The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Reviews

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Written by WorstUsernameEver on November 7th, 2011

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So yes, there's a solid bit of fun waiting for you if you approach War in the North correctly, but not enough to render it a must-have title so soon after its release. It also bears the curse of unfortunate timing. Unless you're a Tolkien die-hard, you'll probably be better off waiting a week for the next fantasy-based game featuring a struggle in the snow-riddled northern reaches of the world. But if you do buddy up with Eradan, Andriel, Farin, and their feathered friend, you might just find yourself willing to overlook the game's flaws in light of the piles of loot that occasionally leave it feeling like Borderlands in Middle Earth. At its core, War in the North isn't a bad game; it's merely a disappointing one.

Snowblind has always had a solid pedigree of top-notch action RPGs, and War in the North can be recognized as another solid piece of craftsmanship. Top notch art direction with great set pieces, beautiful sound design, intense combat situations, and plenty of hours of gameplay (including a New Game + feature that constitutes higher difficulty levels) amalgamate into a fun piece of work well worth experiencing, even if the game has a habit of dragging on a little too long and the combat can get monotonous. Suffice to say, there are plenty of positive things that can be said about this game, and it has my recommendation to both fans of the books and those looking for perhaps a more intellectual gameplay experience. Oh, and there's a giant talking Eagle in the game with one of the best voices I have ever heard who can also help you fight in battle. If that is not a good enough reason to get you to play War in the North, then I don't know what will.

Snowblind Studios' previous works have demonstrated success in the action/role-playing genre. Yet, with The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, the developers seem slightly stifled by an obligation to the source material. From the quizzically vacant towns of Bree and Rivendall, nearly-indiscernible storefronts located amidst castle halls, and dialog options which have little effect on the plotline, it's clear that Snowblind was challenged by contextualizing Tolkien into a now-gen hack and slash game. Despite these minor woes, War in the North has enough loot and lore to ensure a rousing, good time for Middle-earth devotees.

If battles spill across a bridge or through a door, players had better hope their companions aren't anywhere nearby; due to poor collision detection, their feet become as impenetrable as Helm's Deep. War In The North features online and local split-screen multiplayer, but that mode's only notable feature is that it allows conversational relief from tedium. The AI is nearly identical for thousands of enemies, except ones that dance in place due to bugs, so tactical discussions boil down to (I have more spiders on me than you.) That AI simplicity extends to companions in single-player mode: They're so feckless in boss fights, they'll spend as much time being revived as swinging their swords. In some cases, battles trap players forever while they hack at bosses with five million health points, constantly reviving each other from the brink of death, perhaps pretending this peril is all part of the journey. But breathing life into this game shouldn't have been up to the player.

War in the North is a great addition to the Lord of the Rings saga. It manages to deliver a more adult experience while still staying true to the themes Tolkein built the series on. This is a great game to play, together, with friends. Unfortunately, some strange organizational decisions make it cumbersome to play by yourself or with match-made allies on Xbox Live.

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