Hogwarts Legacyhas finally givenHarry Potterfans the experience they have been dreaming about for years. They are finally able to live and breathe within the halls of Hogwarts, and they get to go on a brand-new magical journey through the wizarding world. The simple premise of letting players live out their own story within their favorite franchise has been a real treat, and more fantasy franchises likeLord of the Ringsmay want to followHogwarts Legacy’s lead.
Lord of the Ringshas had an impressive history in the video game industry, and the Embracer Group seems to have plans for even more fantastical adventures in Middle-Earth. While theLord of the Ringsvideo gameshave gone a long way in immersing fans into Tolkien’s world, none of them have really let players live out their Middle-Earth dreams. Some fans just want to tell their own story inside this franchise, and it is time forLord of the Ringsgames to deliver on that fantasy.
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It is Time for a New Lord of the Rings RPG
There isno shortage ofLord of the Ringsvideo games, but none of them have really let fans tell their own story.Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordorfollowed the adventures of a Gondorian Ranger named Talion,LEGO: The Lord of the Ringsjust recapped the movies in LEGO form,The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earthput an RTS spin on the trilogy,and each live-action movie also got its own tie-in game. The games that have tried to tell new stories have still played it pretty safe by connecting it to the main trilogy, and none of them really let players control their own unique character.
The closest thatThe Lord of the Ringshas come to giving players aHogwarts Legacy-type experience is withThe Lord of the Rings Online. The game isan MMORPG set during theLord of the Ringstrilogy, and it lets players create their own unique Middle-Earth character. There is around 16 years' worth of content for players to explore, and some fans may never want to leave. While this is a great experience for fans of the IP, it pales in comparison to whatHogwarts Legacywas able to do forHarry Potterfans.
The Lord of the Rings Onlineis an MMORPG with all the hallmarks of the genre, and it is very connected to theLord of the Ringsstory. This limits the game’s potential as Daybreak Game Company has to mostly adhere to the plot of the main story, and it cannot branch too far from that. Players are also limited in what they can be because they are sharing the world with countless other players, and they must engage in all theclassic free-to-play MMORPGmechanics. However,Hogwarts Legacydoes not seem to have the same problems.
Hogwarts Legacyis a single-player RPG set a century before the events ofHarry Pottertake place. This means that all the characters are new, the story is exploring uncharted territory, and the game is expanding the franchise in brand-new ways. The single-player aspect also gives players and developers far more freedom in what goes on within the world. While players still have to follow thegame’s main campaign, it feels like they have far more control over who they want to be within this world.
The Lord of the Ringsdeserves a single-player RPGlikeHogwarts Legacy. Players should be allowed to create whatever type of character they want, and then they should be let loose within Middle-Earth. It should explore uncharted territory so that it does not have to be tied down by the events of the main trilogy, and it should give players immense freedom in how they go about Tolkien’s world. It would not only take inspiration fromHogwarts Legacy, but also take some notes from critically acclaimed RPGs likeThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimto deliver a Middle-Earth experience unlike any other.
Hogwarts Legacyis now available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, with PS4 and Xbox One versions coming on April 4 and the Switch version launching on July 25.
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