TheLord of the Ringshas dabbled with a plethora of different video game genres over the last few decades, from 1980s point-and-click adventures, to movie tie-in action-adventure games, to large-scale RTS titles, to more recent stealth and survival experiences. Andthe upcomingTales of the Shireis set to bring another new genre to the table.
Set for release in March 2025,Tales of the Shireis fully embracing the cozy life-sim genre, putting players in the well-worn boots of a Hobbit who’s been tasked with turning their village of Bywater into a fully-fledged, prosperous town. From the trailers released so far, it seems as thoughTales of the Shireis going to offer a colorful, breezy gameplay experience. But there are someLord of the Ringsfans who would prefer a more mature adaptation, and a game focused on the Orcs could deliver just that.
An Orc-Focused Game Could Deliver a New Type of Lord of the Rings Experience
An Orc-Focused Game Opens The Door to Different Gameplay Genres
As mentioned up top,The Lord of the Ringshas already dipped its toes into countless different video game genres over the years. That said, there are still quite a few genresLord of the Ringsis yet to try, and a game focused on the Orcs would open the door to many of them.
The primary force of bothMorgoth and Sauron’s dark army, Orcs often appear in overwhelming numbers. This makes them the perfect fit for a few different video game genres. For instance, an Orc-focusedLord of the Ringsgame could follow in the footsteps of class-based shooters likeStar Wars BattlefrontandBattlefield, dividing players into the different Orc factions that inhabit Middle-earth, and letting them choose a class that determines their in-game fantasy weapons and abilities.
The action-strategy genre could also be a perfect fit for an Orc-focusedLord of the Ringsgame. Taking cues fromgames likeOverlord,Mount and Blade, and the more recentKunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, an action-strategyLord of the Ringsgame could see players assume the role of Morgoth, Sauron, or Saruman as they lead their Orc minions against the armies of men, creating new bases and recruiting more followers during their campaign across Middle-earth.
Orcs Pave the Way for a More Mature Lord of the Rings Video Game Experience
No matter the genre it adopts, an Orc-focusedLord of the Ringsgame would probably be able to get away with including more mature themes than most of its predecessors due to the Orcs' inherently brutal nature. TheMiddle-earth: Shadowseriesalready experimented with an M-rating, and while it wasn’t necessarily a major reason behind the game’s success, it did help it to stand out, with it being one of the fewLord of the Ringsadaptations to show uncensored gore.
The desire for another matureLord of the Ringsgame has resurfaced in the absence of a thirdMiddle-earth: Shadowentry and an Orc-focused title could fill that void nicely. AnM-ratedLord of the Ringsgamewould also give the developers plenty of opportunities to show just how sadistic and violent lore-accurate Orcs would be, which is something that’s often been alluded to, but not shown directly in most adaptations.
