The Lord of the Rings: War in the North

 PlayStation 3
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 130 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 64 out of 130
  2. Mixed: 49 out of 130
  3. Negative: 17 out of 130
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  1. Yojimbo2015
    Jan 11, 2023
    6
    Action RPG that's a little wordy and the combat can be repetitive but visually it's spot on and will please Tolkien fans looking for a bit of solid Middle Earth adventuring.
  2. Realbreather
    Apr 7, 2022
    10
    As far as hack and slash RPG's go, this is up there with the best of them. Brilliant class mechanics, VERY addictive gameplay, Excellent set pieces and expertly executed RPGisms, this one is an absolute MUST for fans of the book, this game will have you visit many locations mentioned only in the RotK novel.
  3. mxnu54
    Oct 17, 2021
    10
    Very underrated, if you are a fan of LOTR then you have to dust off your PS3 and play this. Youll have 12 hours of fun gameplay, it should be at least an 85 Score. The whole Eagle story is so nice.
  4. Kai82
    Jul 14, 2021
    8
    Another rare example of a good licensed videogame. It is an action RPG set in the Lord of the Rings realm during the war of the ring. It tells a new story and is only slightly connected to the story of the books / movies. It reminds me a bit of elements Double Dragon or Streets of Rage set in Middle Earth and I will explain that down below. Story: It tells the story of 3 heroes whichAnother rare example of a good licensed videogame. It is an action RPG set in the Lord of the Rings realm during the war of the ring. It tells a new story and is only slightly connected to the story of the books / movies. It reminds me a bit of elements Double Dragon or Streets of Rage set in Middle Earth and I will explain that down below. Story: It tells the story of 3 heroes which prevented a huge disaster in the north which would had otherwise a hugely negative impact in the war of the ring. When the Nazgul were on their way to the Shire at the beginning of the war of the ring they broke through a defense of the Dunedain. Because there was more to it than it seems the ranger Eradan, the dwarven champion Farin and elven loremaster Andriel are on a quest to find answers to this and seek out the advice of the famous ranger Strider (Yes that one;-). With this the adventure begins. I praise the decision to try something different and even more if it works well. They don't rely on the war of the rings and do a new story. Of cause you will meet some familiar persons. While it does not reinvent the wheel the story works well enough and is also satisfying enough to keep me going. Gameplay: It is an action RPG or hack and slash RPG. You can play one of the 3 mentioned characters (you can change during the game). Eradan as ranger is adapted to many melee weapons. Of cause he can use a bow as he would be no ranger without it. Farin is more of the tank of the party and has access to powerful abilities. He can mine for gems outside of battles. Andriel is a melee fighter / healer and can make useful potions out of herbs (Some are incredibly useful). All characters can learn new abilities at level up and this can change the game play or roles. For example Andriel can be quite a good mage dealing lots of damage. The gameplay is action RPG standard. Attack and dont get hit ;-). You have special skills, can block or use a doge roll. Each enemy defeated gives experience points (more with a finishing move) and when you level up you get an ability point and can increase your stats to improve your characters. Of cause there is loot like better weapons and equipment in different rarities, set bonuses and usable potions. Sidequests often have amazing rewards. Now to my Double Dragon reference. Both games have the similarity that you must finish all enemies on a screen / location before you can move any further ;-). The controls work well and I had no problems in the game. They try to introduce a few elements in later stages to keep the experience fresh and I appreciate this. Characters: I like the 3 heroes that work well enough here. They won me over and are enjoyable. Expect however no huge character developments in the game as it is more a buddy road-movie (I know it is a bad pun but somehow fitting). My favorite character is Beleram which I wont spoil. Other than him I praise Urgost and Saenathra ;-). Of cause there are familiar characters that made an appearance too. Presentation: Well the graphics did not look that good back then and even less good today. They did however put efforts into the locations, characters and enemies which I praise. The soundtrack is fitting. Negatives: I found a few negatives. They recycled the locations inside a level a lot (I recognized it not immediately and the first levels do it less or not notable). Often the AI characters blocked my path which was a little bit annoying (The evasive roll helps here). Very few times the AI characters don't kept up with me and I faced dire battles without support. In total I don't see these as mayor enough to decrease my ratings. Overall this is a fun game to play. Not one of the highest level but definitely worth my time. I think an 8/10 is a fair rating.… Expand
  5. kempo24
    Mar 17, 2021
    7
    Enjoyable for lotr fans. Gameplay very repetitive. Cool story and ok characters. Has game breaking bug.
  6. JoKeR_AlexS
    Nov 21, 2020
    9
    Este comentário é universal nas minhas reviews. Apenas quero dar nota aos jogos e caso queiram saber mais alguma coisa sobre o jogo, aconselho a ver outras reviews ou até mesmo a experimentar o jogo.
  7. Blasthunter5
    Nov 16, 2020
    10
    The gameplay is good, what else can be said save that it is a fun to play game, and I shall never not cherish the times I had playing it with friends and bisecting green people.
  8. JohannJHVJ
    Jun 29, 2020
    7
    Let's start with the good:
    The music is good, graphics are a bit outdated but not distracting, the designs are great, the combat is very simple, but critical hits and severs are satisfying, and the game doesn't shy away from showing decapitations etc, without gratuitous gore. Gameplay is quite fun. Some locations that have been mentioned or seen on maps previously, but we haven't seen in    Let's start with the good:
    The music is good, graphics are a bit outdated but not distracting, the designs are great, the combat is very simple, but critical hits and severs are satisfying, and the game doesn't shy away from showing decapitations etc, without gratuitous gore. Gameplay is quite fun. Some locations that have been mentioned or seen on maps previously, but we haven't seen in the movies or books even, are visited during this game, and the locations, though very linear, are well designed.
    The not so good:
    The plot is rather weak. It shows a story that happens parallel to the events of the main story LOTR. A previously never mentioned powerful enemy appears, and a trio of previously never seen or mentioned heroes, despite being acquainted with some of the main characters of LOTR, several of which cameo in this game, have to stop this villain. It reeks of mediocre/uninspired fanfiction over long stretches. The characters are rather bland and uninteresting, customization is minimal, the writing has some weak moments, and the acting is not too great. I also encountered several instances during gameplay, where some dialogue lines show up seemingly out of place, and in one level there was an audio glitch, where a loud chain-noise drowned out most of the sound, even until the next cutscene, long after I passed that area.
    Overall, I must admit that I had a lot of fun playing this game, but those weaknesses do hurt the overall score. 7 it is.    … Expand
  9. Onask
    Oct 7, 2018
    7
    Un juego que se llevó bastantes palos por la crítica en su día pero que a mí me sigue pareciendo un juego bastante sólido.

