Gather the Fellowship and get ready to set off for the volatile fires of Mount Doom as we check out the best Lord of the Rings games on PS4!
Despite what a huge, multimedia franchise The Lord of the Rings is, video games based on the books, films and other aspects of the series have been relatively thin on the ground in recent years.
During the PS2, PS3, Xbox and Xbox 360 era, when the Peter Jackson movies were still either current or fresh in the minds of fans – and when EA had the license – there were an awful lot more games based on the lore.
Yet there have been a few more recently than that, with Warner Bros using the license in some unusual and interesting – if perhaps, at times, controversial – ways.
Next up is the promising third person, stealth-based adventure game Gollum – which is due on PS4, as well as other formats, in 2023.
But which currently available titles are the best?
Let’s find out, as we check out the best Lord of the Rings games on PS4!
Table of Contents
4. The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game (2019)
The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game kickstarts this list of the best Lord of the Rings on PS4!
Fantasy Flight Games have released some superb tabletop games based on Lord of the Rings. Their track record is great with licensed games in general; check out the number of Fantasy Flight titles that appear on our best Star Wars board games of all time list!
The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-Earth (published in 2019) is a great example, providing an app-powered, brilliant campaign through the world of the books.
Another is The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, which was initially launched way back in 2011, receiving a large number of expansions and even a revised Core set in the intervening years.
It’s that specific card game that PS4 title The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game adapts – and, given that the tabletop version is an incredibly immersive, deep and involving game, it’s actually a genuinely excellent experience with some absolutely stunning artwork.
There’s a lot of moving parts in the card game, however. Plus, having it in front of you on a tabletop, at a glance, is very different to the way the video game version provides everything you need to know at any given time.
It can be quite tough to learn too – though if you can get your head around the way it works and conquer that learning curve, you’re in for a great time!
3. Lego The Hobbit (2014)
Occupying a very high place on our best Lego games list, Lego The Hobbit benefitted from years of refinements of the Travellers Tales Lego game formula.
As such, by the time that The Hobbit came out, gamers had already been treated to a more expansive open world style of game with titles such as Lego Marvel Super Heroes and – naturally – Lego Lord of the Rings.
Though these games – and indeed, The Hobbit itself – still featured self contained missions, the large open world exploration was great fun and, as continues to be expected in the Lego games, cheeky, good natured digs and references to the franchise it was based on featured heavily.
It’s a great game to play in either single player or in co-op multiplayer mode. And what’s more, it’s suitable for the whole family too of course.
Collecting studs in Lego games just never seems to get old; no matter which franchise the license is tied to, they always seem to strike gold – and Lego The Hobbit is no different in that regard, easily earning itself this spot on the best PS4 Lord of the Rings games list!
2. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014)
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor takes the 2nd spot in this list of the best Lord of the Rings games on PS4!
It’s an absolute mystery why the combat system in the Batman ‘Arkham’ games – which you’ll find ranked very highly on our best Batman games list – hasn’t been utilised a lot more, even by Warner Bros Interactive, the publisher of the series.
Though it was put to great use in the superb, underrated Mad Max (which is surely crying out for a sequel!), the only other series that made good use of Arkham-style combat so far has been the Middle-Earth ‘Shadow’ games.
Then again, this first game of the – currently – two available also brought its own stunning innovation to the table, in the form of the Nemesis System.
The Nemesis System produced a random hierarchy of completely unique Orcs, specific to your game and each with their own appearance, personality, strengths, weaknesses and even fears!
When I played through Shadow of Mordor myself, I became so addicted to defeating the various low-ranked Orcs – as well as their superiors – that I ended up spending more time tracking down and battling all of the creatures who filled the ranks of my Nemesis screen than it took to complete the game’s main campaign.
It’s strange then, that the Nemesis System hasn’t been utilised to good effect in any other game; well, except one – as you’ll soon see!
1. Middle-Earth: Shadow of War (2017)
The results are in, and the best Lord of the Rings game on PS4 is Middle-Earth: Shadow of War!
Though somewhat controversial amongst Lord of the Rings enthusiasts – due mostly to its depiction of a canon-stretching, if not outright destroying, Shelob in deliberately sexy human form – this sequel to Shadow of Mordor is an absolutely phenomenal game.
The Nemesis System makes a very welcome return here – just as addictive and unbelievably compelling as it was before, yet this time with even more layers.
In Shadow of War, players can recruit followers, using them in plans to complete various missions – in a more varied open world than was seen in this game’s predecessor.
This included large scale warfare, in which both you and your followers could turn the tide of battles!
Controversy wasn’t just caused by the depiction of Shelob as a sultry human; at launch, the game was riddled with microtransactions and loot boxes, which proved incredibly detrimental and immersion breaking.
