It's funny how people take these reviews so personal to the point where they're about to burst into tears. If you enjoy the game, thats all that matters not what anyone else thinks. The review was written with personal thoughts and experience in mind with that being said, you can't expect everyone to share the same view over your precious game.
How can you rate the community and service as a whole if you played on the EU servers? You should at least state that in your review.
I researched and spoke with players on the US servers also in order to get a good view of both communities to give a fair score overall.
So what's wrong with it? Along with the other 7s, nothing was really mentioned. What were your expectations? How did the game disappoint you in those areas?
Overall, I would say, unfortuantely this is just a very non-convincing review because it doesn't have a pros and cons format, and doesn't cover all the scoring areas. It also seems to have a different yard stick than other reviews on this site, which is very unfair to the game.
And yes I love the game, but I can totally accept some not liking or rating it down in areas. I am really saying things about the review itself. It's just not very comprehensive. I love MMORPG.com and I expected a better written review
I hardly call this a review, it read like a game description to me and wondered if the writer even played the game considering her scores. Also Dwarves are male only.
No, she's right about dwarves. In LOTR, Gimli says something to the point that both male and female dwarves look similar, starting the myth that dwarves grow from the stone. So if you choose a dwarf, it will look the same regardless. It's up to you to say what gender you are. It's pretty funny that the game did that.
Yes, in that sense you are both correct. My meaning was that instead of an androgynous appearance the dwarves are definately male in appearance. Thanks for the clarification.
I hardly call this a review, it read like a game description to me and wondered if the writer even played the game considering her scores. Also Dwarves are male only. The graphic detail is the best out there atm, so wonder where your score came from. The game is solid, polished and the smoothest launch I have ever seen. LOTRO is an amazing game! The monster play option is also player vs player, which the writer did not mention.
Amazing? i dont know about that, it changes nothing in the mmorpg world, very few things we haven't seen in a number of other games. But it is solid and looks pretty.
"The new age is upon us, yet the past refuses to rest in its shallow grave."
First of all, I don't play LOTRO and I have no intention of doing so. I do find this review very strange for three reasons:-
1) The game only released yesterday. Is this a review after a day's play of the final release or the beta?
2) If you can get this review for LOTRO out so quickly, where is your review of Vanguard? If LOTRO was given the time frame it seems Vanguard is getting, LOTRO would have probably had 2 FREE CONTENT ADDITIONS by that time knowing Turbine.
3) I play and love DDO and this site gave DDO's graphics a score of 9 which I agree with. How can LOTRO get an 8? They are at least on an equal par with DDO! I left EQ2 to go to DDO and one of the reasons was DDO's far superior graphics and art direction!
1)Please see my above comment regarding how long I've been playing.
2) I don't know. I haven't been asked to cover Vanguard.
3) I also have a DDO account. I agree, it's a good game and looks lovely. I try not to compare games when giving scores. Well I am glad you like DDO, it has restored a little of my faith in you. However, I have to agree with somebody earlier who mentioned that your score does not reflect the comments you made. Some people will use this site as a reference and will only take notice of the score which is too low, I'm sorry.
With a slew of games recently released which do not offer acceptable performance, false promises and excuses, Turbine have released a game which is stable, bug free and offering great visuals to larger percentages of the gaming population. None of this is mentioned and Turbine should be commended on this and sites like this should assist the gamers struggle against developers who blatantly take gamers for a ride. This should now be reflected in your reviews because stable, bug free games on launch are the EXCEPTION not the norm!! They have even launched with new pricing models which offer cheaper gameplay for those who are looking to commit. That's a nice reward for someone's loyalty!!
There is no mention of the fact that Turbine are unequalled when it comes to offering FREE QUALITY CONTENT. You have a DDO account, you know this! It all adds to the service that Turbine provide. These are not just games, they are services, this should also be considered in the customer service part of your review.
Ask your editor why a game such as Vanguard which has been released for a much longer period than ONE DAY has NO REVIEW from this website yet?
I am sorry but I cannot help thinking that there are other forces at work here!
You must not leave until you free Arlos and have gathered your party safely in this hallway.
Nice review.... a little short as others have mentioned.
Also considering you barely made a nuetral, let alone negative comment about it. Why 7.8 ?
As far as almost every measure of a release of an MMO goes, LOTRO has blitzed the field. Its stable, its content rich and its extremely bug free, the big triad of woes for most releases.
To my great great surprise Turbine have created a fanastic game and released it in a polished fashion. 9.0 from me!
Possibly one of the best launches in the industry so far.
