Lord of the Rings: War in the North Updated Impressions

Snowblind Studios' upcoming action RPG aims to be the bloodiest Middle-earth game yet.

There is a point when you look at Lord of the Rings: War in the North and inevitably think to yourself, "Well, then. I don't think I've played a Lord of the Rings game quite like this before." Perhaps that moment arrives when you see your first feral goblin decapitation. Or maybe it's when a mountain troll saunters along, picks up your elf friend, and quite literally rips her in half. Regardless of when it happens, the point remains: War in the North is certainly treading new (if slightly bloodied) ground with this beloved license.

It's no coincidence, either. Developer Snowblind studios has made violence one of its main areas of focus for War in the North. As an action role-playing game, there's very much a focus on the combat. Playing three-player co-op as either a dwarf, human, or elf, you're sent on a journey through stretches of Middle-earth filled with some of Sauron's nastiest friends. Your fighting style depends heavily on your race of choice, as there are abilities and skill trees unique to each race, but the result seems to be just as bloody no matter the selection.

The demo we saw here at Gamescom 2010 was set in a hilly area to the west of the Misty Mountains. It was a wilderness setting, with tall trees and patches of melting snow on the forest floor. Among the smaller enemies in this demo were feral goblins who quickly skitter around on hands and feet, and orc guards who grimace and growl much the way you'd expect any good orc to. Then there were the giant guys who seem to act as magnets to pull any potential wayward teammates together to act as one. These included the hulking orc champion who's so big he makes a dwarf look like, well, a baby dwarf. There's also the aforementioned mountain troll who, as we said earlier, is capable of picking up a teammate and ripping the poor thing in half unless you or a friend hurries and offers a helping hand.

Snowblind calls the style of teamwork driving the game "interdependent co-op," a reference to the unique abilities that each race brings to the table. The human is a master craftsman who, unlike the others, can collect plants in order to make helpful items like healing potions, while the dwarf has the ability to spy structural weaknesses in order to find hidden goodies behind a crumbling wall. It's then up to that dwarf whether he or she wants to share the loot with teammates or simply hoard it. Add to this your standard revive mechanic and special attacks that combine two or more characters' powers, and you can see how Snowblind is looking to mold players into a harmonious trio.

We didn't get a chance to see what any of the storytelling has to offer, but Snowblind seemed keen to reassure everyone that despite the high level of violence inherent to the combat, there is indeed a heavy focus on narrative as well. It's a brand-new tale that adheres to Lord of the Rings canon, and with both the book and movie licenses firmly in place, we're told to expect some familiar faces from the movies popping up every so often to connect the game's plot back to the original story of Frodo and company. Hopefully we'll have the opportunity to check out those story elements sometime before Lord of the Rings: War in the North is released in 2011.

63 Comments

  • CaptainAhab13

    Posted Jan 4, 2011 3:48 pm GMT

    Please, make this game awesome. I want a huge, long, in-depth action RPG set in the seemingly endless Middle-Earth that could last me 100+ hours. Dear God, please!

  • Bunnyninja117

    Posted Dec 16, 2010 12:18 pm GMT

    @ DanieltheDead
    They have said that there will be 2 player split screen coop and online 1-3 player coop. There is also the option to play by yourself, or 2player splitscreen with a friend over the internet =)

  • bahldark

    Posted Dec 13, 2010 4:14 pm GMT

    snowbliiiiind

  • DanieltheDead

    Posted Nov 24, 2010 3:00 am GMT

    The only thing that could let this game down would be the omission of local co-op. If they pull that 'Online Only' garbage I will be severely disappointed.

  • yayo121

    Posted Nov 3, 2010 5:34 am GMT

    The only thing that could let this game down is if the dwarf elf and human are the only characters you can play as, other than that Im deffo looking forward to it

  • TheGreyArea

    Posted Sep 22, 2010 6:53 am GMT

    I am very keen to know more about this game. I have a damn good feeling about it. My one, huge hope is that it is a long and challenging campaign

  • Calvin079

    Posted Sep 21, 2010 11:58 pm GMT

    Hm, sounds intresting.

  • rasputin177

    Posted Sep 13, 2010 9:49 am GMT

    the Champions of Norrath games were the best console hack and slash games period. They know how to make a good multi player game. So, I am excited to see where the LOTR franchise takes them.

  • olle1990

    Posted Sep 12, 2010 5:02 am GMT

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXeWnD7CkV8 watch this dudes

  • SgtDeathrax

    Posted Sep 4, 2010 2:37 am GMT

    May look good! But it's no LOTR online Shadows Of Angmar. the best Lotr game ever created!! plenty of action, Plenty of quests, plenty of room and plenty of online players. And a hole lot more!! This game will not even compare to the trailer of LOTR Online Shadows Of Angmar. Which will be free to play soon so check it out!! You won't go back!

  • Marvelous0303

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 7:51 am GMT

    Yeah But the Conquest Online was fun though...so sad it didn't really catch on to people : ( We'll see how this one does, it looks decent

  • RussianRAGE

    Posted Aug 24, 2010 1:12 pm GMT

    I dunno...LotR:Conquest sucked and this looks similar...

  • peterfaj

    Posted Aug 24, 2010 10:58 am GMT

    Games like that (bloody and whatnot) are usually shallow, but this is Lord of the Rings, so it can't be shallow.

  • stormswrath

    Posted Aug 24, 2010 10:21 am GMT

    Wow, this sounds great!!!! Another rpg to add to my list of rpgs to get.

  • bunnyocalypsee

    Posted Aug 24, 2010 10:04 am GMT

    Yes, yes, YES. ha ha.

  • jacobhazard1704

    Posted Aug 23, 2010 4:52 pm GMT

    I have been waiting for a next gen "Champions of Norrath" for some time. I love you Snowblind. So much.

  • bubsy6087

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 1:19 pm GMT

    I wonder if the camera/combat is going to be like Fable, or if its gonna be like LotRO. Personally, I'm hoping for something like Fable; if not, I'll still probably get it.

  • huggybear1974

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 9:30 am GMT

    Can't wait for this game. i Think i own every lord of the rings game ever created so its a given, im going to be excited for this one

  • Gantrathor

    Posted Aug 21, 2010 11:36 pm GMT

    Why does this game look amazing? Oh yeah. It's probably because it looks so amazing... just sayin'.

  • ciava13

    Posted Aug 21, 2010 10:38 pm GMT

    This looks promising. I enjoy a good upgrade tree and this bonus coop likes like it may just be enough to get my money.