| The Lord of the Rings: War in the North | |
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| Developer(s) | Snowblind Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment |
| Series | The Lord of the Rings |
| Engine | Dark Alliance Engine[1] |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360[2] |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | Role-playing game |
| Rating(s) | |
| Media/distribution | Blu-ray Disc, DVD, Steam, Onlive |
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is a role-playing video game developed by Snowblind Studios. It is based on the events taking place in the northern regions of Middle-earth in the background of the main story of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, more specifically in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy universe. Players take control of a hero of the war, and are able to play through the game alone or co-operatively with other players. It is also the first game in the series to receive an M Rating.
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In a preview article in PlayStation Magazine, it was discussed that players will have skills that are upgradeable, characters that can be customized, and that conversations play out similarly to Mass Effect without the moral ramifications. Each character also has ranged attacks which they can use. Farin (the dwarf champion) has a crossbow. Eradan (the human ranger) has a bow and Andriel (the female elf mage) can cast ranged spells at enemies. All characters also have light and heavy attacks and can roll, block and counter enemy attacks. Players can also issue orders to their AI companions if they are playing solo. There are also hubs in the game which function as points where the party may rest, accept new quests, speak to people and stock up on new supplies. Hubs are towns or villages.[4] Comic-Con 2011 featured gameplay of War in the North.[5]
Each class also has a unique ability. The dwarf for example can mine for gems which can be used for crafting purposes and he can also smash walls down where hidden treasure can be found. The game also features unlockable difficulty modes such as a nightmare difficulty. You can replay through the game and keep all your equipment and skills from the previous playthrough. Dialogue will normally present a few choices where the player can get just the facts, delve deeper into the lore or get optional side quests. The gameplay also relies upon the player working with friends (or with AI companions) to use tactics to defeat certain enemies.[6][7]
Many locations that are not featured in the movies are in the game. Locations include the Ettenmoors, Fornost, Mirkwood and Mount Gundabad. Locations from the movies also appear in the game. Players can explore Bree and Rivendell and interact with the characters there which include Gandalf, Elrond, Frodo, Bilbo, Legolas, Arwen and Aragorn. Characters from the books can also appear in the game. The Ranger Halbarad, Radagast, and Elrond's sons Elrohir and Elladan are just some of the characters that players will encounter.[8]
War in The North features three playable protagonists. The three characters fall into three separate classes, Champion/warrior, Loremaster/mage and Ranger/rogue. Characters gain experience by defeating enemies, and will level up when enough experience has been gained. Characters can improve their stats (strength, will, stamina, dexterity), and use skill points to receive or upgrade special abilities.[9]
Eradan is voiced by Nolan North.
| Reception | |
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| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| Metacritic | 63%[10] |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North received mixed reviews. Koalition awarded the game 8/10 stating that "The cooperative multiplayer aspect is fantastic and the game is balanced very well".[11] Gamefront gave the game a positive score of 8.5/10 praising the game as being "a successful effort for Snowblind" and stating that "It’s a fun title that you can enjoy with your friends or alone".[12] IGN awarded the game a "Good" score of 7/10 praising its graphics and level design but criticizing the plot as being bland, the characters as lacking personality and the game suffering from a repetitive gameplay.[13] Gamespot gave a score of 6 out of 10, stating issues such as odd enemy behavior, technical issues with multiplayer and a general feeling of disappointment.[14] On Metacritic the game holds a 70/100 based on 19 reviews for Xbox 360 and 66/100 for PlayStation 3.[15][16]
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