Middle-earth has delivered a surprise worthy of Gandalf himself, with The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition suddenly available on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Priced at £16.74, this surprise release brings the 2011 action RPG back to life with a selection of modern improvements.
Rather than following Frodo and company on their rather troublesome trip to Mount Doom, War in the North explores what was happening elsewhere in Middle-earth. While the original Fellowship was dealing with Sauron’s One Ring, a new band of heroes must defend the North from Agandaûr, a Black Númenórean serving the Dark Lord.
And this Fellowship has considerably more Orc-bashing to get through.
At A Glance
- Game: The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition
- Developer: Aspyr Media / Snowblind Studios
- Publisher: Aspyr Media
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Price: £16.74
- Genre: Action RPG
- Players: Up to 3-player online co-op / 2-player local co-op
A New Fellowship Rides Into War
In true The Lord of the Rings fashion, the story centres on Agandaûr, who has gathered an army in the ruins of Fornost and threatens to bring further destruction to the North. Players can choose between three very different heroes, each offering their own approach to combat.
Eradan is a Dúnedain Ranger who specialises in bows, swords and stealth, while Andriel is an Elven Loremaster capable of supporting the party with healing and powerful magic. Farin, meanwhile, is a Dwarven Champion built for getting stuck into the thick of battle.
The Legacy Edition adds the ability to hot-swap between the three characters, allowing players to switch heroes during the adventure and make better use of their different abilities. Character progression also returns, with skills, weapons and armour allowing each hero to develop according to your preferred playstyle.
Better still, you don’t have to face the armies of Sauron alone. War in the North supports up to three players online, while two players can tackle the adventure together through local split-screen.
A Familiar Middle-earth With A Fresh Coat Of Paint
While this is still very much the War in the North originally released in 2011, the Legacy Edition has been given a selection of modern touches.
The game now supports 60 FPS, while enemy targeting has been refined and the interface has been improved with visible Health, Mana and EXP bars. There’s also a new autosave system, additional save slots and various bug fixes.
PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch players also get gyro and motion sensor support.
The adventure itself takes players through some suitably recognisable corners of Middle-earth, including Rivendell, Lórien, Mirkwood and the Lonely Mountain. Familiar faces such as Aragorn, Gandalf and Elrond also make appearances, while the heroes can call upon the mighty Great Eagle Beleram when things get particularly hairy.
A Surprise Return To Middle-earth
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition is an interesting revival for a game that has been away for more than a decade. It offers a darker, more combat-focused take on Tolkien’s world, while its three-character party and co-op systems give it an identity beyond simply retelling the events of the films.
Most importantly, this is a genuine shadow drop – the adventure is ready to play right now.
So, if you’ve ever fancied forming your own Fellowship, grabbing a sword and heading north rather than following the usual path to Mordor, this could be your chance. Just don’t ask us to carry the ring.
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition is available now on Xbox Series X|S (through the Xbox Store), PS5, Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam) for £16.74.
