Is the Collector's Edition really worth it?
The game has four unique aspects of gameplay that I will talk about: the single player campaign, multiplayer, war of the ring, and create-a-hero.
Single Player Campaign-
This can be accurately described in one word: disappointing. The campaign for the original Battle for Middle Earth was one hundred times better. Everything that I enjoyed about the original game’s campaign has been removed. No more living world map, no more keeping your armies between battles, and no more depth. Each campaign, one good and one evil, only has eight missions. The missions don’t really seem to have much flow from mission to mission. While enjoyable, it is still difficult to really be drawn into the campaign. The battles occur linearly; the user has no control over the order in which battles are fought, unlike the original BFME. After the first BFME, I had high hopes for the War in the North but was very disappointed.
Multiplayer-
The multiplayer is what gives the game much of its replay value. Although EA has had some trouble with its servers, the new patches should soon work everything out. I will use this section to discuss some of the gameplay issues. The main thing that separates the gameplay in BFME II from BFME is being able to place buildings anywhere on the map. While the other system was unique and enjoyable, I like the new system much better. The pace of skirmishes seems to be much quicker in this game than the original BFME. Rushing seems to be the most effective strategy. Players who are more accustomed to slower play or just like to turtle may have a difficult time adjusting to this game. The main reason the gameplay is so fast is the relative infectivity of defensive structures. Most buildings are too weak and expensive to give any defensive benefits early in the game. There is also an issue with repairing buildings. Some buildings seem to repair themselves very slowly if left alone, but there is no way to actively repair buildings unless you are the dwarves. Destroyed walls are also impossible to rebuild without demolishing the entire wall up to the nearest wall hub. These are the most glaring gameplay issues; everything else seems to work pretty well.
War of the Ring-
This aspect of the game is best compared to the campaign of the original BFME. The object is to basically conquer a map of Middle Earth. This game is turn based and plays somewhat similarly to Risk. Battles can either be fought in real time, or the computer can simulate the outcome. Depending on the size of the map of Middle Earth you chose, the games can take a very long time to complete. I think that War of the Ring is a fun alternative to constantly skirmishing. It will take a lot of practice to master, but is still a refreshing alternative to only playing skirmish maps.
Create-a-Hero-
Some people have said that they were disappointed by this aspect of the game, but I found it to be exactly what I expected. There aren’t a whole lot of options for hero customization, but the aesthetics aren’t too big of an issue given the size of the character during the game. There is a good variety of powers to choose from for each hero class. The powers are also powerful enough to significantly affect the outcome of games. The attributes of heroes (line of sight, health, power, armor, etc.) can also be altered to increase the heroes’ usefulness. Although only one hero can be used per player during a skirmish, there is no limit to the number of heroes that can be created. I think that create-a-hero is a nice addition to increase customizability of gameplay.