The Lord of the Rings has never been tremendously prominent in gaming outside a few scattered entries that happened to make a profound impact. The Lord of the Rings has always been popular as the pinnacle of fantasy storytelling and world-building, and its IP has made for a history of hit-or-miss gaming experiences where not many installments fell into a middling category, either being considered fantastic or lackluster. Licensed and original games alike have been beloved, and therefore the quality of one or the other is no longer predictable.