    Si bien gráfica o jugablemente no es nada que destaque excesivamente, el mundo en el que toma lugar esta historia (muy bien contada y establecida, por cierto) es la Tierra Media, durante los acontecimientos de La Comunidad del Anillo. Y si a un fan de El Señor de    Un juego que se llevó bastantes palos por la crítica en su día pero que a mí me sigue pareciendo un juego bastante sólido.

    Si bien gráfica o jugablemente no es nada que destaque excesivamente, el mundo en el que toma lugar esta historia (muy bien contada y establecida, por cierto) es la Tierra Media, durante los acontecimientos de La Comunidad del Anillo. Y si a un fan de El Señor de los Anillos le das un juego que te cuenta cosas adicionales creadas exclusivamente que complementan la historia, pues ese fan se lo pasa bien, y si además el juego está bien, pues no te haces a la idea.

    Juego recomendado, y más aún si eres fan de Tolkien.    … Expand
  10. borealsquirrel
    Jun 29, 2017
    10
    Couch Co-Op at its best. Campaign may be too short, and plot lack luster, but the combat and gameplay more than makes up for it. Unfortunately split screen action RPG couch co-ops are about as as rare as...well, a very rare thing. I imagine it would be less enjoyable solo, but where this game shines is in the co-op and being able to play an action RPG with someone in the same room. TheCouch Co-Op at its best. Campaign may be too short, and plot lack luster, but the combat and gameplay more than makes up for it. Unfortunately split screen action RPG couch co-ops are about as as rare as...well, a very rare thing. I imagine it would be less enjoyable solo, but where this game shines is in the co-op and being able to play an action RPG with someone in the same room. The combat is very well done and impactful, and the loot endlessly rewarding, it pays to explore every nook and cranny. With the gaming industry focusing so much on online multiplayer, this is a rare gem. Grab a buddy and a remote and go slice some orcs to bits; together =) Here's to dreaming of the next game to succeed this one.… Expand
  11. BaronMonaco
    Jan 20, 2016
    7
    The Lord of The Rings is THE universe of medieval fantasy of reference and yet it still lacks a true RPG of reference to make it count as much as in the books and movies universe. With War In The North we've got a new attempt to that goal.

    First let me say that contrary to what the marketing division said, this is not really a true RPG, but more an hack'n slash with some customization,    The Lord of The Rings is THE universe of medieval fantasy of reference and yet it still lacks a true RPG of reference to make it count as much as in the books and movies universe. With War In The North we've got a new attempt to that goal.

    First let me say that contrary to what the marketing division said, this is not really a true RPG, but more an hack'n slash with some customization, but there's almost no side quests and the few that are there are simply not interesting. Every chapter are simple corridors and the battle system limits itself to smashing two buttons and roll away fighting hordes of enemies. This is not a true surprise when you know that the same studio made Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance but that's still deceiving as Warner as always talked about it as a true RPG.
    Now concerning the specifics the game is very easy and you really shouldn't die a lot considering that even if you lose your life your teammates can save you. Unfortunately I didn't have the chance to try the coop mode that could have add some fun, some sequence were clearly made for two players, but know than you can play it with a friend. The game offers some nice boss fight, unfortunately the rest of the game is very repetitive and at the end of chapter 1 you already have seen everything the game has to offer.

    Concerning the Lord of The Rings universe is well transcript and fans of the original material should find a lot to like here with a story that occurs in parallel with the movies, it's clearly my favorite part of the game, but once again don't expect a RPG length, it will take you about 12 hours to finish the game ("side quests" included) and yet there's already one filler (chapter 2) in the game.

    The graphics are average and the environments could use more details, the game, as I played it, had no bug and a steady framerate, you're clearly not amazed by the graphics but at least your eyes won't bleed.

