The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar

"The game's world is also a bit more low-key than we've come to expect from fantasy RPGs; after spending the last few years riding griffons and summoning elementals to drop meteors, you might expect riding around on regular horses and flinging lighted acorns to be comparatively underwhelming. It isn't. Players obviously can't play as wizards, since Middle-earth only had five of those, but magic here is present in just about everything, though understated and nonspecific (like the Lore-master class' "knowledge of ancient wisdom")...which makes it all the more impressive on occasions when it shows up in full force. The future of the game is less clear. Its economy's still caught in the throes of post-launch chaos, and the level 40-50 PVP zone is still comparatively free of high-level players. A surprisingly large crop of WOW refugees has shown up, but whether LOTRO becomes just another rest stop on the path to the Next Big Thing or a place to set up long-term residence remains to be seen. Roads go ever on."

"...is it worth quitting WoW to play this? The answer to that is... Well, it depends. If you're deeply ensconced in an active WoW guild and enjoying the game, then LOTRO's improvements probably aren't significant enough to drag you away. However, there are many players for whom Azeroth (and Outland) are simply starting to feel tired, and we would whole-heartedly recommend that those players give Middle Earth a shot. What's more, it's absolutely no exaggeration to say that this is far and away the best game for anyone who hasn't played an MMOG before to cut their teeth on. Even more than the familiar universe, the excellent interface and gameplay design Turbine have crafted turn this into an experience which those who have previously avoided the lure of MMOs will find tough to resist."

"The Lord of the Rings Online is a fun and accessible online role-playing game that does just enough to distinguish itself from its high-profile competition."

"After exploring the world and adventuring for a couple of hours we're satisfied with the pace of the action and how many quests were available right from the start. If Turbine can fill the rest of the world with as many things to do, players should be happy."

"...we have to admit that if first impressions are right, it's shaping up to be the first true WoW-beater we've played. Not because it radically changes the WoW formula, but because it uses the exact same formula. Only this time around the formula has been improved, and is now used in a setting that most of us can relate to."