+-+-+-+-+-+ "MMOs, for people that like think chatting is like a skill or something, rotflol" http://purepwnage.com -+-+-+-+-+-+ "Far away across the field, the tolling of the iron bell, calls the faithful to their knees. To hear the softly spoken magic spell" Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon
The reviewer is a person and a fan of MMo's just as any of us on this site. When dealing with reviews you get to express your opinion of the game. If you don't like the review here, there are multiple other places that rate graphics, sound, and other features at a 9 or higher. That is what reviews are for.
I say Donna did an great job on the "review" even though I don't agree with the score I can understand how some of the stuff may have gotten low marks. Though I must say seeing grasshoppers jumping in the grass west of Bree blew my mind which just was 10 in graphics for me for them to have this level of detail. Even the customer support with the reporting of bugs was fantastic in my opinion as I reported over 5 in the open beta to have them fixed within the weeks (Which means they are listening to the community which is cool).
In the end if ya don't like the review make up your own and post it in the LotR:O forums. Doesn't do much to argue it in a forum people are going to look for advisement in if they should buy the game and see people nitpicking all over.
The reviewer is a person and a fan of MMo's just as any of us on this site. When dealing with reviews you get to express your opinion of the game. If you don't like the review here, there are multiple other places that rate graphics, sound, and other features at a 9 or higher. That is what reviews are for.
I really agree that the reviewer has every right to rate the game however he/she wants. I didn't see an opinion in the writing is really my beef. I really love the game, but with this review, I can't even argue about the bad points in the review, because there are none elaborated other than a number
I am really reviewing the review here... I got no issues with difference in opinion, but I do have issues with reviews that are not comprehensive, especially from established and popular sites like MMORPG.com.
Shouldn't the major point of a review be to describe a game in enough detail that you can decide whether you might be interested in playing it? Why is the review being criticized for being too descriptive? I would say it was a well written nicely detailed review, personally. I don't see what would have been added to it had the author chosen to go on a rant about some random minor detail or come off like a drooling fanboy (tt's teh best..WoOT!). The tone of the review was pretty positive if you actually read it...
I don't want to write this, and you don't want to read it. But now it's too late for both of us.
I agree with others saying this "review" of LoTR:O is more of a description, an introduction if you like. The writer simply concludes that the game is a "very good" one. Why is that? What are the pros and cons? Feel free to digitally stone me on this one, but I think a person who hasn't already got a lifetime subscription to the game might be able to write an actual subjective review.
"Combat is fast paced and exciting, even if you're soloing." I made it to level 13 with my Dwarf Guardian in the open beta, and the combat was anything but "fast paced and exciting" (even on very low game settings - just to double-check). I do remember combat being slow paced with unresponsive skills/animations. Aggroing 10+ mobs at once might make the combat a bit more fast paced, but also frustrating. Does combat become faster and/or more responsive in the higher levels?
I placed LoTR:O on the chopping block and gave it my "review" some time ago:
I agree with others saying this "review" of LoTR:O is more of a description, an introduction if you like. The writer simply concludes that the game is a "very good" one. Why is that? What are the pros and cons? Feel free to digitally stone me on this one, but I think a person that hasn't already got a lifetime subscription to the game might be able to write an actual review that is a bit more "neutral".
"Combat is fast paced and exciting, even if you're soloing." I made it to level 13 with my Dwarf Guardian in the beta, and the combat was anything but "fast paced and exciting" (even on very low game settings - just to double-check). I do remember combat being slow paced with unresponsive skills/animations. Aggroing 10+ mobs at once might make the combat a bit more interesting... Does combat become faster and/or more responsive in the higher levels?
Not only that but Quests are optional? HA! yea right, I can tell you right this second swear to god, that you HAVE to do quests in LOTRO. I leveled ONCE while hunting every other time i leveled from 2-15 was turning in a quest. You gain very little exp from ifghting, it is a very quest centric game.
Lol Dreamlords got a 7.6 which is almost the same as this score- a 7.8.
This review read like a preview and I was shocked to see the scores didnt even match up to the article really. explain why you feel the graphics were not worth a 10 in the review or why it blew or why it was average.
I also dont like how reviews come out on launch day. its like Reviewers are already messing up a game before they even get out the door good. I dont approve of really rating a product based on beta UNLESS you were given explicit permission to do so.
I am not an LOTRO fanboi btw. Played it a tiny bit in beta I am personally sorta burned out on MMOs atm waiting on somethign fresh like wAR that caters to PvPErs. however, evben I must comment on this score I just want to know the authors reasons for the low score I'd like to see more criticism unless I missed it. I'll reread the article later and edit if necessary
Just because VG had a craptacular launch with missing content does not mean LOTRO should get bonus points. Other games reviewed long ago with a higher score may have done so on the basis that LOTRO brings nothing new to the table, remove the window dressing and an aging interior is revealed.
