The Lord of the Rings Online vs Watch Dogs
The Lord of the Rings Online is a mmorpg open-world game from Standing Stone Games (2012) while Watch Dogs is an action-adventure open-world game (2014).
Quick answer: Watch Dogs rates higher, 7.3 to 7.1 on the GamingPickz Score, and The Lord of the Rings Online is the cheaper at Free.
What each one is
The Lord of the Rings Online is filed under Mmorpg and Open-World. In contrast, Watch Dogs under Action-Adventure and Open-World.
Join the world’s greatest fellowship of players in the award-winning online re-creation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendary Middle-earth.
In today's hyper-connected world, Chicago operates under ctOS, the most advanced computer network in America.
Story, characters and reception
Plot
The main or "Epic" storyline is told across "Volumes", which are released in "Books" consisting of a series of quests called "Chapters". Volume I: Shadows of Angmar The first Epic Volume starts shortly after Frodo and his friends have left the Shire . The player arrive at Bree , where they become acquainted with Aragorn and Gandalf and get involved in the larger affairs of Middle-Earth . (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception The Lord of the Rings Online received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic . GameDaily awarded the game 9/10, praising its rich, fantasy-themed universe, well-integrated trait and title system, and a story that remains true to the works of Tolkien. Yahoo! (Wikipedia)
Plot
The Watch Dogs games take place in fictionalized versions of real-life cities that have implemented ctOS. Watch Dogs is set in the Chicago area , Watch Dogs 2 in the San Francisco Bay Area , and Watch Dogs: Legion in Greater London . While the first two games take place during modern times, Legion is set in the "near future" (circa 2030), depicting significant advancements in technology. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Watch Dogs received generally positive reviews despite criticism aimed at certain technical issues, the discrepancy in graphical quality between marketing and the real game, narrative, and protagonist. It sold more than 10 million copies by the end of 2014. Watch Dogs 2 received generally positive reviews upon release, with critics generally regarding it as an improvement over the original game. (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| The Lord of the Rings Online | Watch Dogs | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.1/10 | 7.3/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (81%, 23,171) | Very Positive (80%, 52,443) |
| Critic aggregate | 86/100 | 77/100 |
| Price | Free | $19.99 |
| Install size | — | 25 GB |
| Steam Deck | playable | playable |
| Released | 2012 | 2014 |
| Developer | Standing Stone Games | — |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
The Lord of the Rings Online vs Watch Dogs, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
The Lord of the Rings OnlineMmorpg open-world gameWatch DogsAction-adventure open-world gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
The Lord of the Rings OnlineFree to Play, MMORPG, Massively MultiplayerWatch DogsOpen World, Hacking, ActionThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
The Lord of the Rings OnlineScore 7.1 · 81% on Steam · 86 criticWatch Dogs ✓Score 7.3 · 80% on Steam · 77 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
The Lord of the Rings Online23,171 reviewsWatch Dogs52,443 reviews · 4 add-ons · 25 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
The Lord of the Rings Online ✓FreeWatch Dogs$19.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
The Lord of the Rings OnlinePlayableWatch DogsPlayableValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Across the rounds a number can settle, it is level at 1 each. Which one is "better" is the part no figure decides, so we leave it to what you want from the two.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueThe Lord of the Rings Online and Watch Dogs on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- Multi-platform
- PC
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Watch Dogs (GamingPickz Score 7.3)
- The cheaper right now: The Lord of the Rings Online (Free)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: Watch Dogs (52,443 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
Open WorldRPGAdventureMultiplayerActionCo-opThird PersonSingleplayer
Where they differ
Free to PlayMMORPGMassively MultiplayerFantasyCharacter CustomizationBased On A Novel
HackingStealthThird-Person ShooterShooterAtmosphericParkour
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, The Lord of the Rings Online is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Watch Dogs is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| The Lord of the Rings Online | Watch Dogs | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | — | DirectX 11 graphics card with 1 GB Video RAM - Nvidia Geforce GTX 460 |
| Minimum CPU | — | Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 @ 2.66Ghz |
| Minimum RAM | — | 6 GB |
| Install size | — | 25 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: The Lord of the Rings Online · Watch Dogs.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for The Lord of the Rings Online and 1 for Watch Dogs. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are The Lord of the Rings Online and Watch Dogs in scope?
The Lord of the Rings Online has drawn 23,171 Steam reviews. Watch Dogs has drawn 52,443 Steam reviews, ships 4 add-ons and installs in 25 GB.
Is The Lord of the Rings Online or Watch Dogs better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Watch Dogs rates higher (7.3 to 7.1). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, The Lord of the Rings Online or Watch Dogs?
The Lord of the Rings Online is cheaper right now at Free, against $19.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Should I get The Lord of the Rings Online or Watch Dogs?
Watch Dogs rates higher, 7.3 to 7.1 on the GamingPickz Score, and The Lord of the Rings Online is the cheaper at Free. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
All comparisonsHow we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.