Guardians of Middle-Earth

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 86 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 64 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 86
  3. Negative: 9 out of 86

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  1. Htimez2
    Jan 25, 2013
    4
    I love this game and they made an amazing transition to console with the moba genre that I was not sure could ever be done. So now your probly wondering why I gave it only a score of 4, well ill tell you. Since this game has been released I have not been able to play a full game. It has nothing but connection problems on the 360 version at least and although they keep promising a fix, eachI love this game and they made an amazing transition to console with the moba genre that I was not sure could ever be done. So now your probly wondering why I gave it only a score of 4, well ill tell you. Since this game has been released I have not been able to play a full game. It has nothing but connection problems on the 360 version at least and although they keep promising a fix, each patch seems just as bad if not worse then before. I would love to say you should get this game but until they fix the ridiculous connection problems, and the slight snowballing that still exists, I just cant get this a better score. They should have dedicated servers and that would fix all their problems. I like to say if they dont have dedicated servers you know their not dedicated developers. They would love to have you believe Im the only one experiencing this but from talking to people in game I am in the majority not the minority and this is literally the only xbox 360 game I have any connections issues with, and I love multiplayer games so I can assure you its the game and not my connection. If they ever fix this issue I will return and update my review but as of now I dont see any fixes in the future and I feel robbed for buying a game and all its dlc ( I pre-ordered the dlc thinking the connection issue was only because it had just been released) and now cant play the game at all because like I said I already now I wont be able to finish a whole one.… Expand
  2. WriteFilmLive21
    Jan 4, 2013
    6
    Easy to learn, but the tutorials dragged a bit. Easy to play, but it's repetitive and boring. Very nice-looking, but it all seems the same after a while. Basic, plain, average - give it a try and see what you think.
  3. normyp
    Feb 9, 2013
    3
    Fun game when you're not against AI bots and that tends to be a lot. The bots are well, perfect at the game, and it's tricky to ever kill them. Because of all the connection problems and lack of a big audience games tend to only have 3/10 real players in them which is really sad because I was looking forward to this. It's to be expected however, the moba scene really isn't that popularFun game when you're not against AI bots and that tends to be a lot. The bots are well, perfect at the game, and it's tricky to ever kill them. Because of all the connection problems and lack of a big audience games tend to only have 3/10 real players in them which is really sad because I was looking forward to this. It's to be expected however, the moba scene really isn't that popular compared to first person shooters and stuff. I mean the most you get on LoL is a few million players, although none of my friends in England have even heard of it.… Expand
  4. TheBartlez
    Jan 11, 2013
    5
    When this game works it is very fun. Here are 5 PROS and CONS to this game after putting in many hours and trying various Guardians.

    PROS: 1) Quick games. Games rarely last longer than 20-30 minutes. 2) Good variety of Guardians from the LoTR universe with unique abilities. 3) A MOBA that works well with a controller! 4) Loadout system lets you customize your play-style easily. 5)    When this game works it is very fun. Here are 5 PROS and CONS to this game after putting in many hours and trying various Guardians.

    PROS:
    1) Quick games. Games rarely last longer than 20-30 minutes.
    2) Good variety of Guardians from the LoTR universe with unique abilities.
    3) A MOBA that works well with a controller!
    4) Loadout system lets you customize your play-style easily.
    5) Pretty good balance. No one character feels exceedingly too powerful.

    CONS: 1) Lag, forced disconnects, and quitters make the game very difficult and not fun for most games I have played.
    2) Bots do not replace humans players who are disconnected or who quit, making a basically lost game for the team with less players.
    3) Limited community due to poor matchmaking and connectivity issues.
    4) Game + season pass far too expensive for the content and (lack of) developer support provided).
    5) Have called and checked the developer forums and customer service is non-existent.

