The Lord of the Rings Online Impressions

Both IGN PC and Stratics have written up some beta impressions of Turbine’s The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. An excerpt from the article at IGN PC:

The virtual Middle Earth feels just the way the book and movies have led us to expect. Environmental design is a key feature in this regard, recreating each of the various race’s starting areas perfectly. In particular, the developers have nailed the various types of architecture. The human starting area looks just like an Elizabethan village, while the Elven structures are based on Rivendell, with their flowing white lines and cliff-hugging locations. Hobbit-holes are just as cozy and welcoming as we’d always imagined them to be, from the cute flowerbeds decorating the front yard to the warm fireplace crackling within.

And an excerpt from the article at Stratics:

Getting around in Middle-earth is achieved the old fashioned way, at least the first time round. You have no choice but to go everywhere on foot; thought once you get wherever you’re going you can speak to a stable master which will open up fast-travel options to that location. So, keep your eyes open for stables on your adventures otherwise you could find yourself trudging back the way you came: and it’s a very long way from Ered Luin to Rivendell, let me tell you. Thankfully, if you do get stuck in the middle of nowhere with no way home, you have a map you can use to warp back to a Milestone. You’ll find Milestones in most towns and villages, and you can set your map to any Milestone you like. The good news is that you’ll eventually be able to own a horse; the bad news is that you won’t get it till level 35. In a world where just about everyone owns a horse or pony, it’s a shame players have to wait so long to get their very own (Bill).