It stands to reason that J.R.R. Tolkien's meticulously crafted and endlessly enjoyable fantasy masterwork remains the high-point for the genre even to this day. With each race, character, weapon, square of turf and everything in between having rich backstories alongside motivations that ensure no group of readers share the exactly the same favourite aspects, there's a wealth of stories to be told throughout Middle-earth. Over the years we've seen the most games under the LOTR banner emerge on consoles since the movies helped prove that when it's done well, the fantasy genre and all its trappings can be one of the greatest in all of cinema, as well as transferring across into a select number of great games. Whilst Star Wars adaptations rarely hit the mark, due to the amount of themes and elements to draw from, the various 'Rings titles have seen a great many different efforts that have faired pretty well both critically and with fans. From the epic score that everyone knows off by heart to the plethora of characters within which we all have individual favourites - alongside great lines of dialogue that help elevate each flick into legendary status - The Lord of the Rings new-age template for fantasy action is something that when treated with care, can easily translate into some of the best gaming experiences for any fan too.
