If your chosen class is unsuited to your situation, you can go to a checkpoint and resume as someone else. (You can also do this when you die.) Though there are no experience points, continuing the slaughter powers up special attacks and opens up the chance to play as one of Tolkien’s heroes – good or evil.

Alternately, you may encounter these heroes in the story missions. You can’t kill Aragorn, of course; he’s supposed to be king. But you can defeat him and do good work for your dark lord.

Lord of the Rings: Conquest is aiming for a fall 2008 release. There is still some polish and balancing work to be done. Orc mages, for example, prefer to just stand there and get beaten on, and countering blocks will need to be more intuitive. The Minas Tirith cityscape is grand and immersive, and lets you be an extra in a Peter Jackson movie for a few hours.

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