The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Reviews

After the news of layoffs at Snowblind Studios it doesn’t seem like the reception of The Lord of the Rings: War in the North will be consoling for the developers that worked on it in any way, with the latest batch of reviews we’ve rounded up keeping in line with the trend of mixed scores for the Tolkien-inspired hack’n’slash.

Destructoid, 6/10.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is a decent little distraction, but it’s out during a period when “decent” distractions should be low on a gamer’s list of priorities. There’s just no need for this game right now, and while it presents some solid role-playing action, it’s a fairly threadbare experience in a world where far deeper, more engaging RPGs are widely available. For those who can’t live without more Lord of the Rings entertainment, or for anybody who literally has nothing else to do, then War in the North does a fair job at amusement. Most people, however, can safely live without it.

Venture Beat, 60/100.

In another game, set in another fantasy universe, Snowblind just might be able to give us a game that does that. Here’s looking forward to the possibility, at least. Punt this figure up a few imaginary points if you definitely have some friends to play with, but all things considered War in the North earns a 60 out of 100.

Machinima, 6.5/10.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is a game of ups and downs. The story is decent at times but fails to compare to the magnitude of the original books’ story. Leveling up and getting new gear is fun, but the combat becomes repetitive quickly. Multiplayer should be the definitive method of play, but requiring profiles for each player and a few gameplay bugs don’t help. I’d recommend War in the North for anyone who simply loves The Lord of the Rings, but if you’re searching for a co-op action title you might look elsewhere.

The Paranoid Gamer, 5/10.

Lord of the Rings: War in the North is a repetitive and often underwhelming romp through the northern realm of Middle Earth, and even fans of the franchise will be hard-pressed to pick this up over the large quantity of quality titles that have already released.

PS3Vault, 5/10.

Lord of the Rings: War in the North is a repetitive and often underwhelming romp through the northern realm of Middle Earth, and even fans of the franchise will be hard-pressed to pick this up over the large quantity of quality titles that have already released.

The New York Post, C/C+.

Lord of the Rings: War in the North is a mediocre title that will keep fans of the franchise happy but that’s about it. For all of the things the game does right,(multiplayer, graphics and companion AI) there is a shortfall (combat and dialogue). The lush environments and the appearance of some of the franchise’s signature characters could warrant this game getting a look, but it will be overshadowed by the bigger releases this holiday season.

Gaming Trend, 76/100.

Story-wise, an interesting endeavor for any Lord of the Rings fan. The presentation is solid enough, though the story strikes this more detached reviewer as a bit mundane and typical. Great graphics, and gameplay which is solid enough but shines more with friends (what doesn’t, really?) than it does in its singleplayer offering. There’s something here for you guys who like the general approach of solving problems with a whole lot of sword-swinging, experience upgrades and looting but the gameplay gets a bit worn the longer you play. So is the story enough of a draw to push this into the buy column for you? How about the prospect of having a game experience you and your friends can share? If neither of these things would push you from the undecided column to the must-buy column, approach this one with a bit more trepidation.

Games.on.Net, 4/5.

It’s unfortunate that, for all of its slick design and solid execution, War in the North will probably not get the notice it deserves. Despite only sharing vague thematic similarities, the juggernaut of Skyrim is eclipsing everything fantasy-themed in a 3-month radius and as a result War in the North will go sadly unnoticed by people searching for a good sword-swinging, side-questing romp. But if you, like me, have got two friends who aren’t doing anything for the next twelve or fifteen hours, don’t hesitate. War in the North is, hands-down, one of gaming’s best co-op experiences in recent memory – and one that other developers who think co-op means (something to do once you’re finished single player) should be taking a long, hard look at.