We all love Starcraft. It sits alone alone atop the majesty that is RTS greatest.
But, who is its successor? Some might say Red Alert, others Command and Conquer. But, I gleefully break from the curve by announcing Battle for Middle Earth 2 the second best RTS of all time.

           Before you throw tomatoes at me, I ask, have you played it? If not, feel free not to argue. In the rare case that you have, think back... The music was perfectly orchestrated and synced to every unit-based decision. The care taken, when any unit was moved or used in combat was astonishing. The soundtrack was in my opinion is the best in the history of gaming (granted with cinematic'ly-derived help). The unit responses, were incredibly deep and inexplicably based on the situation, if you were headed back to your base, your units would say as much, if they were overwhelming an enemy, both the unit-response and the music would affix themselves to that reality.

           But, it doesn't end there. The combat was not only beautifully realized with clever animations, but populated with units that were painstakingly ripped from the pages the evasive Tolkien lore. Each unit drips with not only personality, but also authenticity. At not point do you feel like you're playing the translation of a book to code, but that you're playing the inevitable realization of what Tolkien meant when he wrote of the Three-Army-War.

          Not only this, but your units work along side the most well thought out heroes in RTS history. Most of the time, heroes are either rush bots, or they are overbearingly HP'd units. In LOTR BFME 2 they are not only your best units, they are also the hinge on which war swings. At any moment Heroes can win or loose you the battle. But, in this same way, the earned-powers of the player, provide him with the power to destroy worlds.

         Some RTS matches can at times last forever, with forces equally strong, lead by commanders of equal skill, in which a distant resolution is their only hope for reprieve. Not only does LOTR BFME 2 cultivate this feeling, it also brings its resolution home quicker, and more cinematic'ly than any RTS in recent memory.

        In a war this grand, no aerial bombing would suffice, only summoned Watchers, Rohirrim, and dragon gods would suffice. No game in RTS history has taken as much pleasure in wiping entire armies off the map as LOTR BFME 2. The game can change on the width of a dim, and swing back on the swiftness of a click. Is this unfair to the overly skilled? Probably, but is it intoxicatingly fun? Yes.

        Is it the most refined, balanced RTS of all time? No. But, you will never forget the experience you had with the forgotten masterpiece of the RTS genre. Do yourself a favor and play it.