The Lord of the Rings Online Preview

GameSpot has posted a detailed preview of Turbine’s The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, based on a demonstration they received during the Leipzig Games Convention.

As with most modern MMOs, combat is dynamic, which means that your success is dependant on your position to the foe. A skilled player will therefore be able to dispatch foes quickly by circling around them, which should also serve to confuse the enemy as you attack. It’s not all about attacking in The Lord of the Rings Online though, and a massive part of the attraction is just to explore the world that was created in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantastically detailed books. Instead of being linear, the story is a much more open interpretation of Tolkien’s world, and as such it weaves around the path of the fellowship of the ring. While Frodo and company are heading off to destroy the ring at Mount Doom, players will occasionally cross paths, often directly affecting the fellowship and interacting with key members of the story. Depending on which class you choose, you’ll also start out in different parts of Middle-earth with different opening quests, which should give the game some replay value.