Sunday Roundup: 11/6/11

In a similar fashion to the LotR games on the last generation of consoles, War in the North is a cooperative hack ‘n’ slash RPG. But instead of playing as series stalwarts Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, you instead play as three unheard of heroes as they do battle with Sauron’s minions in the north. Actually, the story is bad ass for a tie-in title. At the command of Aragorn and later Gandalf and Elrond at Rivendell, you and your companions are tasked with creating a distraction to keep Sauron’s eye away from Frodo and the Fellowship. To accomplish this you must find and destroy Agadauir (if I spelled that correctly), a servant of the Dark Lord. The reason the story is cool is because it feels like a Lord of the Rings story: Run-ins with the Fellowship do great fan service but also feel legitimate; The events that unfold for these three heroes isn’t too farfetched; and best of all the game shines light on parts of the movies that aren’t hinted at such as the reason the Fellowship doesn’t just use the Great Eagles of the Misty Mountains to fly into Mount Doom, or why the Fellowhip was never in the North at all, and even why it might have been so easy (just a figure of speech) for Frodo and Sam to make it all the way there, unnoticed, on foot. The story has totally got me, and I like that.
Aside from the story, the action is mediocre, with a lot of repetition. Things aren’t too ridiculous, but it could be boring to some. Level advancement and customization will keep you going though, as the progression system is nicely implemented, rewarding you at just the right time.
Look for a full review of the game later at Machinima.com.