J.R.R. Tolkien's War in Middle Earth

J.R.R. Tolkien's War in Middle Earth is an adventure-strategy game loosely depicting the journey of the One Ring from the Shire to Mount Doom. The game begins with Frodo, Sam, and Pippin surrounded by nine Nazgûl near the Shire, but players are free to determine how their heroes and armies advance.

Gameplay

Gameplay is presented across three map levels. The Full Map displays Middle-earth, its terrain, and allied, neutral, and enemy forces. The Campaign Level provides detailed views of towns, citadels, ruins, characters, and armies, while also handling orders and army encounters. At the Animation Level, players manage character encounters and equipment such as armor and weapons.

Combat offers four commands: charge, engage, withdraw, and retreat. Heroes, including Frodo, can die in battle. If the Ring-bearer falls, another surviving character may take up the One Ring. The player wins by getting the Ring-bearer to Mount Doom, but loses if the enemy reaches Barad-dûr with the Ring or captures three major allied citadels.

Release Information

• Release date: December 31, 1988
• Developer: Synergistic Software
• Publisher: Melbourne House
• Platforms: Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple IIGS, Atari ST/STE, Commodore C64/128/MAX, DOS, MS-DOS, MSX, and ZX Spectrum