    All in all War In the North is another failed attempt to make a game worthy of the movies/books but it is clearly not broken and you can enjoy the 12 hours in this fantastic universe if you're not looking for a challenging and thoughtful experience and still is one of the best Lord of The Rings game. If you're a fan you may buy it, if not it's worth a try for the hack'n slash lovers, but know there are better games in the market.    … Expand
  12. GregRog
    Aug 7, 2014
    10
    I have never had so much multiplayer fun in a long time! I love the graphic style and gameplay, and it really has that Lord of the Rings feel to it. Plus a lot of different skills, equipment that changes with difficulty level, and you can even customize your appearance a bit! What else could you possibly want from a game? A Strong 10/10 from me.
  13. andoarias
    May 12, 2014
    8
    TLOTR: War in the North has been certainly a nice surprise of PS Plus. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it since I'm no fan of Tolkien's books but I have to say this game is really worth your attention.
    Its gameplay it's fantastic and it's best enjoyed when co-played with up-to 3 friends. Graphically, the game lacks more pollishment and detail and some more charismatic charachters would have    TLOTR: War in the North has been certainly a nice surprise of PS Plus. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it since I'm no fan of Tolkien's books but I have to say this game is really worth your attention.
    Its gameplay it's fantastic and it's best enjoyed when co-played with up-to 3 friends. Graphically, the game lacks more pollishment and detail and some more charismatic charachters would have helped the game reach higher scores.    … Expand
  14. outera
    Jul 25, 2013
    0
    A completely broken game, i was unable to finish it because of the mirkwood glitch. (Do a quick google search and you'll know what that means.) It's quite common and will likely never get fixed as the developer moved on long ago, so do not buy this! Consider yourself warned.
  15. Jreilly89
    Jul 15, 2013
    7
    Not half bad. Picked it up on sale for $5. It's a delightful romp as a silly grouping of almost Gimli, almost Aragorn, and some female Elf caster. It does get bogged down by occasional snags and bad design choices, but overall, it's a pretty fun adventure RPG with a decent story, likeable enough heroes, and easy to learn beat em up mechanics with RPGish skill points, equipment, and action skills.
  16. mosessaur
    May 15, 2013
    5
    Not what I expected. I got this game as part of my PSN Plus subscription. The story was cool. But as an RPG Action game it's missing lots of things. The game play experiance wasn't good. I didn't like when my companions step into my way. Or when I jump of a small cliff I couldn't jump up back! It's really annoying that I cannot go back in some place and that I had to finish the story lineNot what I expected. I got this game as part of my PSN Plus subscription. The story was cool. But as an RPG Action game it's missing lots of things. The game play experiance wasn't good. I didn't like when my companions step into my way. Or when I jump of a small cliff I couldn't jump up back! It's really annoying that I cannot go back in some place and that I had to finish the story line in each place in order to be able to navigate later to previous locations.
    From RPG point it was bad. Just conversation that never affect your leveling up or reveal some secrets. It's like cut scene but you have the choice to pick what to say next.
    Over all 5 for me    … Expand
  17. metanick
    Apr 11, 2013
    0
    The game has so many glitches that it is literaly unplayable at times! Especially the save glitches kept me away from winning trophies! I made a metacritic account so i can rate this game! Thank god i played it as part of Playstation Plus Instant Collection offer!
  18. Zanfire
    Apr 10, 2013
    7
