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[Card Boy]

Developer: Monolith Productions (F.E.A.R, No One Lives Forever, Gotham City Imposters)
Platform: XBLA / PS3 (PSN / PS3 Retail)
Price: 1200 MS Points / $15USD
Genre: Strategy / RPG / MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena)
When: Out now on PSN and XBLA.


Features

• 5 versus 5 engagements with live players or AI combatants

• 36 Guardians from Middle-earth — each with different strengths and abilities

• Purchase items and buffs between matches using in-game currency earned through combat

• Track victories and defeats at any time through stat and leaderboard systems

• Coordinate with allies using in-game voice communication

• Survival mode

Guardians

Videos

2 matches to give you an idea of what the game looks like

IGN Video explaining the game

Day 1 - Pros giving the game a shot (featuring HotshotGG)

Day 2 - Pros feedback on the game

MOBA Mastery # 1 (The Basics)

MOBA Mastery # 2 (The Battlefield)

MOBA Mastery # 3 (Guardian Classes)

MOBA Mastery # 4 (Loadouts)

MOBA Mastery # 5 (Team Strategy)


Screenshots

Retail

The game on PS3 has a retail version in PAL and NA territories.

The retail edition contains a PSN code for the game and pre-paid access to DLC, including characters based on the movie version of The Hobbit. That retail version is in stores now.


Achievements

29 Achievements 400 GS.

Honor in Death 5
Fall on the Battleground

Foe's Bane 5
Achieve a Kill Streak of 3 in any Battlegrounds match

And My Axe 5
Achieve an Assist Streak of 5 in any Battlegrounds match

Drive Them Back 5
Achieve a Multi-Kill of 2 in any Battlegrounds match

Ultimate Vengeance 5
Use an Ultimate Ability to defeat an Enemy Guardian in any Battlegrounds Match

Master Mason 5
Upgrade 3 Towers in any single Battlegrounds match

Rise to the Top 5
Reach Level 14 in any Battlegrounds Match

All Falls Before You 5
Destroy 5 Soldier Upgrades total in Battlegrounds matches

Rally the Troops 5
Build 6 Soldier Upgrades total in any Battlegrounds matches

Win Your Way 5
Win a Custom Match

Rule Them All 10
Win any 3-Lane Battlegrounds or Skirmish match

Warrior's Mettle 15
Win with a Warrior-Class Guardian in any Battlegrounds Match

Strike Hard, Strike Fast 15
Win with a Striker-Class Guardian in any Battlegrounds match

Defend to the End 15
Win with a Defender-Class Guardian in any Battlegrounds match

Enchanted 15
Win with an Enchanter-Class Guardian in any Battlegrounds match

Fortified 15
Win with a Tactician-Class Guardian in any Battlegrounds Match

In Command 15
Use a Tier-4 Command in any Battlegrounds match

Draught of Courage 15
Use 4 Potions in any single Battlegrounds Match

Renowned 15
Earn 20 Guardian Kills in any single Battlegrounds Match

(MVG) Most Valuable Guardian 15
Earn a combined Guardian Kill/Assist Streak of 8 in any Battlegrounds Match

Seasoned 20
Earn 5 Accolades from any single Battlegrounds Match

Collector 20
Kill or Assist a Guardian from each Class once in any Battlegrounds Match

Capture the Power 20
Capture 15 Shrines total in any Battlegrounds matches

Notches in the Axe 20
Earn 50 Accolades total in any Battlegrounds matches

In the Light 25
Play as every Good Guardian once in Battlegrounds matches

Servant of the Shadows 25
Play as every Evil Guardian once in Battlegrounds matches

No Head Left Uncracked 25
Damage every Guardian once in Battlegrounds matches

There And Back Again 25
Win 25 total Battlegrounds Matches

An Unexpected Journey 25
Win 100 Battlegrounds or Skirmish Matches

http://www.xbox360achievements.org/game/guardians-of-middle-earth/achievements/

Reviews

EGM - 9 out of 10
Machinima - 9 out of 10
Gamers Temple - 9 out of 10
ZTGameDomain - 9 out of 10
Gaming Trend - 8.8 out of 10
Gaming Nexus - 8.5 out of 10
Gamers Bliss - 8.5 out of 10
Playstation Lifestyle - 8.5 out of 10
Meristation - 8.2 out of 10
Co-Optimus - 4 out of 5
Hardcore Gamer - 4 out of 5
Gamesradar 4 out of 5
The Escapist - 4 out of 5
Joystiq - 4 out of 5
Official Xbox Magazine - 8 out of 10
games(TM) - 8 out of 10
Digital Chumps - 8 out of 10
PSX Extreme - 8 out of 10
Multiplayer.it - 8 out of 10
Metro GameCentral - 8 out of 10
Game Revolution - 8 out of 10
Game Informer - 7.5 out of 10
Gamer Limit - 7.5 out of 10
Spazio Games - 7.5 out of 10
IGN - 7.5 out of 10
4Players.de - 7.1 out of 10
Eurogamer Italy - 7 out of 10
Gamespot - 7 out of 10
Ripten - 7 out of 10
Gaming Age (GAF) - B
Everyeye.it - 6.8 out of 10
Cheat Code Central - 3.4 out of 5
EDGE - 5 out of 10
Worth Playing - 3.5 out of 10

