Guardians of Middle-earth

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Guardians of Middle-earth is a single player and multiplayer arcade hack and slash game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Zombie Studios and was released on August 29, 2013. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and negative reviews from players.

"Guardians of Middle-earth is a Fantasy Hack and Slash MOBA game set in the Lord of the Rings universe, allowing up to 10 players to compete in strategic 5v5 battles. Choose from 36 iconic heroes and villains, each with unique abilities, and purchase items and buffs using in-game currency. Despite poor game mechanics, it provides an authentic and groundbreaking MOBA experience in Middle-earth."

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20%

Audience ScoreBased on 332 reviews

replayability3 positive mentions

gameplay14 negative mentions

The game is exceptionally fun when played with friends, especially with controller support.
The characters are enjoyable and feel unique, appealing to LOTR fans.
The leveling system and character abilities provide depth and strategy to the gameplay.

The game is largely unplayable due to a lack of players and numerous bugs, including mouse control issues.
It has been abandoned by developers, leading to a dead online community and no updates to fix existing problems.
The game is poorly optimized for PC, with clunky controls and a frustrating matchmaking system that often results in playing against bots.

gameplay
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
50%
35%
The gameplay of this game has been widely criticized for its poor controls, lack of depth, and numerous bugs, leading to a frustrating experience. While some players appreciate attempts at innovation, such as tower upgrades, these features are overshadowed by the absence of meaningful content and the overall clunky mechanics. Additionally, the game suffers from a lack of online players, further diminishing the gameplay experience.
- “Un gameplay qui innove un peu avec la possibilité d'upgrade les tours et casernes.”
- “Ce n'est pas une pâle copie de gameplay de tous les autres MOBA à succès, les développeurs cherchent réellement à innover.”
- “Game is well designed for use with a gamepad, first MOBA experience I've had where I could focus on the gameplay instead of the controls, it's very nice.”
- “Well, menus and game are bugged, gameplay is horrible, no tactical/strategical depth at all.”
- “Nothing works correctly, bugs are everywhere, mechanics don't make sense, and frankly the devs don't care.”
- “Clunky as hell controls, laggy unresponsive gameplay, ugly graphics.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
42%
29%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the visuals as nice and fitting for the Middle-earth theme, while others criticize them as subpar and poorly executed. Many users express disappointment over the lack of customization options and the overall execution, leading to a perception of the game as visually unappealing and clunky. Overall, the graphics seem to be a significant letdown for a title associated with the Lord of the Rings brand.
- “Middle-earth, nice graphics, how can I not just love this game.”
- “It is sad that a game with the LOTR brand, a good idea behind it, and a good graphics engine was so poorly executed.”
- “The gameplay is poor and the graphics are sub par.”
- “Clunky as hell controls, laggy unresponsive gameplay, ugly graphics.”
- “There is no customization in terms of graphics or control options aside from resolution.”
monetization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, heavily relying on microtransactions while offering minimal content and gameplay. Players express frustration over the lack of accessible characters and features, with most content locked behind paywalls, leading to a perception of the game as poorly executed and exploitative. Despite some redeeming visual elements, the overall execution leaves much to be desired, overshadowed by its monetization practices.
- “This game had horrible control port when it was playable (if you provided all your own players) and all the in-game content was just a cash grab, for a game you already paid to install, that has no one playing it, with no extra content, with no extra gameplay dynamics other than, level up, smack guy, he smacks you.”
- “- poorly executed and heavily reliant on microtransactions without giving any real content to begin with.”
- “The game presents some mild redeeming value, with quite a lot of familiar faces from the Lord of the Rings series which are quite well modeled, but you will quickly find that 90% of the characters in the game are for purchase only, therefore turning the game into a bit of a cash grab.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that the game offers significant replayability through its diverse classes, allowing for varied experiences with each playthrough.
- “There is replayability with each class.”
- “Each class offers a unique experience, enhancing the game's replayability.”
- “The variety of classes ensures that every playthrough feels fresh and engaging.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, lamenting its untimely demise despite its potential to rival major titles like Dota and LoL. The sentiment reflects a sense of loss and disappointment over what could have been, highlighting the game's unfulfilled promise.
- “The game had (and surprisingly, still has, if anyone would simply, properly look after it) all of the potential to stand among Dota, LoL, and MOBA games alike, yet unfortunately, it met an undeserving, heartbreaking end.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report significant stability issues, particularly during teamfights, where characters can become unresponsive and continue auto-attacking without player control. This has led to frustration and a perception that the game is not worth the investment, especially with additional paid content.
- “When you enter a team fight, you have no idea how to escape because it's so buggy that your character stays and auto-attacks. It's such a waste of money that they even want money for DLCs.”
- “When you enter a team fight, you have no idea how to escape because it's so buggy that your character stays and auto-attacks. It's such a waste of money that they even want money for DLCs.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is derived from its perceived poor quality and the comparison to "Heroes of the Storm," which is seen as a more successful clone despite using different characters. Players find it amusing that a game with such flaws has been released on console, highlighting the absurdity of its situation in the gaming landscape.
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate that all spells are available from the start, except for the ultimate, which eliminates the tedious farming phase and instead promotes constant team battles. This design choice enhances the overall gameplay experience by focusing on action rather than grinding.

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71%Critics’ scoreBased on 7 critic reviews

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Guardians of Middle-earth is a arcade hack and slash game with fantasy theme.

Guardians of Middle-earth is available on PC, Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and others.

Guardians of Middle-earth was released on August 29, 2013.

Guardians of Middle-earth was developed by Zombie Studios.

Guardians of Middle-earth has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its replayability but disliked it for its gameplay.

Guardians of Middle-earth is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Awesomenauts - the 2D moba, Awesomenauts, Shadow Arena, Battleborn, Blood of Steel and others.

Guardians of Middle-earth

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