    War in the North is definitely not the best title in recent years, nor the best action RPG that you can buy. The graphics are good, but poorly defined, by today's standards. Combat options are there, but they remain rather limited, although the ease with which you go from melee to ranged combat offer some variety. Equip is interesting, too, but the options and statistics are narrow here,War in the North is definitely not the best title in recent years, nor the best action RPG that you can buy. The graphics are good, but poorly defined, by today's standards. Combat options are there, but they remain rather limited, although the ease with which you go from melee to ranged combat offer some variety. Equip is interesting, too, but the options and statistics are narrow here, too. The story is interesting and it is noticeable that it represents a narrative line that goes parallel to the adventures of the Fellowship of the Ring. What makes the game "special", in its way, is that evokes quite well the Tolkien's setting, at least the one derived from the movies trilogy by Peter Jackson. The dialogues are very well made, as well as the visual aspect of Tolkien's world. There is definitely an exaggerated presence of magic, compared to the standards of the Oxford professor, and some poetic license clash with the context (a dragon?), but, after all, we are facing an action game, so we can close an eye. Ultimately, I find that War in the North is a fun hack'n'slash game, with strong and well made references to the Lord of the Rings. Definitively interesting for lovers of both videogames and Tolkien's saga!… Expand
  19. terbas
    Apr 6, 2013
    9
    In short, the low score given to this game is a shame. This game is so much fun with many upgrades and a lot of loot to be collected and used. The fighting system is nice and reminds me of Demon's Souls (block, attack, block and so on). But above all, this game immersed me quickly and I have difficulty in putting aside the controller once I start to play it. To hell with the graphics... IfIn short, the low score given to this game is a shame. This game is so much fun with many upgrades and a lot of loot to be collected and used. The fighting system is nice and reminds me of Demon's Souls (block, attack, block and so on). But above all, this game immersed me quickly and I have difficulty in putting aside the controller once I start to play it. To hell with the graphics... If it reminds people of PS2, so be it. I used to love that machine. This game deserves a solid 8 in my book. But I'll give it a 9 because of the people cursing at it. In the meantime I played the game with some randoms and saw that they didn't have an idea about what to do. And I think people giving low scores are "mostly" of that kind (I mean, noobs...)… Expand
  20. POEIII
    Jan 24, 2013
    9
    I have been waiting for some time now for a good dungeon crawling RPG that i could play with friends for some time. This game has the feel of a newer Baulder's Gate Dark Alliance but set in Middle-Earth and for that I give it a high rank. I have played almost all action RPGs on the PS3 and can say that this is one of the better ones. The story is intriguing and the characters fun. thereI have been waiting for some time now for a good dungeon crawling RPG that i could play with friends for some time. This game has the feel of a newer Baulder's Gate Dark Alliance but set in Middle-Earth and for that I give it a high rank. I have played almost all action RPGs on the PS3 and can say that this is one of the better ones. The story is intriguing and the characters fun. there were times when I felt that the three classes from Baulder's Gate Dark Alliance were re-used for the characters of this game. The fact that it is a LOTR game is an added bonus. I do like the feel of Baulder's Gate Dark Alliance but I wish they had more classes to chose from. If it was a bit more original in its selection of characters I may have given this game a perfect score.… Expand
  21. vixvicco
    Dec 19, 2012
    6
    Decent game, but they could have done so much more with it. It had potential, for them to expand the story. More impact in choices would have been more interesting (like Dragon Age style) or something like that and more character interaction. Still good if you are a LOTR fan but don't have high expectations. Hope next installment is more fulfilling.
  22. th0rn
    Dec 10, 2012
    9
