Despite being out already across North America for the best part of the month, this game will only just be released for European players this coming Friday (25th Nov). It hasn't fared too well in the reviews - fairly middling to poor, tbh. The game takes it's artistic cues from Jackson's LotR universe, so fans of the films should at least find some consolation in returning to a much-loved universe. The game play is sadly rather linear and constrained - very much like Space Marine, it's a guided hack'n'slash-a-thon down corridors, facing off against wave-after-wave of enemy sword fodder.

Ultimately, being caught in the middle of Skyrim's unmitigated success, The War In The North will probably sink without a trace - N. American players on Steam forums are already complaining there are hardly any games online. The game unlocks for me this Friday and I'll be looking forward to the SP campaign (I've watched a ton of play-though vids on YT and I pretty much know what to expect from the game), so I'll be happy enough. But yet another promising game fails to live up to expectations, by the look of it. Sad. Still any few remaining LotR fans (especially the Jackson film fans) might well be interested in this somewhat late arrival to the party.

GameTrailers Review:



The War In The North website

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When I heard about this game, I was curious. I watched a demo and never looked at it again.

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This only serves to make me wonder why EA canceled The White Council, back when they still had the license.

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Not sure thats true on any front, it never really looked that promising and the amount of games this year that have lived up to or surpassed expectations is quite frankly staggering.

Had a play on the demo over the weekend. It's ok but it's basically just a basic hack and slasher with a LOTR skin. It could've been so much more. Wasn't terrible just nothing great. Wouldn't pay anywhere near like £40 but maybe worth a look when zavvi do it for around £12 in a few weeks.

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I think six months ago this game looked promising. I certainly got that from the advanced magazine coverage, too. Just goes to show. I think I will enjoy it - but I could tire of the repetitive nature of the gameplay long before I finish it, if the gameplay vids on YT are anything to go by. Anyway, I've paid for it now, so too late to worry about it. I'll get my chance to try it out for myself on Friday.

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If you want to try it before there's a free exclusive demo on OnLive if you've got an account.

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My copy should be arriving tomorrow, I will let you know of my findings. But it's LOTR so my rose tinted glasses will be fairly narrow visioned!

Mine, too. And I know what to expect from the game. Just good to have a new LotR game, I guess. We take what we can. Not long till the unlock at midnight on Steam - yay.

Eurogamer aren't too keen:


http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011- ... rth-review

Apparently the PC version (which I have) is bugged to buggery, as well.

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Okay, so I had to start the game again on Easy as I was finding Normal a bit of a b*stard. This is much better. Really enjoying the game now, seems to flow so much better with this setting.

I am playing the PC version with the 360 controller (which is natively supported by the game). According to Steam I have spent 6 hours in the game so far (the first three were my old, abandoned game playing under 'Normal', the rest my new game under 'Easy') and I cannot report any technical issues at all with the game - I cannot understand what the reviewers have been moaning about - honest to god, this game has been rock-solid, perfectly stable from the very start and I am running the game on it's very highest settings - no stutter, no lost saves, no glitches or even any noticeable bugs. I have earned, so far, 8 of the 46 available Achievements.

I've taken a few screens (which I've reduced to make them easier to see here on the forum). Game looks very, very nice for anyone who is a fan of Lord of the Rings (Jackson style). Your avatars appear in cut-scenes with all the costume/armour/weapon upgrades as you make them. It's really very nice. These are all in-engine, real-time screens. Yes, the game does look this good.







The road goes ever onwards...

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If your pictures are a good indication of what the game looks like I have no idea how you can think that.

Just sent this back to Lovefilm without playing it.

Bit unfair. At least I installed mine, and ran around The Prancing Pony for a bit. A posh Aragorn told me to go somewhere, and some nameless goon set me off on a side quest that involved giving a necklace to his girlfriend.

Then I uninstalled it. Back to Lovefilm it goes!

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I can safely tell you that the game is, infact, most agreeable. I'm making seriously good progress now. 8 hours under my belt, 12/46 (26%) of Achievements - and I've just arrived at Rivendell to find Elrond, Aragorn and Gandalf waiting for me there.

Some more in-game, real-time screens - this game is a good-looker:






Haters are gonna hate, nothing I can do about it, except to keep posting the truth as I find it. You make up your own minds.

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It looks significantly worse than Skyrim and doesn't have that games massive open world...I don't know how you think it looks good.

The thing is with you Hugo, if you don't like something, even though you haven't tried it, you will still continue to spout bull to anyone who wants to hear it? No this game doesn't look worse than Skyrim, trust me, unlike you I've played both.....

OK it's not as open ended as Skyrim, but there's still a large adventure to behold.

I side with Cal. LOTR fans will love this game, adventure/ RPG fans will enjoy it too, but obviously doesn't hold a candle to Skyrim is the grander scheme of RPG'ing, but still a fun title to play.

If you thought this game was ever going to equal Skyrim, then you were sorely mistaken, my friend.

For what it is (and I knew what it was going to be, since I'd watched a lot of YT playthroughs ahead of release), I've been having a whole day's fun with it and enjoying it all. It helps to be a fan of the films, of course, because there is fan service here (the lengthy dialogue-tree driven cut scenes are testament to that), but also I really do think the game does a fair job of producing some very good visuals to go along with it all. Apparently the game engine is almost eleven years old.

Yes, the game play is all bit hack'n'slash, but the loot-collecting is fantastic - in true Snowblind/Baldurs Gate style - and fitting out your character with the latest sword or piece of armour is a constant pleasure. The game also has weapon enhancements with gems, large skill trees for each character and lots of room to grow your avatar's skills.

Latest screens:

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Looks pretty good to me

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I know what the game is, I was talking purely from a graphical perspective.

Is it free worldish or very linear levels Cal? I'd love to go exploring Middle Earth

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It's very linear, although the outside areas are done very nicely and feel large. In the end, though, you are pretty much funnelled down a proscribed route - I don't mind this so much, as that way the developers at least ensure you stumble across all the items you're meant to find (important for some quests) and the whole thing is very story-driven so I guess it's important for the narrative. Still, I agree; it would have been nice to roam at will across Middle-Earth, sadly this isn't that game. Don't let this put you off - if you are in the least a fan of the Jackson films there is much to enjoy here.

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