However, after sustained, negative feedback from players and the press alike, these elements were stripped out and the game improved immeasurably as a result.
As long as you can overlook the somewhat problematic changes to the established lore, Shadow of War delivers Lord of the Rings action in an incredible way – it feels huge, open and personalised to an impressive degree.
Which is why we here at Retro Dodo have placed it at the very top of our best Lord of the Rings games on PS4 list!
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Jason Brown
Jason – who lives in the UK – has had a lifelong interest in video games, which all started when he discovered Space Invaders in the early 80s. The first game he ever completed was Wonder Boy in Monster Land on the Sega Master System – which remains one of his proudest gaming achievements. Jason is a passionate writer – and has been writing about gaming since the late 90s. He currently runs pop culture blog midlifegamergeek.com, which he updates on a daily basis (and has written more than 700 articles on the blog alone!).
Outside of video games, Jason is a keen tabletop gamer, film buff and comic book fan.
FAQs
Is there a Lord of the Rings game on PS4? ›
The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game (2019) What is this? The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game kickstarts this list of the best Lord of the Rings on PS4!
Which Middle-earth game was better? ›Of the two games, Shadow of Mordor can be considered the better Lord of the Rings game. Despite its flaws, it's still a great title to play for those who enjoy some fun RPG action and the Lord of the Rings universe. On the other hand, Shadow of War does feature some excellent gameplay and a better open world.
What is the most popular game on PS4 right now? ›- PS4. FIFA 21 Standard Edition PS4™ & PS5™ Unavailable.
- PS4. The Last of Us Part II. $39.99.
- PS4. Ghost of Tsushima: Legends. $19.99.
- PS4. NBA 2K21. $59.99.
- PS4. Marvel's Spider-Man: Game of the Year Edition. Extra. ...
- PS5PS4. Watch Dogs®: Legion PS4 & PS5. $59.99.
- PS5PS4. Marvel's Avengers. Extra. ...
- PS4. MLB The Show 20. $19.99.
LORD OF THE RINGS GAMES
J.R.R. Tolkien's legendary fantasy epic comes to life in that put you in command of the armies of Middle-earth. Embark on a real-time strategy campaign through the War in the North in The Lord of The Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II or enter Middle-earth in another Lord of the Rings game.
"Elden Ring has everything that long-time FromSoftware fans have come to love about its games: challenging yet rewarding boss battles, fantastical world design and tight combat controls that make every enemy encounter memorable. But this isn't your average 'Souls' game.
Will Lord of the Rings Gollum be on PS4? ›The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will be released on September 1, developer Daedalic has announced. It arrives that day on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with a Nintendo Switch version coming later in 2022.
What is the top 1 game on earth? ›PUBG, Minecraft, and Apex Legends are among the most popular online games in the world.
What is the best LOTR? ›- #1. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) ...
- #2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) ...
- #3. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) ...
- #4. ...
- The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 1 (2022) ...
- #6. ...
- #7. ...
- #8.
1 Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor (Xbox One) (87)
When it comes to LOTR games rich in terms of presentation and gameplay, Shadows of Mordor for the Xbox One and PS4 reigns supreme. It favors thrilling, enjoyable combat, as opposed to its sequel which gets a bit more convoluted.
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18 PS4 Games That Take The Longest To Beat
- 1 Farming Simulator 19 (143 Hours)
- 2 Persona 5 Royal (103 Hours) ...
- 3 Gems Of War (93½ Hours) ...
- 4 SnowRunner (93½ Hours) ...
What games are hot right now PS4? ›
- Shooter. Evil West.
- Action. Sonic Frontiers.
- Sport. EA SPORTS NHL 23.
- Adventure. Disney Dreamlight Valley.
- Role Playing Games. Valkyrie Elysium.
- Action. OlliOlli World. PS Plus Premium Game Trial available.
- Role Playing Games. Cyberpunk 2077. ...
- Role Playing Games. Soul Hackers 2.
Minecraft has sold over 176 million copies across multiple platforms. It is the best-selling and most popular video game of all time!
What is the newest Lord of the Rings game? ›One of them is certainly The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, a stealth action-adventure from Deadalic Entertainment, which was delayed from a September 2022 release date to a spring or summer 2023 launch.
What is the next Lord of the Rings game? ›Free Range Games have confirmed The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria will launch for Windows PC in 2023.
Will there be a 3rd Middle-earth game? ›Wētā Workshop announce new Middle-earth video game – The Tolkien Society. Video game developer Private Division has announced that it is partnering with Wētā Workshop to produce a video game set in Middle-earth. It is due to be released in 2024.
