It’s a strange time for the Lord of the Rings franchise. The hype for the Hobbit film - due in December 2012 after a miraculously even number of legal U-turns - hasn’t started bubbling yet, and the last film of Peter Jackson’s trilogy was in 2003. Despite the fact that Lord of the Rings might not be on the mind of many consumers, Snowblind Studios - the developers that brought you Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance- have delivered a three-player action RPG set and steeped in Tolkien’s universe.

Whether The Lord of the Rings: War in the North succeeds in sucking you in depends on what you’re after.

If you’re a fan of the franchise, you’ll see a lot that pleases. Every twist and turn in War in the Northradiates Lord of the Rings. From the crude armor on the orc hordes to the sundry styles of architecture, it’s plain to see that Snowblind enjoyed a close collaboration with the license holders of both the films and the literature (the game’s script is pleasantly groaner-free too, an easily overlooked quality).      

What’s more, your travels will take you to every corner of Middle-earth. In fact, War in the North makes for a strong catalog of the universe’s creatures and lands, and that’s no small accomplishment. The storyline itself fits well within the fantasy’s cannon: as Frodo and his band of unlikely heroes leave Rivendell, a trio of more typical ones head north to put Sauron’s dark forces - and his key minion Agandaûr specifically - to the sword. That’s where you come in, meeting renown allies, slaying foes, and looting as you go.

About the Author

Pierre Bienaimé

Contributor

Pierre Bienaimé is a contributor with a soft spot for shooters, platformers, turn-based strategy, and games that reside outside of the box. After having taught English as a second language in London, he decided that a second bout with his dream of spewing lexical fire in games journalism was in order. He is currently an intern at Kotaku.