 

[ShdwDrake]

Looks really slow.

 

[Hazaro]

I find it hard to see the appeal of this title especially on PSN with fewer mics and the fact it costs money.

 

[Drkirby]

Never heard of it before now.

Looking at the gameplay video, the first thing that jumps out is my immediate dislike of the health bar colors. Yours is red, enemies are orange, allies are blue.

Wonder if this could be played with KB/M, not sure how well the direct unit control would translate.

 

[Aaron]

MOBA market on console is untapped, and can't really do F2P on consoles yet, so I think it'll do well. It does look really slow though.

 

[skynidas]

Definitely getting this at retail when it comes out, looks different and i really like Monolith games.

 

[DiscoJer]

MOBA market on console is untapped, and can't really do F2P on consoles yet, so I think it'll do well. It does look really slow though.

Yeah, that's one area where I think Sony has really dropped the ball - making a Everquest based/themed MOBA and putting it on the PS3 (or Vita, for that matter). And in theory, F2P should be doable on the PS3, I think that Eve Online ground shooter is

 

[Joni]

Yeah, that's one area where I think Sony has really dropped the ball - making a Everquest based/themed MOBA and putting it on the PS3 (or Vita, for that matter). And in theory, F2P should be doable on the PS3, I think that Eve Online ground shooter is

As are DC Universe Online and Free Realms.

 

[Lord Phol]

Looks pretty good, enjoy the slower pace actually.

 

[Card Boy]

Looks pretty good, enjoy the slower pace actually.

Same and its probably for the best considering it's a console game and doesn't have the luxury of mouse and keyboard.

Also Witch King is pretty much a carbon copy of Mordekaiser from LoL.

Release date clarification

Warner Brothers sorta, kinda dropped release dates for the various versions of Monolith's Lord of the Rings-flavored MOBA Guardians of Middle-Earth earlier today, but fans were still confused about exactly when the game was going to be out, especially on Xbox 360. So let's set the record straight: The game will arrive on PSN in North America on December 5, and an actual retail version for the PS3 (complete with early access and a full season pass to the DLC) will be out on December 7. On the Xbox 360, there won't be a retail version, and the downloadable version will arrive on December 4.

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/09/guardians-of-middle-earth-release-dates-clarified-out-12-4-on-x/

 

[SillyEskimo]

Looks good to me. However, moba+console=the worst possible community combination I can imagine. I'll probably still check it out when it's on the cheap though!

 

[SamVimes]

Looks kind of boring actually, it's super slow and the disables seem really weak.

Also moba pros = lol pros

 

[K.Sabot]

I would have loved if they got a Dota player or even just 2GD in there to try it.

 

[antiquegamer]

I played this at Pax Prime and it was surprisingly very fun. The control works pretty well for console. There was a bit of balance issue but the game was still in beta.

 

[Nyx]

Looking great, definitely interested.

Oh and consoles already have a MOBA. (which also is a lot of fun!)

AWESOMENAUTS!!

 

[shira]

More moba clones. I can't wait for Star Wars and transformers dota

 

[Card Boy]

Beregond and Felgrom reveal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WLlcYr8f1s

 

[I H8 Memes]

More moba clones. I can't wait for Star Wars and transformers dota

It wouldn't surprise me one bit to see Acti try to make a COD Moba for consoles.

 

[Aaron]

It wouldn't surprise me one bit to see Acti try to make a COD Moba for consoles.

They'd do it with Transformers.

 

[Ken]

sauron or feed

 

[Gowans]

Dota 2 is my fave game of all time, dying for a really Moba game I can 'play' (get angry with) my buds who play on 360.

I can't watch the vids at the mo, how any characters, items etc are there? They all have unique abilities right?

 

[Slamtastic]

More moba clones. I can't wait for Star Wars and transformers dota

Pokemoba

 

[Randdalf]

Last hitting looks horrific.

 

[Card Boy]

I can't watch the vids at the mo, how any characters,

20+ characters at launch according to the interviews i have read.

items etc are there?

