard to come across during some battles. However, when coupled with units' ability to gain experience and grow stronger, you can end up with some powerful armies if you manage your forces right.
After transforming Peter Jackson's Lord of the Ring's movie trilogy into two successful action games and a moderately successful RPG, EA takes the series into the genre it was made for. While it isn't as genre defining as other games, The Battle for Middle-earth is still an amazing experience.