    LOTR:WITN is a great action rpg set in the LOTR universe. Think of it as Skyrim if you always fast travelled to the next story quest location, but when you get there the combat is much better, and it's co-op. This game is one of my all time favourites, and would have been an easy 10 if not for some interface annoyances with the inventory and upgrade systems. A definite BUY and a good gameLOTR:WITN is a great action rpg set in the LOTR universe. Think of it as Skyrim if you always fast travelled to the next story quest location, but when you get there the combat is much better, and it's co-op. This game is one of my all time favourites, and would have been an easy 10 if not for some interface annoyances with the inventory and upgrade systems. A definite BUY and a good game to come back to again and again!… Expand
  23. pyrocloud7
    Apr 14, 2012
    6
    Love the tight gameplay and LOTR story. Can't get past the multiple game ended bugs though. I simply cannot complete the game. Would really love to be able to, this game would easily be a 9/10 if it weren't broken.
  24. Sly101
    Mar 19, 2012
    8
    Third best LOTR game ever before the two excellent games on the PS2. 9 is too generous for its flaws and 7 is to mean for its triumphs. This game looks beautiful and plays smoothly. Some combat gets repetitive but that improves as you level up your character. The usage of the lore is the best aspect of this game. It uses pre-established LOTR lore that's in the books to its advantage, soThird best LOTR game ever before the two excellent games on the PS2. 9 is too generous for its flaws and 7 is to mean for its triumphs. This game looks beautiful and plays smoothly. Some combat gets repetitive but that improves as you level up your character. The usage of the lore is the best aspect of this game. It uses pre-established LOTR lore that's in the books to its advantage, so Snowblind used it's books perfectly. Music is stunning and I like the long drawn out conversation, very LOTR! No it isn't the best game ever but it does pretty good with what its got. 8/10 from me.… Expand
  25. Robbie111222
    Mar 14, 2012
    4
    Was really look forward to this game, but it clearly is a huge let down, especially if your a lotr fan, what a shame this had massive potential. Main quest runs alongside that of the original, greyed out, boring level designs with no/little interaction, three lacklustre characters, with a broken doen levelling up system. One of the most frustrating elements is the lack of being able toWas really look forward to this game, but it clearly is a huge let down, especially if your a lotr fan, what a shame this had massive potential. Main quest runs alongside that of the original, greyed out, boring level designs with no/little interaction, three lacklustre characters, with a broken doen levelling up system. One of the most frustrating elements is the lack of being able to level up you team members characters, leaving you with later with a one person army vs a bunch of AI goons, your moves are basic, the camera cannot be adjusted leaving a clunky feel to it. Theirs is slow down, and bugs. back to the drawingboard i think.… Expand
  26. DefPedro
    Jan 26, 2012
    10
    This game purchase really pleased me. I completed this game several times and I plan on doing it again. I convinced a friend of mine to buy it and now we play together. I actually platinumed it months ago but I still love the game. Hopefully there will be add-ons coming soon.
  27. SatsumaBomb
    Dec 19, 2011
    5
    Want to play in a rich fantasy world with massive quests, monsters, characters etc. Play SKYRIM instead. Big let down after being excited by the trailers. Not the worst but definitely not the best. Shame.
  28. ferith
    Dec 6, 2011
    3
    i loved this game right up until I ran into game progression halting bugs with quests. I was able to overlook the disappearing and then randomly reappearing secondary side quests but when you run into main line quest halting issues...its crushing. This was my very first ps3 game and it was very sad to run into this...normally I wouldn't even have reported the issue here but I made thisi loved this game right up until I ran into game progression halting bugs with quests. I was able to overlook the disappearing and then randomly reappearing secondary side quests but when you run into main line quest halting issues...its crushing. This was my very first ps3 game and it was very sad to run into this...normally I wouldn't even have reported the issue here but I made this account to complain about the even _more_ broken skyrim so I figured I might as well post on this game as well...its a 3 because I can at least play it without locking up like a certain other game.