No items besides potions, these are items similar to Summoner spells from LoL, I'm unsure if these are single use or on cooldown. The stats system is like Super Monday Night Combat. Each time you level up you press a button to bring up the wheel and select what to level up. You can also upgrade base turrets to spawn more soldiers for example. Also like SMNC it has Runes/Endorsements called "Relics". These are small passive items that add stats, so if you want a Sauron that has lots of HP over damage you can do this. Apparently there are hundreds of Relics to choose from.

They all have unique abilities right?

Yes. 4 Abilities (including an Ultra) and a Passive unique to each hero like LoL.

 

[ThatCrazyGuy]

Transformers moba would be awesome. I've been thinking about this since last year, haha.

Call it's Transformers Universe Arena.

Anyways, I look forward to this. Didn't like LoL.

 

[MonolithAndy]

Ahoy folks, I just wanted to drop in and say hi. I'm Andy, the community manager here at Monolith for Guardians of Middle-earth.

First off, a quick introduction: Hi!
Secondly, if you've got any questions, I'd be more than happy to answer what I can.

 

[I H8 Memes]

Hey Andy!

Got a question for you. MOBA games are well known for their constant need for tweaks to gameplay and balance, how does your team plan to address this on consoles?

 

[dorkimoe]

Hey Andy!

Got a question for you. MOBA games are well known for their constant need for tweaks to gameplay and balance, how does your team plan to address this on consoles?

I assume you will get the same response always given. "it will be heavily updated" and then you will get one patch and never another

I will definitely try this though, looks pretty good. However it does look a little slow, assume thats because its going to be tough to get a fast moba on console

 

[MonolithAndy]

Hey Andy!

Got a question for you. MOBA games are well known for their constant need for tweaks to gameplay and balance, how does your team plan to address this on consoles?

We've built the game in such a way, that we'll be able to respond to feedback quickly. (Think days, rather than weeks.) Essentially, all of the stats live on our side, so we can quickly make whatever tweaks are required!

I assume you will get the same response always given. "it will be heavily updated" and then you will get one patch and never another

I will definitely try this though, looks pretty good. However it does look a little slow, assume thats because its going to be tough to get a fast moba on console

Well, a lion's share of the games often come in close to the 15-20 minute mark, which was the sweet spot we wanted to hit. (Though, that's not to say some games will be faster or slower depending on the game mode and map type.)

Or, if you meant the actual feel of the game itself, we've got a bunch of gameplay on our Twitch channel from PAX Prime. I'd highly recommend checking them out to get a feel for it.

 

[Card Boy]

Hey Andy.

How will the game deal with leavers? Will the leaver get replace by a bot? Or does the game have a late join system and that leavers spot gets filled by another player?

Please don't make Pay only Guardians, by all means charge for every cosmetic skin or every vanity item under the sun but please don't charge for heroes. I would consider it pay 2 win, as selling heroes is selling power. Look at Awesomenauts and Romino and how to do things right. I only say this because I fear the power Warner Brothers has over you guys. Having said that I trust you guys with what has happened with Gotham City Imposters.

Also Andy i feel these areas i have marked in red can be removed from the HUD.

I understand you want to give newer players to the genre more feedback, but please allow these HUD elements to be disabled in the options menu, it's way too cluttered at the moment.

 

[MonolithAndy]

Hey Andy.

How will the game deal with leavers? Will the leaver get replace by a bot? Or does the game have a late join system and that leavers spot gets filled by another player?

If the person leaves a game, whether they got disconnected or left through their own devices, they'll have a short window where they can rejoin. However, if they don't rejoin after a set amount of time, a bot will be put into the game in their place.

Also note that if you leave a game, you'll be unable to rejoin into a new game for a short period of time.

Also Andy i feel these areas i have marked in red can be removed from the HUD.

I understand you want to give newer players to the genre more feedback, but please allow these HUD elements to be disabled in the options menu, it's way too cluttered at the moment.

Copy copy, thanks for the feedback! I'll be sure to pass it along to the devs!

 

[GotchaForce]

I don't play PC games, but love LOTR and enjoyed Awesomenauts so looking forward to this. Funny, LOTR BFME2 was my first RTS now that I think of it.

Might be a dumb question but will this have split-screen?

 

[Card Boy]

Sounds good Andy. I'm alittle disappointed about there being paid only Guardians, since you avoided that question.....

 

[Dynamic3]

Andy, will there be a pre(or post)-release demo?

Thanks.

 

[Card Boy]

Andy, will there be a pre(or post)-release demo?

Thanks.

For XBLA I assume this is a given and mandatory. I take it you're referring to PSN?

