5 Best Middle-earth Games That Aren’t Only Lord of the Rings

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As a gamer, I’ve always been blown away by Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. It’s inspired so many video games over the years, especially recently. But we wanted to do something a little different – instead of focusing on the usual movie or book adaptations, we’ve put together a list of five awesome games set in Middle-earth that tell their own stories. We picked these based on what critics said when they first came out, how interesting the gameplay is, and just how popular they were. They’re not ranked in any specific order, just five great picks!

1) The Hobbit

The first video game based on Tolkien’s writings was The Hobbit, released in 1982. However, this early text-based adventure game wasn’t very popular. A much better adaptation came in 2003, also called The Hobbit, and it’s separate from the movies. This version is an action-packed platformer that stays remarkably true to the book, with only a few added characters. Fans of The Hobbit will especially enjoy it. While it might be a little simple for experienced gamers, it’s still worth playing at least once.

2) LEGO The Hobbit

LEGO The Hobbit is a video game where you play as characters built from LEGO bricks, based on the first two movies in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit series: An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug. Like other LEGO games, it retells the story with charming, lighthearted versions of the movies’ characters and events, offering a fun action-adventure experience. If you don’t typically enjoy these kinds of games, it’s perfectly fine to pass on it. However, if you’re a LEGO fan and looking for a cute and playful video game adaptation of the films, LEGO The Hobbit is definitely worth checking out.

3) Guardians of Middle-earth

Guardians of Middle-earth takes place in the world of Middle-earth and includes characters and elements from both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movie trilogies. However, it’s a separate story – a multiplayer online battle arena where up to ten players team up to compete. Players can control iconic characters like Sauron and Gandalf. Originally released on PC, the game really shines on consoles, as it was specifically designed for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. This console focus was a bit different for this type of game, but it resulted in a really enjoyable Middle-earth experience.

4) Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is an action-packed adventure game that takes place between the stories of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, using familiar locations and characters from the movies. Players control Talion, a ranger from Gondor, who teams up with the spirit of Celebrimbor to seek revenge. The game offers a large open world to explore, exciting combat using both weapons and supernatural powers, and a variety of quests. It was a critically acclaimed and popular title that led to the creation of a sequel.

5) Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Middle-earth: Shadow of War builds upon the gameplay of Shadow of Mordor, offering a more expansive experience. Set between the events of the films, the game continues the story of Talion, who must create a new Ring of Power to combat Sauron’s increasing power. Players can command various characters during battles using a follower system. Although a fun installment in the series, Shadow of War was ultimately the last game developed by Monolith Productions, which ceased operations a few years after its release. However, the game received two story expansions and several updates before that happened.

What’s your favorite video game set in Middle-earth? Share your thoughts in the comments below and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-01-31 19:16