    regardless, a patch is promised and if it lets me once more play the game, then I'll certainly edit this review, its an awesome game so long as you can progress through it :)    … Expand
  29. Singh
    Dec 3, 2011
    10
    You don't have to play Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance to fully enjoy this game, or watch the Fellowship of the Ring, or even read the Return of the King. All you have to do is enjoy ripping people apart, why are people pissed? Because of repetitive gameplay in a RPG, well just look at Mario. The thing is, this game is solid, it takes the Dark Alliance Engine back tot he basics of thatYou don't have to play Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance to fully enjoy this game, or watch the Fellowship of the Ring, or even read the Return of the King. All you have to do is enjoy ripping people apart, why are people pissed? Because of repetitive gameplay in a RPG, well just look at Mario. The thing is, this game is solid, it takes the Dark Alliance Engine back tot he basics of that toolset and redefines everything. Finally giving us a game worthy of using the DA Engine, worthy enough to be on the same tier as Dark Alliance, and worthy enough for people to enjoy a sequel in a different animated world.… Expand
  30. ThePeople
    Nov 23, 2011
    10
    the lord of the rings also known as one of the best movies ever made. war in the north does not interfere with whats happening in the movies it focuses on three characters if your thinking argon, leglasis and gilmi it's not them. the graphics could be improved the gameplay is better than previous games but it needs to be tweaked. overall it a good game if you are a lord of the rings fan
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Awards & Rankings

50
#50 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2011
41
#41 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
63

Mixed or average reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 33
  3. Negative: 4 out of 33
  1. DarkStation
    Jan 27, 2012
    60
    In many ways, War in the North is a Gears of War version of Lord of the Rings. In fact, the game introduces an enemy type that looks and functions identically to the Ticker and there are wave-based Horde modes to play through. Like Gears of War, however, the game's saving grace is the three player co-op because it is much more fun to slay Orcs with friends.
    Read full review
  2. Play UK
    Jan 9, 2012
    42
    A derivative hack-and-slasher which offers nothing new and does nothing old particularly well. [Issue#213, p.89]
  3. Eurogamer Portugal
    Jan 3, 2012
    50
    War in North is a rushed game. The Gameplay is simple and it doesn't take any risks, and the story had potential but fails to stand out.
    Read full review
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