The Lord of the Rings Online Re-review

Now that The Lord of the Rings Online has gone free-to-play overseas as well, Eurogamer brings us an enthusiastic re-review of the fantasy MMORPG. Ultimately, they arrive at a score of 9/10 – the same score they awarded it at launch – and here’s why:

Given the labour of love the game represents, it’s a pity that there are still gremlins lurking in the engine. For the most part, distant objects fade in gently without jarring, but there are also a shocking number of occasions where textures jump into view at near-distance, even altering the geometry of a building. Tested on a number of PCs, the effect still blemishes the world, even with all settings reduced. It’s not an outright failure by any means, but it feels like a greater oversight than it really is due simply to the sheer splendour on display.

The Lord of the Rings Online is still everything it was in 2007 when Rob awarded it a 9/10. That it’s now free to at least sample makes it compelling for any MMO fan. But it’s not a technically perfect game, and its long-term appeal will likely come down to a matter of taste as well as your willingness to embrace the game for what it is, rather than what you’ve perhaps become accustomed to.

Standing on its own merits, the game comes as close to knocking on the door of a perfect 10 without quite making it as any other you’ll play. It’s opening night, and Turbine has prepared a table for you tuck in.