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There aren't many game concepts that could immediately excite me as much as a Lord of the Rings RPG from the developers of Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It's a perfect pairing. My only concern is that Warhorse Studios' talent might be wasted on a game that's on the periphery of The War of the Ring.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance and its sequel are exceptional in many ways, but Warhorse's thorough realization of 15th-century Bohemia and its slice-of-life quest writing are two standout facets that make the studio's upcoming Middle-earth RPG so promising. J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium is both vast and deep; we don't need to keep rereading The Lord of the Rings.
Warhorse Studios Should Explore Middle-earth's History
KCD and KCD2 are outliers in the roleplaying genre, eschewing its classical medieval fantasy settings by simply dropping the fantasy half. It's a medieval RPG series where a huge part of the appeal is embodying a nobody. KCD's main character is Henry of Skalitz, a blacksmith's son who occasionally bumps elbows with notable, historical personages by almost pure coincidence. He happens to get caught up in consequential sagas in Wenceslas and Sigismund's war for the Bohemian throne, but he's more often helping townsfolk with personal problems.
Even main quests concerning the royal court are often little more than a facade to interact with and learn about medieval peasantry. In KCD2, for example, Henry at one point sets out to find evidence of Sigismund's mint master defrauding the crown, but the quest is more or less an excuse to give you a history lesson in metallurgy, from mining to smelting to minting. Even when the stakes are potentially consequential to the realm, Warhorse instead creates drama from the mundane.
Combined with light survival and simulation elements, KCD has an emphasis on taking the time to be an active participant in the game world. Henry isn't destined to be a hero, but he may still end up becoming one, in his own way, and it's this sort of framing that has fans of Warhorse's work eager to see the studio's take on Middle-earth. Tolkien's world is extensive, steeped in tradition and history, yet stories within it are most often centered around the end of the Third Age and The War of the Ring.
Warhorse's Middle-earth RPG Shouldn't Be Concerned With The One Ring
Putting me in the shoes of a Gondorian as Sauron's power waxes sounds great, as do any number of similar scenarios throughout Middle-earth, but there's a certain unsatisfying predictability. That particular story would culminate in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, and while a different perspective definitely offers value, familiarity is almost antithetical to what makes Warhorse's games tick. Going back a few centuries or millennia would be much more conducive to Warhorse's militant immersion.
I'm an LOTR fan, but I'm not extensively versed in its history like some. I have a vague idea of Númenor's decline – let me experience it and the hardships of the Dúnedain settling in Middle-earth in the Second Age. Make me a nobody during the War of the Last Alliance. There's so much to learn about in Warhorse Studios games, and the opportunity shouldn't be wasted on the time period we've seen depicted from every angle already in The Lord of the Rings franchise.
I want to get in trouble with the minor nobility, chat with an elf who can't decide if they want to sail to the Undying Lands, drink with a dwarf whose claim is disputed. Kingdom Come: Deliverance and its sequel are so special because of how laboriously constructed its setting is, how convincingly you've become Henry, a blacksmith of little note. It would take away a lot of the broader mystery if you happened to cross paths with a member of the Fellowship, and I hope the game being referred to as an RPG in Middle-earth is a good sign that we won't be retreading The Lord of the Rings.
