5. The Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle-Earth II
Depending on how you like to control your battles, the Battle for Middle-earth games could be far more preferable to Conquest's behind-the-shoulder action-heavy perspective. Instead, taking the top-down RTS viewpoint allowed players to be their very own Eye of Sauron (albeit on the side of good as well as evil), commanding swathes of troops, creatures and armaments as you take the fight across the various lands and seas associated with the series. In a great turn there are a heap of locations licensed for the game that are yet to be seen properly in the movies, such as Mount Erebor, Ettenmoors and Mirkwood, with an overall production value that makes each battle feel lovingly crafted by designers who have a huge respect for the mythos. It's all too easy to forget just how much effort EA used to put into their games in light of broken messes like Battlefield limping out the door, but with a gargantuan amount of character models including everyone from Gollum to Sauron and even Tom Bombadil, this stupendously good sequel is the best use of your cash if you're already an RTS fan.