Why is Elden Ring better on PS4? ›PS4 Pro's superior frame-rate is more noticeable, making it my preference of the two despite leaning into checkerboard rendering - but playing Elden Ring on Xbox One X is a comparable experience overall.
Is Elden Ring hard on PS4? ›Compared to games like that, Elden Ring just isn't very mechanically difficult. Most enemies telegraph their attacks with massive, seconds-long animations that give players plenty of time to react with a well-timed dodge, block, or parry.
What makes PS5 better than PS4? ›The PS5 has some clear upgrades over the PS4, including a more powerful graphics performance, faster loading times and superior cooling. But it also has a few drawbacks too, with the cumbersome design and increased price likely putting many gamers off.
Is the stranger Gandalf or Sauron? ›There's little doubt that the stranger is none other than Gandalf, as many theories suspected all along. There are several concrete reasons for this, paired with some subtle hints and some homages to the grey wizard of previous adaptations.
How old was Gollum when he died? ›| Gollum | |
|---|---|
| Birth | c. T.A. 2430 Near Gladden Fields, Vales of Anduin |
| Death | 25 March T.A. 3019 (aged c. 589) Mount Doom, Plateau of Gorgoroth |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male |
Can you play the hobbit on PS4? ›
Game and Legal Info
Although this game is playable on PS5, some features available on PS4 may be absent. See PlayStation.com/bc for more details.
The highest-grossing video game of all time is Dungeon Fighter Online, which has grossed $20 billion worldwide (mostly in Asia) as of 2022. It surpassed the records held by Pac-Man and Space Invaders, which were the highest-grossing video games since the 1980s.
What is the most popular game in 2023? ›- Video games are inseparable part of this generation kids. ...
- The topmost played popular game in the world is Minecraft. ...
- Call of Duty: warzone stands second in the list.
God is the most powerful entity in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings universe. The Elvish name for him is actually Eru Ilúvatar, meaning “the one, father of all.” So the question becomes: Who is the second-most powerful being? Originally, it was Melkor, “he who arises in might,” the most powerful of the Ainur (or angels).
Who is the coolest character in Lord of the Rings? ›...
- Samwise Gamgee. New Line Cinema.
- Gandalf. ...
- Smeagol/Gollum. ...
- Galadriel. ...
- Aragorn. ...
- Frodo Baggins. ...
- Boromir. ...
- Elrond. ...
Durin III is the natural choice to take possession of the Ring of Thrór, the most powerful of the seven Dwarven rings. In The Rings of Power, he rules the great city Khazad-dûm.
Is LOTR Good vs Evil? ›This classic conflict between forces of good and evil is the driving theme in the world of Middle-earth, and in Tolkien's epic novel. Through the Fellowship's experiences during their perilous quest, Tolkien proposes that evil occurs when individuals fall to the temptation of wielding power for personal gain.
Is Gandalf in Rings of Power? ›On the official Rings of Power podcast, they reminded listeners that there are five known wizards in Tolkien's canon, including Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast, and the mysterious Blue Wizards, Alatar and Pallandro. "We know wizards can be good and bad," Payne said.
What game is most like Lord of the Rings? ›- The Hobbit. ...
- Final Fantasy. ...
- Kingdoms Of Amalur: Re-Reckoning. ...
- Divinity: Original Sin Series. ...
- Dragon's Dogma.
- Ark: Survival Evolved.
- Call of Duty: Warzone.
- Call of Duty.
- Red Dead Redemption 2.
- Final Fantasy XV.
What is the biggest videogame ever? ›
1. Minecraft. First place goes to Minecraft, a sandbox video game that's sold over 176 million copies.
What are hidden PS4 games? ›To prevent others from seeing what you're playing, select Set Online Status > Appear Offline on your profile screen. Go to Settings > Account Management > Privacy Settings, and select Hidden games. Select the games you want to hide.
What are the top 5 most played games? ›- PUBG Mobile (free-to-play) – 1.1 billion (as of December 2022)
- PUBG: Battlegrounds (free-to-play) – 500 million (as of January 2021)
- Peacekeeper Elite (free-to-play) – 70 million (as of May 2019)
- Battlegrounds Mobile India (free-to-play) – 100 million (as of August 2021)
| Year | Game | Genre |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Fallout 4 | Action role-playing |
| 2016 | Overwatch | First-person shooter |
| 2017 | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Action-adventure |
| 2018 | God of War | Action-adventure |
The Battle for Middle Earth was the first Lord of the Rings game that features of a real-time, open world. Players have the choice of fighting for good or evil, commanding the armies of whichever side they choose. Gamers can play with troops of all kinds as they traverse through the battles from the films.
