Lord of the Rings: Conquest Review XBox 360

Lord of the Rings: Conquest
XBox 360
Electronic Arts
£39.99

THE LATEST offering in the Lord of the Rings game series is by far the best I've played to date.

Having been a fan of the games since the first one I played on the Playstation 2 I was worried that I was just in for more of the same with Lord of the Rings: Conquest.

To an extent that's true, but the polished graphics, enhanced gameplay and the chance to take part in evil storylines instead just good ones meant that it didn't matter.

In this latest version you get to play as either a warrior slashing his way through hoardes of orcs, an archer who can fire explosive or poison arrows, a scout who can turn invisible and sneak up on enemies or a mage who can wreak havoc on enemy lines while defending your own soldiers.

Each have their own pros and cons but in true LOTR style whichever you choose there'll be no shortage of gore. Probably the best tribute I can give to this game is that my flatmate - who could best be described as a gaming Philistine - sat playing it for about an hour with obvious enthusiasm when I brought it home.

There are plot points in the game which will annoy some Rings fans and it is admittedly a bit on the short side - you could finish it in a day easily - but it more than surpassed expectations.

91 per cent.

By Will Oliphant