The problem with successful movies is that game developers buy into the franchise and then rush out as many games as they dare based on the original and assume they will make oodles of dosh. Luckily for EA, they struck gold with The Return of the King and The Battle for Middle Earth series so naturally the hunt was on for another lucrative spin-off.

In charge of development this time was Pandemic Studios who were responsible for the hugely popular Star Wars Battlefront series that proved to be a big hit online. Thus Conquest has effectively become Tolkien Battlefront, with the aim of equal importance being given to single player and multiplayer combat.

In the single player mode you choose from one of four classes - warrior, archer, mage and scout - to embark on the War of the Ring which, broadly speaking, follows the storyline of the movies. So you start in Helm's Deep and fight eight battles through Isengard, the mines of Moriah and the Pelennor Fields through to the Black Gate of Mordor itself.

Get the latest Dell Coupons and other computer coupons at CheapStingyBargains.com.

Once that Campaign is complete, you then unlock The Rise of Sauron campaign which is an alternative plot in which Frodo's quest fails and the Dark Lord recovers the One Ring and then embarks on his murderous revenge.

There is a tutorial to bring you up to speed, which takes place in the Second Age when Sauron was last defeated and, if you just want to jump in, then you can opt for the Instant Action choice which opens up 13 maps to enter Team Deathmatch, Hero Team Deathmatch, Conquest or Capture the Ring mode. Yes you can play as a Hero, though why Wormtongue has been included alongside Gandalf, Legolas, Saruman and the Balrog is something of a mystery...

There have been some complaints that the graphics are not as top notch as they should be, but if you're familiar with the movies then the maps are pretty authentic and the larger monsters in particular are suitably impressive, as are explosive effects. The main cause for concern, though, is the whole question of scale.

For a start, the number of combat moves - both single and combo - is very limited, as is the size of the actual combat area. You feel throughout that you're fighting in a tiny side area next to the main action and what's lacking is the feeling that you're in a truly epic battle.

This really comes to the fore in multiplayer mode, which should be the real strength of this game. Online combat is limited to just 16 players in total, which makes the Battle of Pelennor Fields, for instance, feel like playing five-a-side football.

You can still feel like you're having a meaningful skirmish in Middle Earth (they do use some of the original music to help the atmosphere) but additional issues with clipping and map bugs add to the frustration that this could have been so much grander and all-encompassing.

Having had some success with this franchise, EA has now released a third-person LOTR battle game that is less like a full-on Conquest and more like a skirmish in a Hobbit home, despite the attraction of massacring the good guys.