How many games are there in Lord of the Rings? ›While many of them aren't particularly well known, there are almost 50 video games based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
Is the Gollum game real? ›On 24 May 2022, it was announced on the game's official Twitter page that the developers were currently targeting a release date of September 1, 2022 for the Steam service and PlayStation and Xbox consoles. The Nintendo Switch version was announced to be coming on November 30, 2022.
Will there be a Lord of the Rings game for PS5? ›The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is currently expected to come to PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.
Is Lord of the Rings Conquest getting remastered? ›Of course, Conquest Reimagined will be in Unreal Engine 4 which will allow the team to "use the latest technology, photorealistic graphics, improved mechanics" and more. The team also want to add shields with a new unit: "There will be a new type of warrior on the battlefield.
Which Ringwraith is Talion? ›Talion becomes a Nazgul
He then uses the power to contain Sauron's forces in Mordor for as long as he can, but he eventually goes full-on Nazgul, which would make him one of the Ringwraiths that hunts Frodo. “They were once men, great kings of men,” Aragorn tells us of the Nazgul.
Is Shadow of War the end? ›
The main story may be over, then, but that's not the end of the game - the completion of your task and the true ending to the game now await you, but getting there is going to take a lot of work.
Is Gandalf in the Middle-Earth games? ›With his latest appearance, Gandalf is in yet another real-time strategy game. Middle-earth: Shadow of War allows players to unlock various characters from the cast of the Lord of the Rings films including Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, and others.
What platforms have Lord of the Rings? ›You can watch The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies on HBO Max, or Amazon Prime Video U.S. or Canada. If you're outside of the U.S., Canada or a country where HBO Max is available, you can connect to a VPN to stream The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies on Amazon Prime Video or HBO Max.
What platform has Lord of the Rings? ›If you're wondering where to stream Lord of the Rings, HBO Max and Prime Video are your best options.
Is LOTR coming to console? ›Coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, the game is based “on the legendary The Lord of the Rings trilogy of books by J.R.R. Tolkien, [and] tells of Gollum's experiences from behind-the-scenes in the first chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring”, says the publisher.
Is EA making a Lord of the Rings game? ›In the RPG title, players will engage in battle and take up the fight against the great evils of Middle-earth. EA promises “high-fidelity graphics, cinematic animations and stylized art” as well as “immersive storytelling, turn-based combat and deep collection systems” for the forthcoming game.
What is the name of the new Lord of the Rings? ›The new Prime Video series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, tackles the Second Age of Middle-earth, offering viewers the first look at a never-before-seen era in the world of J. R. R. Tolkien.
Is LOTR on Disney? ›Will 'The Rings of Power' Be On Disney Plus? We won't keep you in suspense as 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' will not be streaming on Disney+ in any region. The TV rights to series were purchased by Amazon, and therefore, the series will be available on Amazon Prime Video.
Is LOTR ever on Netflix? ›At long last, one of the greatest adaptations in modern cinema is headed to Netflix. Peter Jackson's epic The Lord Of The Rings trilogy is coming to the streaming service in February. The Fellowship Of The Ring, The Two Towers and The Return Of The King all land on Netflix on Wednesday, February 1st.
How long do hobbits live? ›The race's average life expectancy is 100 years, but some of Tolkien's main hobbit characters live much longer: Bilbo Baggins and the Old Took are described as living to the age of 130 or beyond, though Bilbo's long lifespan owes much to his possession of the One Ring.
Is The Hobbit on any platform? ›
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, an adventure movie starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, and Richard Armitage is available to stream now. Watch it on Prime Video, Vudu, Redbox. or Apple TV on your Roku device.
Which Lord of the Rings is first? ›The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) This movie is the first in the Peter Jackson-directed LOTR trilogy (and the first in Tolkien's three-volume saga) and where we meet Bilbo's nephew, Frodo.
Can you play Lord of the Rings on PS5? ›The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam on September 1, and for Switch later in 2022, publisher Nacon and developer Daedalic Entertainment announced.
What console is shadow of Mordor on? ›Shadow of Mordor was Monolith's first third-person open world video game for the eighth generation consoles PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and de Plater considered its development an educational experience for the studio.
Is shadow of war a LOTR game? ›The sequel to 2014's Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Shadow of War is based on J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. The game is set in between the events of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings film trilogies, from which the game takes inspiration.
What game is closest to Lord of the Rings? ›- ArcheAge. In terms of fleshed out MMO experiences ArcheAge is near the top of the list with an impressive game world filled with adventures, secrets and features around every corner of the fantasy world. ...
- Planet Calypso. ...
- Neverwinter. ...
- Star Trek Online.