Several attempts have been made to capture the scale and atmosphere of Tolkien's epic on PC, but few have come close. In The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth, EA Games has combined relatively straightforward RTS gameplay with an outstanding look, impressive atmospherics and a remarkably accessible interface.

If only all film licensed games were as wonderful as this thoroughly enjoyable game!

Fans of the films will probably get a kick out it, but it's probably not the greatest use of the franchise.

Sure there's the Death Knight, but what about new haircuts, shorter dungeons, and spider tanks?