PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

Lord of the Rings: The Battlefield for Middle Earth II

 & Jim Louderback jim_louderback@ziffdavis.com

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
LOOK INSIDE PC LABS HOW WE TEST
65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS
 - PC Games
3.5 Good

The Bottom Line

This decent real-time strategy game lets you battle in Middle Earth with elves, hobbits, dwarves, orcs and more.

Pros & Cons

    • Good graphics.
    • Music from the movies.
    • Easy to learn.
    • Can get repetitive.
    • Needs 5GB hard disk storage.

Lord of the Rings: The Battlefield for Middle Earth II Specs

ESRB Rating: T for Teen
Genre: Strategy Games
Platform: PC
  • Platform Tested: PC
  • Genre: Real Time Strategy
  • Rating: Teen (Fantasy Violence)

    Lord of the Rings: The Battlefield for Middle Earth II is Warcraft with hobbits! It's a fun, real-time strategy game with movies, voices and music right from the movies. It's a great way to waste a few hours on an airplane, train, or in the basement.

  • Final Thoughts

     - PC Games

    Lord of the Rings: The Battlefield for Middle Earth II

    3.5 Good

    This decent real-time strategy game lets you battle in Middle Earth with elves, hobbits, dwarves, orcs and more.

    About Our Expert

    Jim Louderback

    Jim Louderback

    jim_louderback@ziffdavis.com

    With more than 20 years experience in consulting, technology, computers and media, Jim Louderback has pioneered many significant new innovations.

    While building computer systems for Fortune 100 companies in the '80s, Jim developed innovative client-server computing models, implementing some of the first successful LAN-based client-server systems. He also created a highly successful iterative development methodology uniquely suited to this new systems architecture.

    As Lab Director at PC Week, Jim developed and refined the product review as an essential news story. He expanded the lab to California, and created significant competitive advantage for the leading IT weekly.

    When he became editor-in-chief of Windows Sources in 1995, he inherited a magazine teetering on the brink of failure. In six short months, he turned the publication into a money-maker, by refocusing it entirely on the new Windows 95. Newsstand sales tripled, and his magazine won industry awards for excellence of design and content.

    In 1997, Jim launched TechTV's content, creating and nurturing a highly successful mix of help, product information, news and entertainment. He appeared in numerous segments on the network, and hosted the enormously popular Fresh Gear show for three years.

    In 1999, he developed the "Best of CES" awards program in partnership with CEA, the parent company of the CES trade show. This innovative program, where new products were judged directly on the trade show floor, was a resounding success, and continues today.

    In 2000, Jim began developing, a daily, live, 8 hour TechTV news program called TechLive. Called "the CNBC of Technology," TechLive delivered a daily day-long dose of market news, product information, technology reporting and CEO interviews. After its highly successful launch in April of 2001, Jim managed the entire organization, along with setting editorial direction for the balance of TechTV.

    In the summer or 2002, Jim joined Ziff Davis Media to be Editor-In-Chief and Vice President of Media Properties, including ExtremeTech.com, Microsoft Watch, and the websites for PC Magazine, eWeek and ZDM's gaming publications.

    Read full bio