Top 25 LOTRO Videos OF ALL TIME!

After two years and hundreds of hours of research it is finally time to release my list of the top 25 LOTRO videos of all time!  The rankings are based on story, editing, visuals, music, emotion and overall composition.

 

25. The Tale of Dynnagon and Ircine Trailer

The best PvMP trailer ever.

 

24. Lore-Master

This is one of the best class trailers for LOTRO.

 

23. Last Watch

Last Watch tells a truly heroic story that pulls at the heartstrings.

 

22. Riders of Rohan Launch Trailer

The narration by Gríma juxtaposed to what is actually happening in Rohan is so powerful in this trailer.  This is easily one of the best trailers for LOTRO.

 

21. Windy Acres Ranch Horse Racing

This trailer really captures how much fun horse racing can be in LOTRO and it is put to the right song for the event.

 

20. Through the Mines: A Mad World

Who would have ever thought this song would work so well at capturing the feeling of Moria.  The excellent visual application of images to the song really helps sell the experience.

 

19. The Call: A Hobbit Journey

This machinima does a great job portraying the emotional struggle a hobbit goes trough when they decide to have an adventure.

 

18. The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey Trailer

I honestly didn’t think The Hobbit trailer could be done well in LOTRO but clearly I stand corrected.  The replication of shots and character cosmetics is truly amazing.

 

17. Would You Be My Minstrel

Would You Be My Minstrel is one of the best original songs for LOTRO and the music video is really well done.  I have likely listened to the song over 100 times and it is still great every time.

 

16. Time-Lapses

I am pretty sure I could watch time-lapses of LOTRO all day long.  This video showcases some of the most beautiful shots LOTRO has to offer.

 

15. Lieutenant of Dol Guldur

It was such a creative idea to have a trailer telling the auto-biography of a Nazgûl.  I hope whoever made this trailer got a raise.

 

14. Durin’s Folk: Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!

This video is easily one of the best kin trailers ever.  It does a great job showing how a group of dwarves would be in Middle-earth.

 

13. Where The Tale Ends

This video is one of the most beautiful and artistic videos for LOTRO.

 

12. Middle-earth

This fan trailer has such high quality and scope that it could be used as an official trailer for LOTRO.

 

11. Trucido in Tower of Orthanc

This trailer showcases how awesome and challenging a raid can be in an MMO.  Game advertisers should showcase their game’s content like this trailer showcases Tower of Orthanc.

 

10. Curse of Harperella

The Curse of Harperella has more special effects than any of the other videos on this list.  With extra enemies, moving mouths and at times entire sets created to better tell the story, it is clear a lot of effort went into creating this short film.

 

9. The Ride of Eorl

Featuring an obnoxious number of players, this video does a great job telling one of the better stories from the books and the story is told with a good song.

 

8. The Shire

I don’t think you could feel more in the Shire without going to New Zealand.  The song used in the video is the perfect fit and really draws you into Middle-earth.

 

7. The Last of the Giants

I am almost positive there is not a better video about Ents in the world than The Last of the Giants.

 

6. Payback

Revenge always makes for a good story, even in Middle-earth.  Containing a training montage, special effects and a superb use of emotes, Payback is a great LOTRO video.

 

5. Bain Ennorath – Beautiful Middle-earth

Beautiful Middle-earth indeed!  From the breathtaking Lake Evendim time lapse to the glow of Lothlórien, this video reminds me instantly why I love LOTRO.  It has fantastic visuals put to great music.

 

4. Eurielle – Song of Durin

A beautiful song, great imagery, a good story and it all comes together to make a fantastic video.

 

3. Beyond The Infinite Mind

A beautifully abstract video that truly lives up to its title.  Beyond The Infinite Mind goes beyond what I thought was possible in a LOTRO video.

 

2. No Return

No Return tells a simple, yet incredibly emotional story and tells it very, very well.  It has a good music track that works well with the video and uses cross-fades and general editing techniques to enhance the story.  The use of environmental color palettes to reflect the state of the character and the use of well-timed emotes really sells the story and furthers the pull on your emotions.

 

1. Morning Never Came

When watching Morning Never Came, I completely forget I am watching a LOTRO video and instead I am fully pulled into the created world.  The story, music and editing are all amazing.  With one beautiful shot after another, this video is the best LOTRO video I have ever seen.  If LOTRO ever makes another trailer, I hope it is made by this content creator.

Thank you all for supporting this series and thank you to the LOTRO community for making so many great videos.  This series would not be possible without your passion for the game.

You can view all LOTRO Video Highlight articles here.