Slick, smooth and bug free do not make a genre busting game and never should. In my opinion, looking down the list of MMORPGs listed here on this site I can see a good few that stand out from the crowd, LOTRO is just pretty.
And to the fanbois, cry more and cry harder. You have all worked yourselves into a sycophantic frenzy over the last few months and now someone dares to write a review and not score LOTRO with straight 10's?!
I'm with you Donna the rating for LOTRO is just fine - there is nothing new in LOTRO just fine tuning of features from other MMO's that have gone before and as for the graphics/sound ratings they deserve no more than you gave them (including the enhanced graphic pack).
About the only thing I'd question is how high the rating on the community is - sure during closed beta everyone was helpful and mature but everytime the stress tests let the floodgates of the masses in it went down the drain and judging by the comments of the detractors to the review it looks like the community who has followed it to release deserve a decidedly lower rating...
DEFINITION OF REALITY: Graphics ok, Sound ok, Gold drops need more work...
I thought the review was fair. It's a solid game but nothing really outstanding about it.
Yeah, I thought it was a fair review as well. I wasn't too thrilled with the writing style as I would have preferred "more' in some of the categories. It seemed as though the writer was just doing a description within each section and I would have preferred more opinion (which I find funny that I'm writing that as usually reviews tend to have too much opinion and aren't evaluating based upon what the particular thing is supposed to accomplish/do)
I filled out my own review and it was 8.6
To be honest, I answered all the criteria the way they should be in my mind but I also felt that there is something that is missing as well.
To me the game deserves to be in the "8's" somewhere. The potential, possibly more.
On high graphics the game is absolutely beautiful. So there is a high score right there. But but the armor leaves a little to be desired. The quests at lower lvls are hit or miss (depending on whether or not you like "kill x amount of this" quests or fed ex quests. But the Quest become more interesting and fun the higher you go.
Combat is really good to "fair". Sometimes there is a bit too much "space" between strikes and it feels a bit slow. But if you get it right it can be a very fast paced affair.
To me the game is fun. I am definitely going to play it. But it's not for everyone.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
I have a very hard time understanding this review at all. Different people can have different opinions on the subject but I don't understand this one at all. It would seem that she just copied and pasted a preview of the title from a few months ago with little actual opinion. And, that little opinion she did express was COMPLETELY inconsistent with her own post. If you read the review, she seemed to really love the game. But then she trashed it with a very low score.
Admittedly I do LOVE THIS GAME but even if I didn't this review makes no sense to me. Please reconsider the scoring and make me believe in the the editorial staff of MMORPG once again. I am a daily reader - or at least I was.
Could have sworn i didn't read about a single negative aspect to the game in this "review" and it gets a 7.8? Explanations would be much appreciated.
And graphics 8? Only game that compares visually is Vanguard. Of course, it seems like the author has decided to add her subjective view of "feel" and awkwardness (which most people don't see at all) to the score. Interesting.
THIS MAKES NO SENSE. I have a very hard time understanding this review at all. Different people can have different opinions on the subject but I don't understand this one at all. It would seem that she just copied and pasted a preview of the title from a few months ago with little actual opinion. And, that little opinion she did express was COMPLETELY inconsistent with her own post. If you read the review, she seemed to really love the game. But then she trashed it with a very low score. Admittedly I do LOVE THIS GAME but even if I didn't this review makes no sense to me. Please reconsider the scoring and make me believe in the the editorial staff of MMORPG once again. I am a daily reader - or at least I was. Please support the movement to GET THIS CHANGED
i totaly agree, should be there a new review from the game after release not this BS beta review, never saw this happening with other MMO's a review like this on first release day. Vanguard don't even have a review 3 months after lunch, something smells here...lol
Wow, you guys bitch about everyone don't you. The game got a graphics rating of 8 because thats what it deserved. I think he was being generous with that. Some of you are telling him to compare to other games, then fine. Oblivion gets a 9.2, what does LOTRO get? It would be fair at a 7. The graphics aren't that fantastic. They enviroments really do look nice, the water looks nice, the trees look good, but the terrain is just flat. Its like nothing is rounded. Kinda like the terrain in WoW, but with moving grass and higher res textures. If he gave every game like this a 10/10 what would happen when games like AoC come out? He can't go any higher, and we already know that its graphics are far superior to LOTRO. Just because your beloved game didn't get a 10/10, which it really doesn't deserve IMO(not that it matters), doesn't mean you need to flame the review and scream out for a more biased one in favor of your opinions. Remember, were not in school anymore. A 78% isn't going to get you yelled at my mom and dad. Its a GOOD score.
