The Lord of the Rings Conquest is a video game developed by Pandemic Studios and published by Electronic Arts. It is based on The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and borrows much of the gameplay mechanics from Pandemic's Star Wars: Battlefront games. The game allows the player to play as both the forces of good and evil, but unlike The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth, the latter option is based around Sauron stopping the One Ring from being destroyed and fighting back.
Pandemic was aided by Weta Digital in developing the game. They provided many of their digital models, including the fell beasts. Pandemic also used elements that were cut from the films, and have taken inspiration from the novel, such as a level based around Balin's conquest of Moria. Some inspiration was less direct: the heroes decide not to attack Minas Morgul, so a level was based around conquering that city as if they did. The game uses Howard Shore's score to the films.
There is both a Good and an Evil campaign, varying greatly in storyline. The good plays out as the films do and the evil plays out as though Frodo had never destroyed the ring. The good campaign continues with loosely-based settings from the films, such as the Battle of Isengard as an Ent, Gandalf fighting Saruman at Orthanc, battling the Balrog in the Mines of Moria, battling the Nazgûl as Aragorn while protecting Frodo, battling at the Pelennor Fields as a Rohirrim cavalry soldier while destroying Siege Towers, battling at Helm's Deep, fighting at the Black Gate with Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli or Gandalf while defending your position, fighting with Shelob as Samwise Gamgee and fighting inside Minas Morgul.
The Evil Campaign is available after finishing the Good Campaign, and shows what would happen if Frodo failed to destroy the One Ring in an alternate story. Players will have the chance to fight as a Nazgûl that must kill Frodo, Oliphaunts at the Pelennor Fields, as Trolls at Helm's Deep, as the Balrog in Moria, as the Nazgûl against Aragorn at Weathertop, against the Shire, and lastly, as Sauron himself against Rivendell. Both campaigns are narrated by Hugo Weaving, who played Elrond in Peter Jackson's films and also narrated The Battle For Middle-Earth II. In addition to the locations mention above, other locations of Bree, Cirith Ungol and Gap of Rohan have been included.
