Lord of the Rings: Guardians of Middle Earth
Warner Bros
PS3, Xbox 360
***
Trust the fantasy gamers to make things complicated with excessive use of acronyms. From WoW (World of Warcraft, of course) to MMORPG (that'll be Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games), there's a dungeon full of terms to understand to avoid being laughed at in the wizards' guild. They were largely restricted to PC users because of issues with unfeasibly complex controls your average DualShock couldn't handle, but one has now ventured into the console kingdom, and it's done so with perhaps the best-known assortment of elves, dwarfs and jewellery-obsessed dark lords.
In Lord of the Rings: Guardians of Middle Earth (or LotR: GoME if you want to stick with the theme), we have a MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena), basically a never-ending series of massive RPG-style fights. There's no storyline, no discernible plot to speak of; the game simply revolves around giant battles in which you and a random assortment of Tolkien-approved figures must get from one side of the arena to the other to destroy the enemy's tower. There's a whole lot more to it, naturally, but that's the gist.
Pick a character, choose a battle, join a merry band of fellow LotR warriors (made up of AI and humans, depending on who's online) and off you go. You start each battle at Level 1 and must hack (or twang, if you're Legolas) your way past the smaller players to up your points, increase the power of your special moves and give you a better chance of getting the big chaps. Each character comes with their selection of moves and techniques. Gandalf's are - predictably - spell-based (including a cool one that blinds enemies), while Gollum is a hit-and-leg-it kind of guy with a "Coward" move that gets him out of danger. If you prefer to stand back rather than enter the fray, then go for an archer. If getting stuck in is your thing, then perhaps a dwarf might do.
The idea is really about strategy, knowing when to attack, when to retreat and when to offer necessary support to your teammates. It's also about dying. Because you'll do that a lot. LotR: GoME is excruciatingly hard, especially for those who might never have dabbled in any such swords-and-spells acronyms before. But you'll keep going, you'll eventually figure it out and when you do, it is intensely satisfying, especially when your team utilises its various skills to achieve a result.
There are issues. Middle-earth aficionados are unlikely to be overjoyed when the likes of Gandalf and Sauron end up on the same team. More worryingly, it does have a habit of stuttering online, not great for a game whose entire raison d'être is online play. Occasionally you'll disconnect for no reason, which is sort of fine when you're battered and broken but not ideal when victory is in the bag.
But when it does work, when your band of hobbitses, orcs, dwarfs, goblins, elven queens, wizards, sons of Arathorn or whoever makes up your group of fighters gets it right, it can be a real joy.
MMORPGers may scoff at someone attempting to move their complex online warfare away from mouses and keyboards. Sure, WoW on a console may seem ridiculous. In LotR: GoME, however, there's proof that a MOBA can work without having to dumb down.
aritman@thenational.ae
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
How to apply for a drone permit
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What are the regulations?
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West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
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A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