E8400@ 4.0Ghz ~ Saphire HD 4870 ~ 6GB DDR2@ 860MhZ
Although, most of these games supposedly are roleplaying games, the truth is no one role plays anymore. Maybe a handful but for the most part not even that.
You can not go by ratings in this forum. You certainly can't trust it to be true. This is just the games defenders who go all out to give the game 10's all across regardless of how it really is.
Comments
So what's wrong with it? Along with the other 7s, nothing was really mentioned. What were your expectations? How did the game disappoint you in those areas?
Overall, I would say, unfortuantely this is just a very non-convincing review because it doesn't have a pros and cons format, and doesn't cover all the scoring areas. It also seems to have a different yard stick than other reviews on this site, which is very unfair to the game.
And yes I love the game, but I can totally accept some not liking or rating it down in areas. I am really saying things about the review itself. It's just not very comprehensive. I love MMORPG.com and I expected a better written review
Yes, in that sense you are both correct. My meaning was that instead of an androgynous appearance the dwarves are definately male in appearance. Thanks for the clarification.
"The new age is upon us, yet the past refuses to rest in its shallow grave."
2) I don't know. I haven't been asked to cover Vanguard.
3) I also have a DDO account. I agree, it's a good game and looks lovely. I try not to compare games when giving scores. Well I am glad you like DDO, it has restored a little of my faith in you. However, I have to agree with somebody earlier who mentioned that your score does not reflect the comments you made. Some people will use this site as a reference and will only take notice of the score which is too low, I'm sorry.
With a slew of games recently released which do not offer acceptable performance, false promises and excuses, Turbine have released a game which is stable, bug free and offering great visuals to larger percentages of the gaming population. None of this is mentioned and Turbine should be commended on this and sites like this should assist the gamers struggle against developers who blatantly take gamers for a ride. This should now be reflected in your reviews because stable, bug free games on launch are the EXCEPTION not the norm!! They have even launched with new pricing models which offer cheaper gameplay for those who are looking to commit. That's a nice reward for someone's loyalty!!
There is no mention of the fact that Turbine are unequalled when it comes to offering FREE QUALITY CONTENT. You have a DDO account, you know this! It all adds to the service that Turbine provide. These are not just games, they are services, this should also be considered in the customer service part of your review.
Ask your editor why a game such as Vanguard which has been released for a much longer period than ONE DAY has NO REVIEW from this website yet?
I am sorry but I cannot help thinking that there are other forces at work here!
You must not leave until you free Arlos and have gathered your party safely in this hallway.
I remember when the new Zelda came out and got a 8.8. If you went on there it seemed like the world was ending. It's a game guys, chill and enjoy.
Nice review.... a little short as others have mentioned.
Also considering you barely made a nuetral, let alone negative comment about it. Why 7.8 ?
As far as almost every measure of a release of an MMO goes, LOTRO has blitzed the field. Its stable, its content rich and its extremely bug free, the big triad of woes for most releases.
To my great great surprise Turbine have created a fanastic game and released it in a polished fashion. 9.0 from me!
Possibly one of the best launches in the industry so far.
+-+-+-+-+-+
"MMOs, for people that like think chatting is like a skill or something, rotflol"
http://purepwnage.com
-+-+-+-+-+-+
"Far away across the field, the tolling of the iron bell, calls the faithful to their knees. To hear the softly spoken magic spell" Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon
I say Donna did an great job on the "review" even though I don't agree with the score I can understand how some of the stuff may have gotten low marks. Though I must say seeing grasshoppers jumping in the grass west of Bree blew my mind which just was 10 in graphics for me for them to have this level of detail. Even the customer support with the reporting of bugs was fantastic in my opinion as I reported over 5 in the open beta to have them fixed within the weeks (Which means they are listening to the community which is cool).
In the end if ya don't like the review make up your own and post it in the LotR:O forums. Doesn't do much to argue it in a forum people are going to look for advisement in if they should buy the game and see people nitpicking all over.
It's quite obvious that Turbine and mmorpg.com have some sort of agreement to positively promote this game.
I am really reviewing the review here...
The review on GamingTrend is so much more detailed: http://www.gamingtrend.com/Reviews/review/review.php?ReviewID=830
I don't want to write this, and you don't want to read it. But now it's too late for both of us.
"Combat is fast paced and exciting, even if you're soloing." I made it to level 13 with my Dwarf Guardian in the open beta, and the combat was anything but "fast paced and exciting" (even on very low game settings - just to double-check). I do remember combat being slow paced with unresponsive skills/animations. Aggroing 10+ mobs at once might make the combat a bit more fast paced, but also frustrating. Does combat become faster and/or more responsive in the higher levels?
