Having been written almost 70 years ago,The Lord of the Ringsis a monumentally influential series that’s been a staple of the fantasy genre from the moment it was first released. And as is the case with every popular franchise, there are bound to be a few video game adaptations. That’s a bit of an understatement when it comes toTheLord of the Rings, as over the last 40 years or so, there have been countless video game outings, but only one is as underrated asThe Lord of the Rings: War in the North.
Released in 2011,The Lord of the Rings: War in the Northcame out at an awkward time in the franchise’s history. With Peter Jackson’s trilogy wrapping up in the mid-2000s, the mainstream hype surroundingLord of the Ringshad all but died out toward the early 2010s, andWar in the Northwas left to try to navigate a very competitive market. Unfortunately,The Lord of the Rings: War in the Northwas both a critical and commercial failure, and while it deserves some criticism, there’s a lot to love about the game.
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The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Is Underrated
According to the reviews of the time, there’s nothing too remarkable aboutThe Lord of the Rings: War in the North, but fans of the franchise might think a little differently. Set duringthe War of the Ring,Lord of the Rings: War in the Northputs players in the muddied boots of Eradan, Andriel, and Farin, a ranger, dwarf and elf respectively. Working for Aragorn, these three aid the heroes of Middle-Earth in unseen missions, weaving in and out of the events of theLord of the Ringstrilogy.
The biggest point of criticism ofWar in the Northwas its gameplay. The general gameplay loop ofWar in the Northsees the player choose from the three playable protagonists, each with their own set of unique weapons and abilities, with the ranger focusing on stealth, the dwarf on melee, and the elf on magic. From here, they progress through a level, killing orcs and speaking with local townsfolk. At the time,reviews criticized the game’s linear approachand its repetitive combat, with some even citing that the game’s character classes felt a little too similar to one another.
However, the vast majority of critics, despite giving the game a poor score, did state that the gameplay was perfectly serviceable, just a little unpolished. It also didn’t help thatLord of the Rings: War in the Northreleased just a week beforeSkyrim, and onthe same day asUncharted 3, sealing its fate before it was even had a chance.
The Lord of Rings: War in the Northis certainly not an amazing game, but it is a decentLord of the Ringsexperience, and one that fans will definitely enjoy. The game’s atmosphere, visuals, and sound design were all rightfully praised by critics, perfectly capturing the grim and grittiness of its movie counterparts. And while the gameplay may not have been fleshed-out enough, the concept of a team-based, class-based cooperativeLord of the Ringsgame has some real potential. On top of all of that,War in the Northwas actually the first game to be based on boththeLord of the Ringsnovelsand the Peter Jackson movies, with Warner briefly acquiring the rights to both, allowing it to explore more Middle-Earth lore than ever before.The Lord of the Rings: War in the Northmay not be a masterpiece, but it is an ambitious, unique game with a lot of good ideas.
The Lord of the Rings: War in the Northis available on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
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