    A game that could be a hidden gem if not plagued by horrible connectivity issues that are driving all but the most die-hard players away. Developer should be ashamed by their lack of support and patches. This game has major issues - STAY AWAY unless a LoTR or MOBA fan!    … Expand
  5. insanem0nk
    Apr 12, 2013
    1
    It IS a great game on the outside of things, but a MOBA is not a MOBA (Multiplayer ONLINE) if you're playing with BOTS. The online capabilities of this game are horrible, and Monolith have established themselves with a very bad track record with their failure to deliver a consistent online multiplayer experience with Gotham City Imposters and now GoME. It has great rpg and moba elements,It IS a great game on the outside of things, but a MOBA is not a MOBA (Multiplayer ONLINE) if you're playing with BOTS. The online capabilities of this game are horrible, and Monolith have established themselves with a very bad track record with their failure to deliver a consistent online multiplayer experience with Gotham City Imposters and now GoME. It has great rpg and moba elements, but the inability to connect to other players and friends, the constant disconnections and game boots (because of no dedicated servers, p2p connection is a terrible idea for MOBAs because everytime host quits everyone's game ends). A great game, but it is not meant to be played singleplayer, and the inability of Monolith to create a multiplayer game really killed the game on release.… Expand
  6. matadorred
    Apr 12, 2013
    1
    really should never have been released in this state. Do NOT buy this game, you won't be able to find a game online, let alone a full game of players. They fill in bots when they cannot find players, and for a lot of the time you find yourself alone in a game of bots. Don't play on playing with friends either, a party is often separated while looking for games, while locking in championsreally should never have been released in this state. Do NOT buy this game, you won't be able to find a game online, let alone a full game of players. They fill in bots when they cannot find players, and for a lot of the time you find yourself alone in a game of bots. Don't play on playing with friends either, a party is often separated while looking for games, while locking in champions or while loading into the game, all of the time there are disconnections and separations. I hope Monolith gets their act together or just gets shutdown by WB and replaced by a more capable studio.… Expand
  7. horoxix
    Dec 5, 2012
    5
    quick games, great gameplay. AND ITS LORD OF THE RINGS!. How can it get any better. I've played Mobas for years, and this one appeals to me in a soft spot that none of the others can. My need for time (short games) and my love for middle earth.
  8. jdogginess
    Dec 6, 2012
    9
    This game is probably reviewed best in two ways, as it stands on its own merits, and in comparison to other MOBA's (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena games). On its own merits, I give it a 9 as it is a unique experience on a console and is a nice blend of action and strategy that can already tell has wormed its way into my permanent playlist. It can be played competitively against otherThis game is probably reviewed best in two ways, as it stands on its own merits, and in comparison to other MOBA's (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena games). On its own merits, I give it a 9 as it is a unique experience on a console and is a nice blend of action and strategy that can already tell has wormed its way into my permanent playlist. It can be played competitively against other players, or you can team up with friends to take on the AI, or even go it alone with AI allies if you aren't the social type. There are plenty of items and champs which are unlocked by gaining currency through playing, and it will take a very long time to accumulate them all (I haven't been able to put it down since release and I have barely scratched the surface). The champs have a wide variety of skill sets and each one fits a certain role and style uniquely. For $15 on XBLA, you will be hard pressed to find better value and lasting appeal. If compared to other MOBA's, (perhaps a bit unfair as it is just released and League of Legends, for instance, has been updated often for years) I would give it an 8. Bad new first, their are no purchasable items during a match (but pregame loadout customization has a lot of depth), 20 or so heroes - which is less than other MOBA's (but are already scheduled to release 8 more, beyond that is unknown), and a per game level cap of 14 which seems to even out everyone's power a little soon for my taste (however, it makes for comeback opportunities and helps to limit a game from getting owned by one person). Now the good news!, the graphics and effects are pretty damn cool and stand out as a treat amongst even the best MOBA's, especially on the big screen. The gamepad controls give you a more visceral connected feel yo your toon and the action really gets a hold of you. It is intense and really gives you a rush with each small victory and the agony of defeat with each setback. The other MOBA's are on PC, so its a bit apples and oranges, but, this is the best console experience in the genre. In closing, the mark of a good game in my opinion is one that gets you excited and itchy to come back to it after every session, thats why you fork over the cash is because you desire the entertainment. As a veteran of League of Legends, I give this game a thumbs up and it is an enjoyable, perhaps even addicting experience that can be had from the comfort of the couch. I am going back in game to get my fix :)… Expand
  9. gameguro99
    Dec 5, 2012
    10
    Let me first say I am not a fan of the MOBA genera... But Guardians of Middle-Earth has changed my mind! It is easy to get into and the games only last around 20 minutes so its not a time sink like DoD or League. But don't let the fact that its easy confuse you that its a shallow game , from what I have played the relic system is deep and gives the player many options to modify there guardian.
  10. freebs
    Dec 10, 2012
    3
    This game is not remarkable when compared similar games. So many other reviews rave about the positives, so let me explain why I learn towards calling this game incarnate of mediocrity.
    Downsides:
    -Latency from other players will result in the game pausing which is a huge annoyance. -You are paying for a game that has many, many clones on PC that are free to play, and it's more shallow    This game is not remarkable when compared similar games. So many other reviews rave about the positives, so let me explain why I learn towards calling this game incarnate of mediocrity.
    Downsides:
    -Latency from other players will result in the game pausing which is a huge annoyance.
    -You are paying for a game that has many, many clones on PC that are free to play, and it's more shallow game play than many of those games! This part is hard to stress enough.
    -Controllers for a game like this don't measure up to a keyboard or mouse.
    -Given how bad latency is, I could not notice any effort being made to pair me with "local" players. Game after game was against players from other continents that made for very laggy (which means the game would pause a lot due to poor handling of lag in this game).

