The Lord of the Rings: War in the North - Legacy Edition Reviews
War in the North still delivers a fun Middle‑earth adventure, even if its age shows. The Legacy Edition brings the game to modern hardware with smoother performance that helps the combat feel more responsive, but it does not change the core strengths or weaknesses. The hack and slash action remains enjoyable, the characters are great to play and the world still has plenty of atmosphere. However, dated visuals, repetitive encounters and a checkpoint system that can send you back long stretches of progress stop it from feeling fully modern. It is a solid return for fans of Middle‑earth, just not a transformative one.
Lord of the Rings: War In The North Legacy Edition is limited, dated, and silly. It didn’t do anything particularly well back when it was released, and the re-release doesn’t change that. However, it does provide an enjoyable co-op experience, especially in local co-op. As a Steam Deck game, it offers a good medium-length play session and runs smoothly, bar the odd hiccup. For the price, War in the North is a simple, decent (and accessible for all levels) co-op experience. Frustratingly, it still touches the edges of being something better, but never quite gets there.
Has Aspyr managed to turned a mediocre title into a must-buy, or should the studio have focused its efforts on a different Lord of the Rings title?
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North may hold a niche legacy as a middling-to-decent multiplayer action RPG that serves Tolkien diehards above all else, but I can't help feeling like it deserves a more spirited revival than this.As it stands, this Legacy Edition is a (largely) functional way to play the game on modern hardware that includes some nice yet non-revolutionary tweaks and additions. That holds merit in itself, but once you've spent time revisiting the repetitive gameplay loop or chafing up against the unpleasant bugs present in this re-release, you may find yourself wondering if this particular title was better off staying a pleasant memory from a simpler era of gaming history.
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North remasters the 2011 classic with improved resolution, textures, UI, and some quality of life improvements. Instant hot-swapping between the three characters is much appreciated, and the game is far more enjoyable to play as a result. It still suffers from the same issues that the original game had, including some bizarre enemy placements and a slow beginning, but this is still an incredibly entertaining action RPG that does both the books and the films proud.
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is back with a new Legacy Edition that has come out of left field, but should service fans nicely.
It’s not a bad game. It’s just a competent one. In today’s crowded gaming marketplace, where gamers have higher expectations, War In The North is a tough sell. It will appeal to Lord of the Rings fans and those who have some nostalgia attached to the original game.
Sure it's more than a bit janky, the combat is a touch simplistic and the visuals, despite Aspyr's generous sprinkling of 4K resolution and 60 frames per second goodness upon them, still feel rather dated. Yet despite all of that, Lord of the Rings: War in the North feels oddly refreshing with its straightforward sensibilities and design resulting in an action RPG that remains good, solid fun - especially with friends and represents good value at its budget, sub $20 price point. Overall, it's just nice to have a decent Lord of the Rings game doing the rounds again, don't you think?
Even for the most avid Tolkien fans, War in the North is only worth playing for a short jaunt with friends.
Return to Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition. After 15 years, this action RPG gets another chance to shine with improved features, co-op gameplay, and a story that explores a different side of Tolkien’s world.
Legacy Edition is a respectable revival that improves many of the original's age-related rough edges, but it can't address its dated foundations.
In the end, War in the North is a mediocre solo action RPG, but it remains an easy recommendation for anyone who admires Tolkien’s fantasy world. The Legacy Edition does not fix the repetitive combat, unreliable AI or underdeveloped protagonists, but it preserves an enjoyable story, meaningful progression and one of the better cooperative interpretations of Middle-earth.
Classic The Lord of the Rings experience given a second chance on current-gen consoles
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North - Legacy Edition is exactly what I expected, a slight improvement for the original game, while retaining its soul and character.
Despite its flaws, Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition is a good action RPG. Its story is solid and the gameplay is enjoyable, although it becomes a bit repetitive over time. In short, it lacked a bit more boldness to be a good choice beyond fans of the franchise and its own genre.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition is a flawed yet enjoyable throwback action game, bringing a fresh trek through familiar faces and locales.
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is a prime example of a "6 out of 10" game: passable and nothing more. It may have more flaws than merits, yet it somehow manages to deliver enough fun that, upon finishing the campaign, the player thinks, "It was actually pretty decent." For me, that was far more than I had expected from it.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
That was 15 years ago now. However, with the passage of time, we’ve come to appreciate everything we overlooked back then. The very idea of a Western RPG based on *The Lord of the Rings* is, in itself, overwhelmingly compelling. Add to that some basic but effective combat, a few role-playing elements and the appearance of iconic characters from the series, and the mix should be perfect. It isn’t, but at the very least, it does the job and gives you exactly what you’re after: exploring Middle-earth whilst battling orcs, goblins and trolls. Could it have been more than just a graphical upgrade and additions that improve the game’s quality of life? Probably, but that would have required a remake – one which I do believe could have truly given this game the place it deserves.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Aspyr revives the 2011 cult classic with a 4K, 60 FPS Legacy Edition that succeeds thanks to nostalgia and co-op gameplay. Despite retaining the linear design of its era, its polished technical enhancements and visceral group gameplay make this comeback a must-buy at a budget price, paving the way for the resurgence of Tolkien-based games.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North had everything needed to be a good side story to Peter Jackson’s trilogy, with a little-explored corner of Middle-earth, a proven team, and a license capable of selling almost anything. If they failed to make the most of that opportunity in 2011, Aspyr has done no better in 2026.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review