The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Reviews
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IGN gives it a 7.0/10 in their second review:
While it's admirable that the team had opted to create an original story set alongside the events in the books, you'll wish that they had attempted to take more risks with the project. The characters are bland and lifeless, and the combat, while fun at first, gets pretty repetitive before too long.
Eurogamer gives it a 4/10:
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is a soulless cash-in that has little to do with its license, and nor is it much fun in its own right. If you're lucky enough to not encounter any game-breaking bugs and if you have a friend or two to play with, then it can be pretty entertaining for a few hours. But that's a lot of "ifs" for so little payoff, since overlong levels and axe-sponge enemies inevitably whittle this dungeon crawl down into a slog. Repetitive, dull, buggy and frustrating, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North turns visiting one of Western civilisation's most revered fictional settings into a chore.
CVG gives it a 4.8/10:
Snowblind are the team behind the superb Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, one of PS2's best action RPGs. But in the transition to the current generation of consoles - this is their first big multi-format title - something has gone awry. There's a place in gaming for a really great combat-focused Lord of the Rings role-player - but, sadly, this isn't it.
OXM UK gives it a 6/10:
While New Game+ lets you restart the adventure with all of your gear and experience, there's not much variation to the storyline, and the light RPG conversations add little in the grand scheme of things. That said, if you're aching for a solid, fun co-op game, War in the North might be worth a stab.
Ten Ton Hammer gives it a 68/100:
I love a classic beat .m up. I love chopping hundreds of thousands of minions down over the course of a character's growth from a basic attacker to a whirlwinding death machine. What I got is just that, but with high production values in all aspects except gameplay and story. War in the North is not a bad game. This war is just one that is fought in the past of game design, and as a result, just lacks the punch or feature set that addicts people and keeps us coming back for more.
Thunderbolt gives it a 4/10:
After punching 15 hours into a game that I wasn't enamored with to begin with, I'm not willing to do that. Lord of the Rings: War in the North will remain unfinished, my trophies still locked, and I don't mind all that much because it wasn't that great. Being entirely truthful, I was only finishing it in order to have the complete picture for my review. In its present state though, I cannot recommend Lord of the Rings: War in the North. If patching is successful, I can only recommend this to starved genre fans, but don't expect much.
The Game Ministry gives it a 2/5:
This game is a hack-n-slash game at heart with a few RPG elements thrown in & the mix didn't come out very well. Unpolished voice acting, repetitive gameplay are just a few of the drawbacks of having a game that strays from its main storyline. All in all a not so good experience but a pretty solid way to kill time & relive the middle earth.
NZGamer gives it a 7.5/10:
It's a genuinely good game with a lot to offer both Lord of the Rings and action-RPG fans, and it definitely has that "Snowblind" (Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance) feel to it. As long as you go into it expecting a diamond in the rough, that's exactly what you'll find.
Gameplanet gives it a 4.5/10:
War in the North, by being a blunt object of a hack-and-slash game with a facile story and an aversion to genuine characterisation, adds itself to the long list of Lord of the Rings games that just aren't Lord of the Rings games.
Guardian gives it a 3/5:
But with Skyrim and to a lesser extent the new Zelda keeping fantasy role-players more than happy this Christmas you wonder where War in the North can fit in. The January sales may be the best hope for this one.
Atomic gives it a 79%:
This game is ultimately all about co-op action, and with friends along for the ride, the game overcomes much of its flaws as you cry out for healing, or for help downing a tough opponent. Played solo, though, the game's flaws are exacerbated, especially considering the rather pedestrian fellowship AI. So, stock up on snacks, friends and caffeine, and the game can be fun. But maybe don't invite your seriously nerdy, Middle Earth-loving pals.
PALGN gives it a 6.5/10:
It's by no means perfect, but Lord of the Rings: War in the North is still one of the better games to come out of the franchise, particularly if you play co-op. If you've been missing middle earth you're bound to get some enjoyment, just be prepared for it to be a little rough around the edges.
And This is My Jostick goes scoreless:
Lord of the Rings: War in the North is a game not only for fans, but also for anyone into role-playing games. It's an interesting dynamic to have two players join in online, and the addition of the levelling system and loot should make it a game that's easy to sink the hours into. Lord of the Rings might have a few video-games under its belt already, but War in the North seems like a worthy new entry.