    Get the game if: You are a LOTR die hard, refuse to play on PC but like the MOBA concept, want a very casual MOBA, or don't mind the poor handling of lag. Add 2 points per each of things that apply to you to my review if you're still thinking about it. If all 4 apply, then it will truly be an 11 in your book.    … Expand
  11. PTBrutus
    Dec 9, 2012
    10
    Being a fan of League of Legends, all I can say is that Guardians of the Middle Earth is a refined product with a tremendous potential.
    This game innovates, and has several improvements when compared to Dota 2, League of Legends and other MOBAs in the market.
    Console players are lucky. This MOBA is an excellent product and probably, will be considered one of the best multiplayer games on    Being a fan of League of Legends, all I can say is that Guardians of the Middle Earth is a refined product with a tremendous potential.
    This game innovates, and has several improvements when compared to Dota 2, League of Legends and other MOBAs in the market.
    Console players are lucky. This MOBA is an excellent product and probably, will be considered one of the best multiplayer games on XBOX and PS3.    … Expand
  12. jamesweber
    Dec 10, 2012
    9
    I checked it out because HOBBIT is coming out and I have to say, it's a lot of fun. For the price especially, the gameplay, graphics, music, and tiny bit of plotline is very good. And the MP element is great.
  13. smi1ey
    Dec 12, 2012
    9
    Incredibly fun, but limited by it's launch bugs.

    I have never been a fan of DotA, er, "MOBA" games in the past. Well, that's not entirely true, as I picked up Monday Night Combat when it was released on XBLA and still play it to this day. For the record, MNC was probably the first console DotA game out there, but most people missed it as that type of game due to the 3rd person view.    Incredibly fun, but limited by it's launch bugs.

    I have never been a fan of DotA, er, "MOBA" games in the past. Well, that's not entirely true, as I picked up Monday Night Combat when it was released on XBLA and still play it to this day. For the record, MNC was probably the first console DotA game out there, but most people missed it as that type of game due to the 3rd person view. That said, I did enjoy this game immensely, and since I hate using a mouse and keyboard to play games, I have been subliminally waiting for good console DotA/LoL clone to arrive.

    I never expected that game to also use the LotR license!

    After two weeks of playing this game, I am completely hooked. The guardians (champions) are all unique and fun to play, and everything seems shockingly balanced for a launch title. There is currently only one 3-lane and one 1-lane map, which is a little disappointing, but those who play games like LoL know that if you've seen one MOBA map you've usually seen them all anyways. The 3-lane games are fun and very strategic, but the 1-lane games are just ultimate ability spamfests, and are pretty terrible in my opinion. They rely a lot of guardians that have massive AoE damage abilities, and while these guardians are balanced fine in 3-lane maps, they tend to be OP in 1-lane. Simply solution: don't play 1-lane! It's not very fun anyways.

    The game comes with a surprisingly deep upgrade system that relates to filling relics with gems that provide various buffs. The gems unlock as your guardian levels up in each game, and when all the gems in a relic unlock, the relic's larger buff will go into play. This unlocks unlimited possibilities with customization which sees many guardians going above and beyond their assumed class. Sadly, it can also cause some balance issues in games, but as with other MOBA games, it because about finding the best load out for your character, which is part of the fun.

