J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings never goes out of fashion, as proven by the upcoming Gandalf – Mithrandir official art piece that paints fiction’s greatest wizard in all of his glory. In the next two years, The Hunt for Gollum and Rings of Power season 3 should debut, and the future even holds a new Middle-earth game by Warhorse Studios, the developer responsible for Kingdom Come: Deliverance. In fact, the franchise’s gaming output over the last decade leaves a lot to be desired, with Return to Moria being the only decent drop in the 2020s so far. Gandalf the Grey, or Gandalf the White, also seems to be taking a sabbatical from video games, as the OP mage barely ever makes an appearance nowadays.
Although something new would be greatly appreciated, history is filled with awesome LOTR games with a playable Gandalf, and across a myriad of genres as well. As we wait for Warner Bros. to finally announce a new Shadow of Mordor game, or for that Gollum remake everybody wants, let’s take a trip through memory lane by embodying the walking magical nuke known as Gandalf.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Action Mage Gandalf: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Gandalf The White, The One Wizard Army
Let’s get the blockbuster recommendation out of the way, and EA gets us started. Officially based on Peter Jackson’s films, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Return of the King defied the standard practice for licensed tie-in games by delivering genuine quality, and both of them should be played by any fan. In the home console versions, Gandalf only features in ROTK as a playable character, being 1 of 8 available options. Almost feeling like a musou title at times, the 2003 game makes you feel like a true powerhouse wizard who can change the tide of battle single-handedly.
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If you want to become Gandalf the White and live through his glory at Minas Tirith, The Return of the King must be the first game you play, and it aged pretty well, too. I tend to be wary of recommending older B-tier games since they might be better left to memory, but I revisited both The Two Towers and ROTK recently and found they hold up surprisingly well. They show their ages, of course, but they manage to be consistently fun.
The Grand Strategy Wizard: The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth 2
Gandalf The White, One Wizard In An Army
Putting aside mobile games, 2006’s The Battle for Middle-earth 2 was the last official LOTR strategy game, a frustrating fact considering the franchise was on a bit of a run and fits the genre like a glove. Still, War of the Ring and the two TBFME games hold up as stellar experiences that can be enjoyed by both LOTR and RTS (or grand strategy) fans.
Although I also recommend playing the older entries, The Battle for Middle-earth 2 serves as a brilliant entry point for anybody craving a deep dive into The Lord of the Rings‘ strategic history. Now, Gandalf acts as a powerful hero unit for the Men of the West faction, although you need to work to earn the right to use the legendary Maiar wizard. Before that, you get to lead a massive army through the northern fronts of the War of the Ring.
Gandalf’s Co-Op Sandbox Stroll: LEGO The Lord of the Rings
A Charming, Lighthearted Lord of the Rings Story
With LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight doing really well, this franchise seems set to last forever and a day. While its structure can feel a bit dated nowadays, LEGO The Lord of the Rings might still be the best game of this ilk, particularly if we stick to the movie tie-in releases. Not only does it come packed with an absurd amount of content and playable characters, but the campaign covers the LOTR surprisingly well, while still delivering that good-old LEGO silliness.
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From the movie universe to the books, there are some great games based on The Lord of the Rings that feature new stories.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King supports 2-player local co-op for anybody looking to play through a relatively linear storyline; in comparison, the LEGO game opts for a more sandbox design that encourages you to mess around and just have a good time existing in the most family-friendly version of Middle-earth. Personally, I prefer ROTK‘s co-op, but LEGO handles it well and can be purchased through Steam, making it way more accessible than EA’s delisted games from yesteryear.
RPG Guest Star Gandalf: The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age
What If LOTR Became Final Fantasy?
OK, time for a real throwback, and I am genuinely sorry that so much of this article features hard-to-get games from the early 2000s. Still, you can find these titles if you look in the right places (second-hand video game stores, I mean). The most obscure of the bunch, The Third Age puts LOTR through the turn-based RPG filter, taking quite a few lessons from Japanese greats like Final Fantasy.
The campaign follows another fellowship as they run through a quest concurrent to the canon story, and their journey occasionally features an appearance by everyone’s favorite Wizard. You don’t get to play as Gandalf very often, but each of his battles feels special because of that fact. Also, the mage only appears sporadically in the movies/books, so this game’s use of him makes perfect sense.
