The Lord of the Rings franchise is one of the most successful names in fantasy, and its powerful presence in pop culture persists. J.R.R. Tolkien's works have helped define the genre, and the live action film series headed by Peter Jackson only expanded its reach. To this day, The Lord of the Rings is commonly mentioned and adapted in the media, and there has been an attempt to ignite somewhat of a renaissance with the franchise, especially in gaming.

Survival crafting title Return to Moria was met with mixed reviews, while last year's Gollum was panned as one of the worst games of 2023. Now with the cozy life sim Tales of the Shire set for release on March 25, it will soon become clear if The Lord of the Rings franchise has a new worthy game spin-off or not. Tales of the Shire may be compelling for fans of its genre, but the broader Lord of the Rings audience may not gravitate toward the project. Due to this slump, developers have the perfect opportunity to find inspiration in one of Lord of the Rings' best game adaptations: Return of the King.

Games With Great Lord of the Rings Mods
12 Games With Great Lord Of The Rings Mods

Lord of the Rings fans don't have to settle with just officially licensed games. These great mods for other games are a blast in their own right.

By 

Return of the King's Co-Op Formula Brought a Special Experience to Life

Playing to Iconic Characters' Strengths

There have been many games inspired by Tolkien's world, and some have been quite successful. Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War were intriguing takes on the series, but looking to Return of the King may be the key to reigniting the franchise's gaming power. Despite the hack-and-slash title now being over 20 years old, it is still hailed by many as one of the best game adaptations of The Lord of the Rings. Not only does it nail its tie-in moments with the films, but it offers a strong co-op that still fills many gamers with nostalgia.

What makes the Return of the King game such a strong co-op experience is that it emphasizes the unique skills of each character. This combat diversity can create an incredibly dynamic playthrough, as players need to really harness the fighting strengths that their chosen characters have. The characters of The Lord of the Rings all bring something special to the table, and the Return of the King fully honors this through its co-op.

Return of the King's Playable Characters and Their Strengths

  • Gandalf - Agility and magic.
  • Aragorn - A well-balanced combo of melee and range.
  • Legolas - Fast-paced, long-ranged combat.
  • Gimli - Slow, but hard-hitting, blows that inflict devastating damage.
  • Frodo - Abilities focused around dagger attacks and poison damage.
  • Sam - Strength and speed are Sam's strongest skills.
  • Faramir - Similar to Aragorn, but his strength is weaker, while his speed is greater.
  • Merry - Fast with low damage, he is a challenging character to utilize.
  • Pippin - Like Merry, he is a speedy character with low damage.

Depending on which combination of character players choose in co-op, each playthrough can feel vastly different. Out of all the game adaptations, Return of the King sits at the top of the list, and its dynamic character roster is one of the biggest reasons why.

Lord of the Rings Adaptations Are Stuck In a Tricky Spot

The ongoing attempts at recapturing the feeling of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy have failed to reach such heights. There are plenty of strong arguments that Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War should be the blueprint moving forward, but Return of the King needs to be considered as well.

The Lord of the Rings games have been missing a unique spark, and Return of the King makes a compelling case for focusing on a balanced and customizable co-op title. The media is playing a risky game with The Lord of the Rings, but Return of the King could be the special ingredient needed to kickstart this desired gaming renaissance.

Image
the-lord-of-the-rings-series-film-book-franchise
The Lord of the Rings
Display card main info widget
Created by
J. R. R. Tolkien
Where to watch
HBO Max
Movie(s)
The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Display card main info widget end

The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality. 

Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info