![]() Like so much of the game though, the otherwise highly enjoyable combat is let down by a few niggling little issues. There is even room for giant talking eagle attacks when partaking in open air combat – a welcome addition to any game as far as I’m concerned. Things become more varied as you progress with further power moves and additional character specific skills opening up as you increase your player level via combat. It’s a simple system, but one that keeps the relatively rudimentary combat immediate and engaging. After a string of basic attacks, a window of opportunity opens in which you can land a critical hit that sends you into Hero Mode allowing you to deliver increasingly powerful attacks until you are struck by one of the many enemies baying for your blood. The combat, which makes up the majority of the core gameplay won’t be keeping Dante or Bayonetta from their little needed beauty sleep, but in comparison to other games of this ilk it delivers a surprisingly varied and engrossing battle system to play with. Despite their best efforts with the all too earnest script provided, those expecting classic Gimli/Legolas banter will be sorely disappointed. Although good at driving the story forward, even after pushing through the 11 hour + adventure, I had little to no idea who any of these characters really were. In fact, despite their own solid performances, it is the lack of character found amidst the three leads that bring the general quality down. The game’s numerous side characters also give surprisingly solid performances across the board with very few of the poorly delivered lines that the genre is famous for. While none of the original voice cast return, most of those brought in do a decent job of emulating their more famed peers (well, all except Aragon that is). The delivery of the story is also worthy of note. With an impressive mix of familiar locations and all new environments, War in the North does a great job of expanding upon the strong visual style of the movies while linking effortlessly into what has come before from an artistic standpoint. ![]() While the three playable characters, the human ranger, elven mage and warrior dwarf are far from what you might call recognisable faces, all of the trilogy’s major players make numerous appearances throughout the adventure that runs parallel to that of the core, ring-centric tale. With a story only hinted upon in the movies, War in the North provides a relatively engrossing tale that follows three adventures in their attempts to take down one of Sauron’s top boys – the rather evil looking, Agandaur. Skrim aside though, when judged upon its own merits, War in the North is well worth a look. As much as I enjoyed War in the North, the fact of the matter is, it’s no Skyrim, and unless you’re a Lord of the Rings die-hard, I assume that you will agree. It may well be played from a third person perspective and is certainly more of a linear, story-driven quest than Skyrim’s vast, open world, but there is little doubt that the two fall into the same category. Really? Whose fantastic idea was that? As enjoyable as much of War in the North is and as much sway as The Lord of the Rings name might still possess, to go head-to-head with Bathesda’s juggernaut is commercial suicide. Problem is, it’s also a tad repetitive, suffers from a handful of technical issues and perhaps more importantly than anything else….is released in the same window as Skyrim. Rather than looking like just another fantasy RPG, War in the North genuinely feels like part of the expanded universe. It looks decent, has a solid story and captures that unique Lord of the Rings vibe. The loot system delivers plenty of incentives to keep progressing while the co-op for up to three players is a very welcome addition to what is an otherwise by-the-numbers action-RPG. Loot + co-op x Lord of the Rings really should equal awesome, and, in fairness to War in the North, it so nearly does. Honestly though, War in the North could have been great. In terms of console releases, Lord of the Rings: War in the North comes closer to greatness than any of its predecessors, but sadly, like all those that have come before, fails to realise the huge potential born of the source material. They’re rarely flat out bad, but equally, few have come anywhere near matching the quality of the movies upon which they are based. Other than the PC exclusive MMORPG, Shadows of Angmar and its expansion, Mines of Moria, few games released under the Lord of the Rings banner have reached far beyond the mundane. ![]() ![]() Videogames based upon The Lord of the Rings universe have been almost universally middling.
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