Players control heroes or villains from the famous Lord of the Rings movies. With hero characters similar to the Warcraft series, you control both armies and all unique heroes. The game closely follows the movies and even features scenes from the films. The game includes not only a massive campaign where you play the journey of the ring as the good side, but also an evil campaign where players take on the role of the dark forces of Middle-earth. With multiple different races from across Middle-earth, a gigantic spell tree to customize your game, and a unique layout of core structures, the game was outstanding for its time.