LOTR Online is a very fun game, worthy of the Lord of the Rings title, and you really feel as if you are in Middle Earth. This game has a very wide range of quests and the quests make you feel as if you are part of the story, part of the world, and it is a perfect adaption of Tolkien's vision of Middle Earth.
The Special Edition is great for an extra $10. The manual is in full glossy colour, and thick. The soundtrack has 26 tracks and the music is quite similar to the movies, but some tracks are 30 seconds long. The making of the game is interesting to watch too. The map is just on a small bit of paper, very disappointing. The in game item isn't very useful as it only gives you 1 hope point for 5 mins. The 10 day buddy key is cool if you want a friend to play too.
Now for the costs. You have to pay before you can get the free 30 days, as you have to create an account first over the Turbine website, and after you enter the CD key you have to pay by credit card or online banking. It costs $26 for 30 days, and more for a longer period of time. I think it is too expensive, especially paying $100 for the game and then having to keep paying for it every month. A lifetime subscription would be great.
All expansions and updates are free, so that's even better, and as Turbine will keep expanding the world, the game will become huge and with lots of players!
Positives: The graphics, amount of gameplay, quests, items, Special Edition extras, titles for your character such as Pie Eating Champion. Negatives: The monthly cost, occasional lag.