DL RATING 9.5/10
PRICE: $79.90
GENRE: MMORPG
PLATFORM: PC

Astute gamers may recognise developers Turbine from the disastrous launch of Asheron's Call 2 in November 2002 - think unreliable chat, frequent server crashes and imbalanced skills for a start.

So when Turbine picked up the rights to develop a massive multiplayer online (MMO) game based on Tolkien's beloved Lord of the Rings series, many gamers were understandably wary.

Quash those niggling doubts - Lord of the Rings Online (Lotro) is a masterpiece, whether you are a Rings fan or not.

When it comes to visuals and atmosphere, Lotro is nothing short of stunning.

Standing in Rivendell, you can see the flowers in the meadows sway with the wind, and the occasional rainbow overhead - a fitting testament to the beauty expressed in Tolkien's original writing.

The evil areas are done up with equal panache - spider caves are dotted with prey cocooned to the walls, while the hellish screams of crazed orcs echo through dungeons of stone and steel.

And all of this ties in with a system called hope, meant to convey the power of friendship and emotion present in the books.

In terms of the game interface, the developers have clearly gone with a 'don't fix what's not broken' approach.

Lotro also makes fairly heavy use of instancing - generating a private copy of an area for you and your party to quest in. That means that everyone can adventure alongside Gandalf and the other members of the Fellowship in their own time.

For Lord of the Rings lovers and fans of massive multiplayer games alike - this is truly one MMO to rule them all.

cheat sheet

THERE ARE SEVEN classes in Lotro, each with its special role to play. Burglars - the sneakiest class of the lot, relying on stealth and shadow to strike enemies from behind.

Captains - the leaders in their group, using their abilities to buff their allies and strike fear into the hearts of enemies.

Champions - the masters of melee damage, wading into the thick of battle to dole out massive packages of hurt.

Guardians - the tanks of the group, able to withstand damage that would make most other characters crumble.

Hunters - ranged attackers, consumate with bow and arrow. Lore-masters - the seekers of wisdom and masters of the arcane, using words of command and overt displays of magical power to confound and damage their foes.

Minstrels - the healers of the party, weaving songs of hope and renewal to soothe the wounds of their allies or even bring fallen allies back into the fray.