Lord Of The Rings Gets Xbox Announcement That's Too Good To Be True

Fans of The Lord of the Rings are now able to pick up a special bundle featuring two beloved games on Xbox.

Video games based on The Lord of the Rings have been rather divisive ever since Embracer Group bought the rights to develop Middle-earth-based games from Warner Bros.

Tales of the Shire and Return to Moria received mixed reception from critics and players alike, while The Lord of the Rings: Gollum ended up being universally panned.

These games simply didn't hit the same highs the series had during Electronic Arts and Warner Bros. run with the property, and it's unknown if the series will ever recover while under Embracer.

For Tolkien fans who wish to try out a decent Lord of the Rings game though, Xbox has now discounted both titles in the Middle-earth Shadow duology.

What a gem this game was (Monolith Productions)

Middle-earth: The Shadow Bundle is currently available for £5.99 ($6.99) on the Xbox store, down from £59.99. That makes it a total discount of 90%, which is a terrific savings for two of the best Lord of the Rings games released in the last decade.

The bundle includes 2014's Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its 2017 sequel, Middle-earth: Shadow of War.

Both games are set in the same continuity as the Peter Jackson films, in the time period between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings film trilogies.

The series follows Talion, a ranger from Gondor who is stationed at the Black Gate, who bonds with the wraith of the Elf Lord Celebrimbor. Together, the two set out to avenge their loved ones and fight against the forces of Sauron.

These games are particularly noteworthy for featuring the Nemesis system, where the game tracks procedurally-generated Uruk-hai with notable names, personalities, strengths and weaknesses.

Shadow of War was a worthy sequel (Monolith Productions)

The Nemesis system features special dynamic events too. For example, if the Uruk kills the player or survives an encounter with them, they'll be promoted in rank and get stronger. Meanwhile, defeating them can weaken Sauron's army and tweak the events of the game.

It's an aspect of the games that players remember most fondly about them, and an absolutely brilliant way to engage with a game's combat system.

Unfortunately, it seems that we're unlikely to get another game like it for a long time. Warner Bros. patented the Nemesis System in 2016 and won't expire until at least 2036. Despite this, the company hasn't used the feature in any games released since Shadow of War.