Hey folks, Valkor here. And here's an Urban Legend for ya that's totally related to the review I'm about to present. So a woman walks out of a KFC with a 12-piece bucket. As soon as she gets home, she dives in for the first piece, and it's so damn good. She goes in for the second piece, and it's just as good as the first. When she chomps into the third piece… something isn't right. When she looks down, she sees that she has bitten into a deep-fried rat. Well, the folks at Warner Interactive served the Val-Man up a meal, Lord of the Rings: War in the North for the PlayStation 3, that started so delicious, but… something about this game doesn't taste right.
A hack-and-slash action role-playing game, Lord of the Rings: War in the North is set concurrently with the events of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In either single or multiplayer, you control one of three characters, Farin the Dwarf, Andriel the elf and Eradan the ranger on a quest to the north where you hunt Aganduar, Sauron's lieutenant, who controls an army of Black Riders, Orcs, trolls, and other nasties, whom if not stopped will stand in the path of the fellowship who are on their way to Modor to destroy the ring of power and serious dark times shall befall middle-earth.
War in the North is a 3-player co-op, meaning it's best played with three human characters, but single players can take on the journey with a computer AI controlling the other characters. Each character has unique skills that are exclusive to them, even though their abilities in melee and ranged attacks are identical (the only thing that separates them is how they are presented). For instance, Andriel can mix herbs, Eradan can spot trails, and Farin can find weaknesses in rock walls. The Fellowship of Three can also summon Beleram, a gigantic eagle that can remove barriers in their way or destroy swarms of adversaries at once. When it comes to loot, there's no "mine, mine, mine"; Everyone shares in the take. Plus, you can share items, especially those that are of no use to you – there are certain weapons and armor that only specific characters can use, so it's best to pass them along.
As an RPG, you can level up your characters by defeating enemies and collecting points, which will enable you to unlock new skills and expand your character's skill tree. You can collect loot, which can be found almost anywhere, such as in urns, in dirt piles, chests, and, of course, enemy drops, which consist of not only money but also special items, weapons, and armor, which can be worn, given to other characters, or sold. Additionally, armor and weaponry degrade with time and require repairs. You can visit any blacksmith in the towns who will repair your gear whenever needed, for a fee, of course.
This is a game based on the LOTR trilogy, and as such, you'll be able to speak with or go on quests for the fellowship characters such as Elrond, Aragorn, Frodo, Arwen, Bilbo, Gimli, and the rest of the crew, as well as new characters not seen in the film. You have a variety of questions and answers when you engage in dialogue with the characters. But from what I've seen so far, the choices do not affect the overall game. You will receive a special item or a choice box with several options when you complete a task.
Each character can use either melee or ranged attacks during combat. In addition to blocking, you can roll to avoid assaults. You enter "Hero Mode," where both your experience and the damage you inflict increase, once you deal a string of blows to the enemies without getting struck. When a yellow arrow appears over the enemy's head, you press the triangle key to dismember or behead your foe. Critical attack like a mofo!!
So right off the bat, nothing appears misplaced, and War in the North seems to follow all the rules of what a good action/RPG should be... except one, and I'll touch on that as I delve into the TOV Breakdown!
The Good:
War in the North has a lot going for it; for starters, the co-op aspect is definitely unique and adds an exciting spin to the genre. The idea that certain characters can perform actions others can't adds a whole new level of gameplay not seen in most games today. It's simple, and it's all about finding hidden rooms and items that the others cannot. Now imagine Snowblind creating a sequel and stating that only the Dwarf could find the boss character in that secret room. My mind would be blown! The graphics, specifically the background, are a plus because everything, even the murkiest of places like Barrow Downs, looks amazing! Reflective puddles and dust being picked up and swirled by the breezes are two more lovely details that heighten the visual appeal. Those are elements you don't see in many games… or at least I haven't. The controls are spot on; attacking, dodging, and pulling off those special moves aren't too complicated, and though your characters are a little sluggish on the walk, thankfully they have a sprint that gives a nice boost in speed. Finally, the music is amazing; not very cinematic but each piece fits with each scenario, changing up depending on the situation, plus you can hear snippets from the film's original score; very, very beautiful. To round things out, the story – solid! The action – love it! Additionally, you should enjoy the game's multiplayer aspect. Although I don't know many players, you can find others online, creating this unique bonding experience.
The Bad:
And that's where I have to stop because I've run into a problem, and I'm sure anyone who has purchased the game has probably run into it as well. The multiplayer aspect of the game is a great idea! Leaving out the single-player by not being able to swap characters at will? VERY BAD IDEA!!! One of my favorite character/multiplayer games is Marvel Ultimate Alliance, which lets me switch between characters at any time and utilize their unique skills. By giving characters special access to places other characters are unaware of, War in the North goes beyond that. This element works great when you're playing with other human characters, but the big question is: how often will you have other human characters to play alongside? I'm a night owl, meaning I enjoy staying up late until dawn. So, there's hardly anyone that I know of still awake to join me on a quest or two, let alone online. I now have two computer-controlled characters, but I can't swap them, update them, or assign them more abilities. Oh wait, there is a way, but the process of swapping characters in this method is ridiculous! You can either change before you start the game or when you replay a level and move on to the next stage. You can also change characters when you return to a hub town. It really is a process that's more frustrating than it sounds. I understand the whole "bonding the players" and such, but what about replay? Let's say a year from now I want to play this game again? Why should I if I can't swap? You know what? Forget the fact that I can't swap out the characters; that's fine because in most RPG's you really can't do it. But guess what you can do? You can update your characters on the fly, which is something you CANNOT do in this game! If I'm a ranger and my dwarf and elf level up, I can't apply skill points to teach them new abilities or make them stronger when I need to. And the computer doesn't apply those points automatically, nor does it equip the characters with newer, better weapons and armor!! It's frustrating!
The Ugly:
The character models during the cinematics are very creepy. This works great for Frodo, who is succumbing to the powers of the dark ring. But wait until you see Arwen. Wooooo, scary!
Lord of the Rings: War in the North is a game I love/hate all at the same time. It has a lot of positive aspects, like the action, soundtrack, and plot. And yet it's that one bite – not being able to swap/update characters during single player mode that ruins what should be an awesome experience. I'm still playing through it because I really want to see how it ends. But for how long I'll continue this journey… let's see how well my patience holds up. Be that as it may, out of TOV 5 stars, I War in the North gets a 3.