A Middle-earth Hardcore Challenge
At A Glance
- Hardcore's inner Uruk-hai lays down some brutal challenges for fans of RTS.
From the thundering hooves of the charging Rohirrim to the guttural cries of the bloodthirsty Uruk-hai, The Lord of the Rings™, The Battle for Middle-earth™ II scratches the most hardcore of fantasy itches. With a licensing deal that now includes the books in addition to the films, EA has been able to dig deeper into the vast well of content that J.R.R. Tolkien produced and offer a richer, more authentic experience.
Waging real-time strategy war is one thing, but doing so with the armies of Middle-earth is a Tolkien fan's dream come true. Not to mention that BFMEII marks the most successful transfer of a RTS to a home console, and boasts even more online features than its PC sibling.
The siege is joined.
Like any game that falls under my purview, The Battle for Middle-earth II must submit to the hardcore challenge treatment, a treatment I am glad to say it suffers gladly and with benefit. Few genres attract such dedicated gamers as RTS does, but to truly be considered an expert, take on the following:
Unfamiliar Strategy
A money play might be a term more commonly associated with sports games, but the effect of having a particular, winning play can be seen in all genres, particularly RTS. To prove that your worth isn't tied to a particular strategy, but instead to a complete and thorough understanding of the game's fundamentals, shy away from your pet tactics.
Victory is rarely sweeter than when accomplished
with a total stranger, or even better, a total newbie stranger.
Namely, don't rush! There's no cheaper victory than a sudden onslaught of three units of cavalry five minutes into the game. Win by strategy, not by shock tactics.
Two Against One
Though almost impossible against top-flight opponents, a three player match with two friends attacking you is a challenge worthy of hardcore status. If you can win with this handicap, you know you've got reason to strut. To be clear, this doesn't apply to maps like Minas Morgul where the lone player is safely ensconced in a massively walled fortress.
The battle begins.
Heroes Don't Die
Though the achievements for The Battle for Middle-earth II are plenty worthy of the Gamerscore system, there are two in particular that standout. The Servant of the Secret Fire (Good campaign) and Servant of the Shadow (Evil campaign) both ask that you complete each campaign with nary a hero dying. To apply that extra special twist of hardcore challenge, accomplish this on your first play through. Good luck.
Big Guns Missing
Whether online or off, to demolish, rend, and destroy an opposing army with little more than standard units is satisfaction par excellence. You shouldn't need to summon the Balrog or call on Aragorn to achieve success. Razor sharp strategy and keen decision making should be all the tools you require.
Ranked Team Matches
Victory is rarely sweeter than when accomplished with a total stranger, or even better, a total newbie stranger. In ranked matches, you don't have the opportunity to select a worthy teammate, but joined with a partner at random. Winning under these trying circumstances can cement both your skill in the game as well as your ability to foster team strategy under less than ideal circumstances.
Article by Hardcore
