The single player campaign is a difficult and at times frustrating challenge, due in no small part to the way in which the levels are designed. The levels are long and feature numerous objectives and you have a limited number of lives (spawns) with which to get through it all. If you fail, you'll have to play the whole level over again from the very beginning. There's no such thing as a mid-mission saved game here. You can fight your way through a level, completing its objectives and defeating multiple sub-bosses, only to reach the level-ending boss and be killed before you can figure out what you need to do to defeat him. At this point it is game over for you and you're forced to play the level again from the very beginning, repeating everything that you have already done before just for the chance to face the boss again. This at times makes it feel more like an arcade game designed to gobble quarters than a home console action game. It's too bad that this game has a frustrating design and overly difficult missions because there are opportunities to do some pretty cool things in the game. At various times you'll have the opportunity to play as a rampaging ent or a fearsome balrog, mount an oliphant, or man a siege weapon. You'll also have the opportunity to play as a hero from the saga at certain points. When a hero is available for play the game will ask you if you'd like to spawn as that hero, and at that point you can switch from your current character to that hero. Heroes are basically super-charged versions of the regular classes, so Aragorn is a stronger warrior and Gandalf a more powerful mage, but it's still fun to cut through Uruk-hai as Strider.

Online play supports up to 16 players in several game modes including death match, capture the flag, and the familiar territories mode which is centered on the capture of spawn points. Despite the different classes available, the warrior is by far the most popular choice in multiplayer battles. It seems that no one wants to take the time to really learn to use the other classes or to play with mixed-class teams as the designers intended. Part of the issue is that it's a lot more fun to play as a warrior than the other classes, but it's also easiest to play as a warrior. Combos and special attacks can be unleashed through some chaotic button-mashing, and the player who gets in the first blows can knock back his or her opponent, which will quickly put that opponent at a distinct advantage. Momentum plays a big role in the game, not just in player versus player duels, but in the battle as a whole. Once things start going in the favor of one side it becomes increasingly difficult for the losing side to mount a comeback. If things start going south for one side, they go very south very quickly. Adding even more steam to the winning side's steamroller is the fact that the game allows the top scoring player on the team in the lead to spawn as a hero. When the battle starts going against you, the last thing that you want to see is Aragorn making an appearance in the enemy ranks.

There are plenty of times when Conquest is flat-out fun, and there's a big coolness factor to the game's environments and the way they make you feel like a part of the epic battles of The Lord of the Rings. However, there are also plenty of frustrating moments in the game, as well as play balance issues. Your enjoyment of the game will be highly dependent on whether or not your love of The Lord of the Rings can overcome your feelings of frustration.

In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated: 68%. Like the One Ring, Conquest is beautiful to behold and highly tempting, but it comes with some big hidden flaws.

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