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The catalog of video games based on the one fantasy franchise to rule them all, Lord of the Rings, is massive and goes back well before even the first films were made. The lore of J.R.R Tolkien’s Middle Earth is famously expansive and there really isn’t any limit on characters, historical events, or Lord of the Rings races where a new video game and story could take place.
The most recent addition to LotR‘s game catalog, Return to Moria, focuses specifically on the Dwarves, their culture, history, and pilgrimage back to their sacred territory after a long period of exile following the events of the original film trilogy. This opens up an interesting question about what other games in the future could focus on one particular Middle Earth race and give players a deeper insight into what they’re all about, and there’s no shortage to choose from.
Ents
The towering, sentient tree-like Ents are among the most enigmatic and captivating inhabitants of Tolkien’s creation. A video game centered on Ents could explore their ancient history, the challenges they face, and their enduring struggle against the forces that threaten Middle Earth. The game would have the potential to showcase their unique culture along with the lush, verdant environments they inhabit.
Considering the Ents are known to be slow and generally try to remain uninvolved in many of the conflicts around Middle Earth, the type of genre that may best suit this race would be farming. The farming genre has really taken off in recent years with titles like Stardew Valley anyways, so a Middle Earth-centered game in the genre could be a wonderful addition to the series’ increasingly diverse catalog.
Uruk-Hai
Orcs are fairly often the disposable enemies of Middle Earth games, but the life and history surrounding this brutal race is a lot more complex than it might appear on the surface. The Uruk-hai are the strongest of the orcs and are far more feared for their strength and bloodlust than their underlings. The closest a game has come to really exploring the lives of orcs would likely be The Lord of the Rings: Gollum and that game’s overwhelmingly poor reception would probably lead most players to conclude there’s room for improvement.
A game squarely focusing on Uruk-hai could be an interesting anti-hero narrative or a straight-up villain experience where the player gets to experience pillaging Middle Earth during its darkest period.
Elves
The Elven civilization in Tolkien’s world is one of the most rich, diverse, and profoundly enchanting, which is why it’s surprising they haven’t played a more prominent role in any LotR games up until this point. Elves possess a deep connection to the land along with renowned craftsmanship and combat abilities.
Considering how widespread and diverse the various Elves of Middle Earth are, a game delving deeper into this race could go in almost any direction in terms of genre. Something similar to the Shadow of Morder/Shadow of War titles, maybe even a direct sequel to those games, could be the way to go, especially since fans have been longing for another game in that series for some time now.
Dúnedain
The Dúnedain, descendants of Númenor, possess a rich history and a significant role in Tolkien’s lore. Technically, fans have seen Dunedain to some extent through characters like Aragorn and Talion from Shadow of Mordor/War as they are both descendants of this race. However, without getting too much into complicated Tolkien lore, neither of them are pure Dunedain, a consequence of events preceding the Lord of the Rings books.
A game that travels way back into the history of Middle Earth, kind of like The Rings of Power but even further back, to allow the players to control one of the original Dunedain through an event like the war with Angmar that saw many Dunedain realms die out. It would be an interesting look into one of the foundational blocks that eventually led up to the many events viewers know are coming later.
Easterlings
The Easterlings are a largely unknown group for all but the most dedicated to Tolkien’s Middle Earth lore. The most prominent Easterling ever seen in a Lord of the Rings film is Khamul, one of the most powerful of Sauron’s Nazgul. Their mysterious status and absence throughout a lot of Middle Earth-related content is largely due to the fact that Easterlings inhabit the vast eastern lands of Rhun, which are predominantly unexplored, uncharted, and feared by most living in the lands more familiar to Tolkien fans.
A game exploring the Easterlings and Rhun could then be eye-opening and a fascinating dive into of one of Middle Earth’s most intriguing locations. Open-world would absolutely be the way to go for a game like this to encourage maximum exploration.