 

[Dance Inferno]

This is surprisingly interesting, but I would have to play a demo before making a purchase decision since I don't know how a console MOBA would control.

Coming from LoL though it does look a little bland.

 

[Dynamic3]

For XBLA I assume this is a given and mandatory. I take it you're referring to PSN?

Yes, and hoping if there is one that it comes before the retail release.

 

[MonolithAndy]

I don't play PC games, but love LOTR and enjoyed Awesomenauts so looking forward to this. Funny, LOTR BFME2 was my first RTS now that I think of it.

Might be a dumb question but will this have split-screen?

Unfortunately, there won't be split-screen play. From the beginning, Guardians was designed with a single player on a single screen in mind.

Sounds good Andy. I'm alittle disappointed about there being paid only Guardians, since you avoided that question.....

Sorry about that, I just needed to poke around to make sure I had all the details is all. The game will launch with 20+ Guardians included, and they can be unlocked by just playing the game. (As you finish matches your profile will accumulate gold, which can be used to purchase a number of things, including additional Guardians.)

Andy, will there be a pre(or post)-release demo?

Thanks.

Yep, there will be a trial version available when Guardians launches, both on XLBA and PSN. Trying before you buy = always a good thing.

 

[Chindogg]

Played this at SDCC. Gollum's a freakin beast.

 

[Card Boy]

Sorry about that, I just needed to poke around to make sure I had all the details is all. The game will launch with 20+ Guardians included, and they can be unlocked by just playing the game. (As you finish matches your profile will accumulate gold, which can be used to purchase a number of things, including additional Guardians.)

/bow
/bow
/bow

 

[Card Boy]

Eowyn & Mozgog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6DPBSKTLic&feature=plcp

 

[Isaccard]

As someone just recently getting into the MOBA scene (starting with LoL), I'm looking forward to this.

Any chance we'll see it on PC Andy?

 

[Victrix]

1) MOBA is the worst goddamn acronym

2) MOBA communites are the worst goddamn communities. Combined with console multiplayer communities and this may create a blackhole of suckage so intense it destroys the internet

3) I am a huge lotr nerd and this is relevant to my interests

I loved BFME2 *sniffle*

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Demo on release eh? Will try on 360. How much will the game be? I may try it on 360 but buy it on PS3 due to the friends.

I see, 15USD PSN game, totally on my radar.

 

[Lord Phol]

1) MOBA is the worst goddamn acronym

2) MOBA communites are the worst goddamn communities. Combined with console multiplayer communities and this may create a blackhole of suckage so intense it destroys the internet

3) I am a huge lotr nerd and this is relevant to my interests

I loved BFME2 *sniffle*

Haha amen, too bad I can't stay away from them though . Probably gonna enjoy this while being angry at the same time .

 

[Interfectum]

1) MOBA is the worst goddamn acronym

2) MOBA communites are the worst goddamn communities. Combined with console multiplayer communities and this may create a blackhole of suckage so intense it destroys the internet

3) I am a huge lotr nerd and this is relevant to my interests

I loved BFME2 *sniffle*

aragorn noob reported for feeding

GG uninstall

 

[nicoga3000]

Oddly interested in this...Demo will be played when available!

 

[MonolithAndy]

As someone just recently getting into the MOBA scene (starting with LoL), I'm looking forward to this.

Any chance we'll see it on PC Andy?

Truthfully, we're just focused on the console version entirely. We want to make sure that we get it absolutely, positively right from controls to gameplay, as opposed to fracturing our attention.

So, to that end, nothing official on our end regarding a PC version.

1) MOBA is the worst goddamn acronym

2) MOBA communites are the worst goddamn communities. Combined with console multiplayer communities and this may create a blackhole of suckage so intense it destroys the internet

3) I am a huge lotr nerd and this is relevant to my interests

I loved BFME2 *sniffle*

Be the change you want to see!

Demo on release eh? Will try on 360. How much will the game be? I may try it on 360 but buy it on PS3 due to the friends.

I see, 15USD PSN game, totally on my radar.

Yep, it'll be $14.99 on PSN, 1200 Microsoft Points. (More info in the big, tasty, press release right here should you be interested.)

 

[Card Boy]

So, to that end, nothing official on our end regarding a PC version.

Good choice, the PC market is over-saturated with MOBA games at the moment and the only way to succeed on there is with F2P. The only competition you will have on consoles is Awesomenauts and thats a 2D DOTA, and Monday Night Combat is dead as a dodo.

 

[Card Boy]

Guardians of Middle-Earth - Ori and Agandaur reveal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Q5sCC6s3s

Ori is one of the 12 dwarfs in The Hobbit.