    The biggest issue with GoME right now is the flawed P2P matchmaking. I'm not going to detract score for this, because it is something the developers have actively stated they are working on. Monolith actually designed these game to work around Microsoft's crappy XBLA title update system, so that they can patch the game directly via a cloud update service. This means that updates don't take months to release, but sometimes just days. They release balance fixes for characters all the time, and have a larger patch planned to fix matchmaking issues. The thing is, even with more time spent waiting in queue than playing games, I still have a blast with GoME, which says a lot.

    If you're someone who hasn't jumped into the world of MOBA (Multiplayer Open Battle Arena) games before, and you're a console gamer, give GoME a try. It's a damn solid game, and quite the pleasant surprise.    … Expand
  14. Dacai
    Dec 24, 2012
    9
    Let me start by saying I have no experience with this type of game (not much of a pc-gamer). I'm basing this review on about 6 hours of online play (32inch hd-ready. It's easy to get a basic grip of the game mechanics, partly due to the great tutorial. That being said, I find it hard to master the game. Beyond the basics the game is surprisingly deep in terms of class-building options (aLet me start by saying I have no experience with this type of game (not much of a pc-gamer). I'm basing this review on about 6 hours of online play (32inch hd-ready. It's easy to get a basic grip of the game mechanics, partly due to the great tutorial. That being said, I find it hard to master the game. Beyond the basics the game is surprisingly deep in terms of class-building options (a good thing!). Connections for online play are stable most of the time (though frustrating when they are not). It does take a while (up to three minutes) to get into a lobby, but that should be solved as more people pick up this great game. For let there be no mistake; GOME is a great game... solid tactical gameplay, tons of depth, large character roster and above all lots of fun! So what are you waiting for? Jump in and join the rest of us in our bid for power over middle earth.… Expand
  15. nms1215
    Feb 25, 2014
    5
    This game would be awesome, but it has tons of connection issues. For an online game, you would think that you could complete over half of your games. But no, you just get disconnected, or (if you are lucky) only the rest of the players disconnect. This game is a lot of fun and would be at least 8/10 if the connection issues had a light at the end of the tunnel. But this game was releasedThis game would be awesome, but it has tons of connection issues. For an online game, you would think that you could complete over half of your games. But no, you just get disconnected, or (if you are lucky) only the rest of the players disconnect. This game is a lot of fun and would be at least 8/10 if the connection issues had a light at the end of the tunnel. But this game was released over a year ago and all I hear is that they are getting worse. If you buy this, good luck and do not expect to play many full matches.… Expand
  16. BTCS
    Sep 21, 2013
    10
    The Tolkien lore is great, with cool characters from JRR Tolkiens Middle Earth, which is the grandfather of all Fantasy universes, off which other game worlds just rip off from.
    Lack of stage: solved with mirkwood, the shire etc.
  17. milan21892
    Sep 20, 2013
    10
    One of the best gamne on console since a long time we just need more player and this will be an awesome game so everybody who is a fan of Lol,HoN,DotA or Awesomenauts come play on xbox 360 and youMll have fun!!!
  18. cholin
    Sep 20, 2013
    10
    Really great game, anyone who like MOBA type games, MUST try this one. Everything is there to have a good time or to go competitive. If you've never tried MOBA games, this is a good opportunity to try it out, easy to learn. This is the best 15$ I've spent in a while!
  19. Barnirtz
    Sep 20, 2013
    10
    Finally a great MOBA game for the console. Characters are varied and a lot of customization is available using the loadout system. The character balance is good and the developers are active and will correct anything that's out of balance.

Awards & Rankings

88
#88 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 44 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 44
  3. Negative: 3 out of 44
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Feb 21, 2013
    80
    Guardians of Middle-Earth is an entertaining tactical action RPG, which borrows its basic gameplay from the tried and tested DotA. [Feb 2013]
  2. CD-Action
    Feb 6, 2013
    75
    Not only the first real MOBA game for consoles, but also one of the better ones in this sub-genre. There’s not many flaws I can point out in GoMe. If anything, I doubt its longevity – there are only 22 guardians to choose from and capabilities of building a community are much smaller than on PC. [CD-Action 02/2013, p.42]
  3. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Jan 29, 2013
    70
    Monolith has managed to introduce a relatively difficult genre to consoles, only to fall at the simplest of hurdles. [Issue#94, p.79]
See all critic reviews »