If DotA was set in John R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy universe, it would have been Guardians of Middle-Earth. This multiplayer-oriented game unites players in teams of up to five to battle against each other on an arena, or to fight an AI-controlled team of the same size.
The game offers more than 30 playable characters, mostly from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, including Bilbo, Sauron, Legolas, Gandalf, and Gollum. Their design is based on Peter Jackson’s movie series. There are also several characters that don’t appear directly in movies or books, such as Arathorn, father of Aragorn. All characters are divided into “good” and “evil” factions to preserve a semblance of continuity behind the battles, so that Kili wouldn’t have to fight Thorin, for example. Treacherous Saruman can join either side.
The goal of each team is to destroy the enemy base that is protected not only by the opposing players but also by defense towers. Gameplay in Guardians of Middle-Earth has a distinct “RTS” feel to it. Both teams’ bases regularly spawn “minions” who join players in the fight, making the game more about clashes of armies than duels between individual champions. The RPG element is minimal, and there are no in-game items or upgrades.