There is something interesting about returning to a game from the PlayStation 3 era and discovering that, beneath all the rough edges, its basic ideas still work. The Lord of the Rings: War in the North was never one of the most celebrated games based on Tolkien’s universe, and its return as the Legacy Edition certainly does not attempt to rewrite that history. Originally released in 2011, this is still very much an action RPG from that period, complete with straightforward combat, linear environments, loot-filled levels and plenty of roughness around the edges. What has changed is that it is now considerably easier to play on modern hardware, with smoother performance and a handful of quality-of-life improvements that make the old formula more approachable. The result is not a spectacular remaster, but rather an opportunity to rediscover a surprisingly enjoyable Middle-earth adventure that spent far too long unavailable.
Rather than retelling the story of Frodo and the Fellowship yet again, War in the North takes place alongside those familiar events and follows three new heroes fighting a separate battle in the northern regions of Middle-earth. Eradan is the Dúnedain ranger, Farin is the hard-hitting dwarf and Andriel is the elven spellcaster, with their differing abilities giving the campaign a useful sense of variety. Their story is hardly going to challenge Tolkien’s original characters for depth, and the linear narrative occasionally leans rather heavily on fan service, but that is also part of its appeal. Visiting locations such as Bree, Rivendell, Mirkwood and Fornost while occasionally crossing paths with recognisable characters gives the adventure the feeling of exploring the margins of a much larger story rather than simply replaying the movies. The darker tone also suits the game’s focus on warfare, although those less invested in Middle-earth may find the fairly predictable plot harder to appreciate.
It is the combat that ultimately determines whether War in the North still has anything worthwhile to offer, and thankfully the answer is yes. The controls are uncomplicated, built around light and heavy attacks, blocking, dodging, ranged attacks and character-specific abilities, while weakened enemies can be finished with particularly brutal executions. None of this is especially sophisticated by modern action RPG standards, but there is a satisfying immediacy to charging into a group of Orcs and Goblins and simply getting on with the business of cutting them down. The three heroes also play differently enough to make switching between them worthwhile, with Eradan favoring ranged and melee attacks, Farin specialising in brute force and durability, and Andriel bringing magic and support abilities to the party. The ability to switch characters during missions is particularly welcome in the Legacy Edition, making solo play feel less restrictive and allowing us to make better use of the whole party.
That simplicity can also become the game’s biggest weakness. Most encounters still boil down to entering an area, defeating wave after wave of enemies and moving on, and the largely linear level design does little to disguise that repetition. Some enemies can take an excessive amount of punishment, while larger foes can expose awkward hit detection and the lack of convincing physical reactions to attacks makes some battles feel more like reducing health bars than actually hitting something with a sword. Ranged combat is useful but lacks the same satisfying feel as melee fighting, and the artificial intelligence of our companions can still be unreliable. The inventory is another reminder of the game’s age: there is plenty of equipment to collect and compare, but managing all those weapons and armor pieces through an old-fashioned interface can become almost as much of a chore as fighting the next Orc army.
There is nevertheless more RPG here than the basic hack-and-slash premise might suggest. Each character has their own skill trees, attributes and equipment, and finding better weapons and armor gives the progression system a tangible sense of purpose. Exploration also rewards us for occasionally stepping away from the obvious route, with hidden chests, secrets, side quests and areas that can make use of the different characters’ abilities. This gives the campaign a little more texture than its combat-heavy structure initially suggests. Playing alone is therefore perfectly viable, especially now that character switching is available, but War in the North is clearly at its best when several players work together. Online co-op supports three players, while local split-screen accommodates two, and the different roles of the three heroes make co-op more than simply having additional bodies on screen. It is an old-fashioned approach to multiplayer, but one that still works remarkably well.
The PS5 presentation is where expectations need to be carefully managed. The move to higher resolution and a largely stable 60 frames per second makes a substantial difference to how comfortable the game feels to play, particularly when large groups of enemies fill the screen, and the improved fluidity suits the straightforward combat nicely. Faster loading and various interface and quality-of-life adjustments also help smooth away some of the original game’s rougher edges. What Aspyr has not done, however, is turn a 2011 game into something resembling a modern PS5 production. The character models, facial expressions, animations, textures and environmental detail remain unmistakably rooted in the PS3 generation, and the sharper presentation can actually make some of those shortcomings more obvious. There are still moments when characters move awkwardly or enemies behave strangely, so anyone expecting a comprehensive visual overhaul is going to be disappointed.
The audio presentation fares rather better, particularly when the familiar musical style and strong vocal performances help sell the feeling that this really is another chapter taking place within Tolkien’s world. The dialogue gives the three protagonists more personality than the relatively straightforward plot might otherwise provide, and the orchestral score can lend even the most routine Orc encounter an appropriately epic sense of occasion. Unfortunately, the sound design itself is less consistent, with repeated combat effects becoming noticeable over longer sessions and occasional audio-mixing problems during gameplay. Even so, the combination of music, voice acting and familiar locations does a lot of heavy lifting. When you’re fighting through Middle-earth with a suitably dramatic score in the background, the game’s age becomes considerably easier to overlook.
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition therefore finds itself in an unusual position. It is not a lost masterpiece suddenly revealed to the world, nor is it a remaster substantial enough to make the original feel obsolete. Too much of the underlying 2011 technology, interface design, enemy repetition and combat jank remains intact for that. What it does preserve, though, is a very specific kind of action RPG that feels increasingly uncommon: a relatively uncomplicated adventure with no need to reinvent its combat every few minutes, a satisfying stream of loot and progression, and the option to sit down with friends for some old-school split-screen Middle-earth mayhem. On PS5, the 60fps performance and quality-of-life improvements make it the best way to experience the game today, but they cannot hide just how much time has passed. For Tolkien fans willing to accept its dated presentation and repetitive structure, there is still enough fun here to make this forgotten northern war worth fighting again.
Score: 7.2/10