I placed LoTR:O on the chopping block and gave it my "review" some time ago:
www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/125114
[UPDATED]
Not only that but Quests are optional? HA! yea right, I can tell you right this second swear to god, that you HAVE to do quests in LOTRO. I leveled ONCE while hunting every other time i leveled from 2-15 was turning in a quest. You gain very little exp from ifghting, it is a very quest centric game.
not that its bad but its the truth.
-Jive
Lol Dreamlords got a 7.6 which is almost the same as this score- a 7.8.
This review read like a preview and I was shocked to see the scores didnt even match up to the article really. explain why you feel the graphics were not worth a 10 in the review or why it blew or why it was average.
I also dont like how reviews come out on launch day. its like Reviewers are already messing up a game before they even get out the door good. I dont approve of really rating a product based on beta UNLESS you were given explicit permission to do so.
I am not an LOTRO fanboi btw. Played it a tiny bit in beta I am personally sorta burned out on MMOs atm waiting on somethign fresh like wAR that caters to PvPErs. however, evben I must comment on this score I just want to know the authors reasons for the low score I'd like to see more criticism unless I missed it. I'll reread the article later and edit if necessary
I for one won't be picking up LOTRO, it's not a bad game but it's just not for me.
Just because VG had a craptacular launch with missing content does not mean LOTRO should get bonus points. Other games reviewed long ago with a higher score may have done so on the basis that LOTRO brings nothing new to the table, remove the window dressing and an aging interior is revealed.
Slick, smooth and bug free do not make a genre busting game and never should. In my opinion, looking down the list of MMORPGs listed here on this site I can see a good few that stand out from the crowd, LOTRO is just pretty.
And to the fanbois, cry more and cry harder. You have all worked yourselves into a sycophantic frenzy over the last few months and now someone dares to write a review and not score LOTRO with straight 10's?!
larf.
About the only thing I'd question is how high the rating on the community is - sure during closed beta everyone was helpful and mature but everytime the stress tests let the floodgates of the masses in it went down the drain and judging by the comments of the detractors to the review it looks like the community who has followed it to release deserve a decidedly lower rating...
DEFINITION OF REALITY: Graphics ok, Sound ok, Gold drops need more work...
I filled out my own review and it was 8.6
To be honest, I answered all the criteria the way they should be in my mind but I also felt that there is something that is missing as well.
To me the game deserves to be in the "8's" somewhere. The potential, possibly more.
On high graphics the game is absolutely beautiful. So there is a high score right there. But but the armor leaves a little to be desired. The quests at lower lvls are hit or miss (depending on whether or not you like "kill x amount of this" quests or fed ex quests. But the Quest become more interesting and fun the higher you go.
Combat is really good to "fair". Sometimes there is a bit too much "space" between strikes and it feels a bit slow. But if you get it right it can be a very fast paced affair.
To me the game is fun. I am definitely going to play it. But it's not for everyone.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
THIS MAKES NO SENSE.
I have a very hard time understanding this review at all. Different people can have different opinions on the subject but I don't understand this one at all. It would seem that she just copied and pasted a preview of the title from a few months ago with little actual opinion. And, that little opinion she did express was COMPLETELY inconsistent with her own post.
If you read the review, she seemed to really love the game. But then she trashed it with a very low score.
Admittedly I do LOVE THIS GAME but even if I didn't this review makes no sense to me. Please reconsider the scoring and make me believe in the the editorial staff of MMORPG once again. I am a daily reader - or at least I was.
Please support the movement to GET THIS CHANGED
Am i blind?
Could have sworn i didn't read about a single negative aspect to the game in this "review" and it gets a 7.8? Explanations would be much appreciated.
And graphics 8? Only game that compares visually is Vanguard. Of course, it seems like the author has decided to add her subjective view of "feel" and awkwardness (which most people don't see at all) to the score. Interesting.
i totaly agree, should be there a new review from the game after release not this BS beta review, never saw this happening with other MMO's a review like this on first release day. Vanguard don't even have a review 3 months after lunch, something smells here...lol
E8400@ 4.0Ghz ~ Saphire HD 4870 ~ 6GB DDR2@ 860MhZ
Seriously, a nine for role playing?
Although, most of these games supposedly are roleplaying games, the truth is no one role plays anymore. Maybe a handful but for the most part not even that.
You can not go by ratings in this forum. You certainly can't trust it to be true. This is just the games defenders who go all out to give the game 10's all across regardless of how it really is.