Written by: Mark

 

 

 

Due to the popularity of the Lord Of The Rings series, in particular in recent years thanks to the series of blockbuster movies it may come as a surprise that there has been a distinct lack of quality video games to cash in on the popularity and as a result the majority have proven a disappointment for the massive array of fans.

 

The latest release is entitled "The Lord Of The Rings: War In The North" and comes from developer Snowblind Studios but one wonders if this RPG title will offer any more interest than previous games or will it prove to be another uninspiring release using the LOTR licence to gain sales?

 

 

The storyline in War in the North sees you take on the role of one of three characters on a quest through the northern part of Middle Earth which is an entirely new part of the world and runs alongside of the more familiar stories rather than being a part of those which will be instantly recognised by fans of the books and movies.

 

As a result of this the three main characters who are made up of a choice of human, elf and dwarf are completely new to proceedings and when combined with the new locations actually works pretty well and feels like it should form a part of the LOTR series instead of feeling like an add on.

 

To maintain the authenticity as you progress through the fairly well presented storyline which is interspersed with some enjoyable cut scenes you will encounter a number of the more recognisable characters whom assist in your quest.

 

It could have been a risky move to design a whole new story to link into the books and movies but to be honest it works pretty well and as a result War in the North feels pretty authentic to the series.

 

 

 

War in the North takes the form of an action packed RPG as you control one of the three characters with the computer taking control of the others and to be honest AI is pretty good and although as per the norm you will find that your character will do most of the combat you do get a sense that you are getting some assistance during battles.

 

On the subject of the battles themselves this is where the game really stands out with some superb set pieces against massive amount of enemies at any one time or against some well designed boss type guardians whom come along at regular intervals.

 

 Whilst battles are impressive this does come at a price as one does get the sense of a real feeling of repetition as you will find that most can be completed simply by bashing buttons to wield primary weapons or range attacks in addition to operating static weapons such as crossbows which at first have a wow factor but soon become a little tedious and having you feeling like ‘here we go again’.

 

It is a real shame that the actual combat (in single player especially) becomes tedious as the game does represent a good action game overall with character interaction pretty good and containing some good RPG elements as you upgrade abilities to assist in your quest.

 

 

The game also represents good value as each level is lengthy and as mentioned all are action packed. If you can get over the repetitive combat then you may find, like I did, that short play sessions can soon become lengthy ones without you realising and on the whole the game is an enjoyable and pretty solid title despite it’s flaws.