The Lord of the Rings is such a rich and immersive fantasy world that it really makes a lot of sense that it works in so many different mediums and contexts. The original book, and the litany of texts that were published after author JRR Tolkien’s death lay out thousands of years of history, and it’s the perfect breeding ground for new creators to step into to build their own experiences within it.
Over the years, video games have been no exception, with everything from direct movie tie-in releases (which were fantastic in their own right) to Final Fantasy-style turn based RPGs and sprawling open-world titles like Shadow of Mordor/War. Now, a new game is on the way that offers a whole new take on the franchise, and it looks like one that will remain remarkably true to its roots.
As first reported by ComicBook.com, fans have just been given their first opportunity to see exactly what the developers at Stone Blade Entertainment have been cooking up with The Lord of the Rings: Ascension, which brings the beloved fantasy series into the ruleset of the existing Ascension deckbuilding game.
In showing the project for the first time, the developer shared the following insight:
“The Lord of the Rings™: Ascension™ is a deckbuilding game for 1–4 players that takes you on an adventure through Middle-earth across three interconnected Ascension sets. It features the beloved mechanics of the Ascension Deckbuilding Game, reimagined to capture the wonder of The Lord of the Rings, from its legendary heroes and villains to the corruption of The One Ring. The fate of the world hangs by a thread.”
The really interesting thing is that the game allows you to take your own approach to the events of the trilogy. You can absolutely rally the free peoples of Middle-earth to fight, or you can turn towards the darkness and Sauron himself, gaining ultimate power at the cost of many lives.
Equally, the developer has looked beyond a simple film adaptation to the far deeper events of the books, including cards and characters that you will only know if you have read those (like the Barrow Wights). The new release is set to hit GameFound later this year, so make sure to keep up with the project on there if you are interested.
In even more exciting news, this isn’t the only upcoming LotR project that fans can look forward to in the future. There’s a major open-world RPG in development right now, with rumors swirling of major financial backing from the Middle East and potentially Kingdom Come Deliverance developer Warhorse Studios taking the proverbial reigns.
If that ever sees the light of day, it could easily be one of the coolest Lord of the Rings games to date, so fingers crossed it doesn’t run into any major issues between now and release.
- Created by
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J.R.R. Tolkien
- Cast
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Norman Bird, Anthony Daniels, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Morfydd Clark, Mike Wood, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Charlie Vickers, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards, Sara Zwangobani, Daniel Weyman, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Lenny Henry, Brian Cox, Shaun Dooley, Miranda Otto, Bilal Hasna, Benjamin Wainwright, Luke Pasqualino, Christopher Guard, William Squire, Michael Scholes, John Hurt
- Character(s)
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Frodo Baggins, Gandalf, Legolas, Boromir, Sauron, Gollum, Samwise Gamgee, Pippin Took, Celeborn, Aragorn, Galadriel, Bilbo Baggins, Saruman, Aldor, Wormtongue, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Nori, Dori, Ori, Tauriel, King Thranduil, Smaug, Radagast, Arondir, Nori Brandyfoot, Poppy Proudfellow, Marigold Brandyfoot, Queen Regent Míriel, Sadoc Burrows
