The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth Review

Our review of the Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth. Timestamps here:
00:18 - Overview
01:33 - Hero gameplay system (basic / character / class cards)
02:49 - Skill tests
05:28 - Party construction & Classes
06:29 - Thoughts on the App
08:27 - Games that it draws it's inspiration from
08:53 - Criticisms of the game
10:12 - Criticisms from a Tolkien geek
11:44 - Favorite parts (finalish thoughts)
12:23 - Damage, death, and fail forward
13:29 - Conclusion & outro

[arteverywhere]

Board Game Geek should pay you money to teach the game. This was better than anything I have seen. Thank you.

[copychef]

Solid review. So happy I found this channel.

[renatomauri]

probably the best review I have seen about JiME, deep and clear. Congratulations

[billwhitteaker]

Well done review. Mine showed up today (could not resist the pre-order) and now more excited to play this weekend.

[IoStation]

Great review man! Not many BG reviews satisfy me these days, but you are on the right track here! Subbed and thank you!

[MrDharda]

I'm really on the edge on this one, for 80€ I would not doubt... but 100 it looks like too much for the content. But thanks for the video! Really well explained and made me more like it to buy it xD

[twistedone]

Can't wait my copy comes tomorrow and this weekend gonna play it with my friends.

[tyrussleightholme]

I thought this game was going to be really boring from watching videos. But when I finally played it it imo is actually quite fun. It definitely has a style you have to like. You are constantly resetting (shuffling) your skill deck but it was very fun for me. Only thing was side quests were odd and we just won by surviving and eventually pushing a button in the app that said "you've won" which felt Weird... I didn't know we were about to win or how it just happened

[guanoape]

Thanks for this review, can't wait to get a copy and play the hell outta of it! Two things I want to respond to. 1, with regards to the characters not necessarily being in-sync with the established timeline; I see it as something similar to Star Wars Rebellion. Meaning that you are playing the characters and inhabiting the world, but you're making your own stories instead of following the ones that have already been told. And 2, when it comes to enemy figure variety, it looks like they are doing something similar with what they did in Imperial Assault/Descent, where you get the unique figures in future Figure Packs and until then the unique enemies will be represented by generic figures(instead of tokens like in IA/Descent), it kinda sucks, but from a production standpoint I can see why they're doing it this way. Cheers!

[michaelbrewer]

Each time you come to a "Last Stand" with your character it becomes harder to overcome. So you don't want to die early in a campaign as later on your last stand attempt, maybe in a critical need to win way, might be out of reach to win the skill check.

[aorakis]

hi there !

as you said here, can't agree more !

To me, the game should have been around complete noob "heroes" that somewhere on the road of the campaign, might get in touch with those big names of the saga !

Just as star wars - assault on the empire.

Where your are playin' perfect stranger.

That would allow you not to think "euuuh wait... am i'm hunting a rabbit for a lost farmer between 2 orcs and Goblins fights... ?"

Coz that's not how i see Aragorn Legolas and gimli along the way of their journey...

Also. Can't agree even more on the missing of "single missions" to play !

With the poor and empty box that makes you feel like you paid 50$ in excess for the game...

At least having some "quick missions" to play should be a basic content of the game !

Then... As you said... Why ... ? NOT having the possibility of replaying a mission... ? WHY FFG ... ?

Those are the major points for me that make this game just "middle ... good" for fan only !

Where it could be amazingly much better... !

keep up the good works !

For Middle Earth !

Stay safe out there


Cheers from belgium

[jonathanrector]

How did you find the combat between enemies? I've heard people suggesting that enemies don't really feel 'different'. Just more so ranged or melee, and then different kinds of shields. Have you felt this way?

[jeffreyquinn]

What are those Tolkien boxes on the shelf behind you with the cartoon art? Games or books?

[jasona]

The easy setting is way too hard.
I play this with my 8 year old and... would be mor enjoyable if it didn't feel like fear and damage was coming down on us like an avalanche

[BrianAThomas]

So the app does allow for the flow of several campaigns at once? I can have a solo one going, one with my kids, then one with the local Board Game group?

[trilliank.]

Oh I have another question how to organize the map parts so they can be set up as fast as possible.

[DrakkanWoW]

Here's my question about an app used for a game like this - at what point do you just say, I wish this was a full game on an app? IE, if you are using the app to map your movement and everything why not just play a board game like video game instead? I feel like that would be constantly nagging me with a game like this. Any thoughts?

[Alexander_Kunitz]

Nice review! I was curious to learn a bit more on the app. Would you be able to use the game through the browser, or do you have to download it through a digital storefront (Google Play, App Store, Steam)?

[jamessblues]

I'm a big Tolkien fan.. Will I be disappointed with this aspect ? Thanks fir the review I enjoyed it

[goldengriffon]

Nice video, but despite everyone seemingly enthusiastic about this game I just can't bring myself to even give it a try. I found it unpunched in a thrift store for $8, and I still can't even bring myself to try it. I downloaded the app and fiddled with it, and was immediately turned off. It's just not the sort of experience I want. Oh well.