The Lord of the Rings: War in the North

About The Lord of the Rings: War in the North

Snowblind Studios released The Lord of the Rings: War in the North back in November 2011. WB Games handled the publishing duties for this title available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, and Mac. It functions as an action role-playing game set during the events of the War of the Ring. Players take control of three unique heroes exploring regions that the main films and books largely ignored. The story fills gaps in Tolkien lore by focusing on warriors who fought alongside the major characters without being them. You engage in combat across familiar landscapes and new areas found only in the written appendices. This is a direct action RPG built for three people to tackle together rather than a solo adventure.

Gameplay

You control one of three heroes while two other players join you locally or online. Each character brings different skills like archery, magic, or melee combat to the table. Battles involve real-time hacking and slashing against Orcs, Wargs, and trolls in large open fields. You manage health potions and special abilities during these skirmishes. The game offers distinct chapters that guide your progress through a linear campaign. Between fights you explore dungeons and solve simple environmental puzzles to unlock new paths. Co-op play requires coordination because enemies swarm fast and can overwhelm isolated players. Controls feel responsive enough for combat but occasionally stumble when managing inventory or switching targets in chaotic moments.

What Players Think

The PlayPile community holds mixed feelings about this title. We track 157 ratings that average a 68.5 out of 100 score on IGDB. Players report an average playtime of roughly 20 hours for the main story. Completion rates sit around 42 percent, suggesting many folks quit before seeing the final boss. Community moods fluctuate between "frustrated" and "satisfied" depending on which character class you pick. Review snippets from our users often mention that the co-op experience feels great when it works but suffers from clunky camera angles. Some players praise the original story ideas while others criticize the repetitive enemy types. Achievement data shows that only 15 percent of completers earned all trophies, indicating hidden challenges are quite tough or easily missed.

PlayPile's Take

This game is worth buying if you have two friends ready to jump in for a few sessions. The price on secondary markets makes it a cheap option for a weekend co-op marathon. You will not find a deep RPG system here but the action holds up well enough for short bursts of fun. The story offers fresh angles on Middle-earth lore that even fans of the books might enjoy. Expect to struggle with the camera and some boss fights unless you coordinate your team perfectly. If you want a serious challenge or a complex crafting system look elsewhere. Stick to this one if you just want to hack through Orcs with buddies without spending hours grinding levels.

Storyline

While much attention and focus has been placed on the journey of the One Ring, the assault on Middle-earth hits all corners of the map. War in the North turns our attention towards an integral part of the storyline that is grounded in details within the books and various appendices. This is not someone else’s fight. This is your own effort to forage a way through the dark, dangerous, and unknown landscape, defending all that is yours. This is your war.