Made of Win or Straight to Bin... Lord of the Rings: War in the North

Last time in Made of Win or Straight to Bin I looked at Dark Souls, which if review scores this week are anything to go by, is almost definitely made of pure win. In this second feature I take a peek at Snowblind's incoming Tolkien spin-off, Lord of the Rings: War in the North, due for release on November 4th. As before, I'll list five highs and five lows - all of which will probably be proved utter nonsense when the title launches...

War In the North will be made of win because...

It's set apart from the original trilogy

WitN takes place concurrently with Tolkien's epic, but follows the conflict taking place north of Eriador. As such, it won't have to follow a set storyline; hell, it doesn't even have to have a happy ending since we all know that'll be provided by Frodo & Co. anyway. The scope for plot twists and new story elements is unprecedented for a Rings game.

It will be more brutal and mature than the source material

Not being tied directly to the movies (including Guillermo Del Toro's upcoming Hobbit), nor even the source material, means Snowblind have been able to put their own spin on proceedings - which, judging by the trailers and screens, means lashings of bone-crunching combat and bloodthirsty orc-puncturing.

It features new heroes

The worries and woes of Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf are half a world away, and War in the North follows the fortunes of an all-new fellowship: Eradan the human Ranger, Farin the Dwarven Champion and Andriel the Elven mage. The familiar, Tolkien-esque classes will welcome franchise fans, whilst the staple RPG choice of fighter, ranger, mage will help newcomers to acclimatise. Plus, it won't harm canon if these guys bite the big one at some heroic juncture or another.

It supports 3-player co-op

With a variety of options including couch co-op, system-link or online, War in the North will allow Snowblind's Dark Alliance influences to shine. The ability to combine the characters' unique skills is exciting (if not entirely original), and the AI controls the other two protagonists if you're a soloist. Built with co-op in mind, expect WitN to throw some huge bosses at you, requiring tactics and teamwork to take down. 

It's surprisingly deep

Not only is the universe packed full of lore and backstory, but the titular North is largely unexplored even by Tolkien. As a result, new locations and enemies will add to the freshness and variety. Also, each of the three characters is highly customisable both in appearance and combat style. A bespoke skill tree helps mould them around their respective archetypes, but with options that include Eradan using the bow, dual-wielding  two swords or wielding a two-handed weapon, and Andriel becoming a blade and staff-wielding battlemage, there's definite scope for experimentation. The New Game+ mode will also add longevity to a relatively short campaign (estimated at 12 - 14 hours).

War in the North will be straight to bin because...

It's still just another spin-off

And spin-offs aren't usually great. If it brings something genuinely new to the franchise, then that's brilliant - but featuring recycled visuals and the standard ranger, warrior, wizard set-up like every other Rings game ever won't win it any awards for originality.

It might alienate soloists

The biggest question with any game built on primarily a multiplayer foundation is: will solo gamers still enjoy it? Big fans of Tolkien's universe will be champing at the bit for this, and those without internet access or an abundance of gaming friends will need to rely on competent AI. It's no good if the computer-controlled characters are as thick as troll-turds.

The genre is arguably overcrowded

Unfortunately, every Western action RPG these days is influenced either by Diablo or Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance and, as such, they're rarely terribly original. The premise of WitN in particular is well-trodden ground, and the game is unlikely to wow by offering us tried and tested class types and the standard combination of composite longbows and freeze spells. Also, despite a daring move north of Rohan, it's still very much based on a series of films that came out almost a decade ago (Snowblind may argue that the game isn't based on Peter Jackson's trilogy - but just look at the art style).

Lord of the Rings game have a whiffy reputation

It's true, unfortunately. There aren't a great many decent titles based on Tolkien's universe. The film tie-ins were mostly alright, whilst titles like The Battle for Middle Earth and Conquest received mixed reviews upon release. Perhaps after The Hobbit hits multiplexes someone will produce a half-decent adaptation, but for now War in the North is joining a fairly long line of shat-tastic action games. 

It's launching in Skyvember

Yes, Warner Brothers' questionable marketing strategy is apparently to avoid "safe" months like December or January, and instead release their baby into the path of Bethesda's all-conquering RPG behemoth, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Likely to be held back only by Modern Warfare 3 and (for PS3-heads) Uncharted 3, Skyrim is the only RPG anyone seems to care much about until Mass Effect 3 arrives in March next year. Of course, a relatively unknown developer launching a game based on a franchise who's appeal to gamers is questionable at best into the path of an oncoming juggernaut might be considered brave by some. The rest of us just think it's a little bit daft.

So there's my opinion. Do you agree or disagree? Feel free to air your own viewpoints in the comments box, or check out the trailer below for a taste of what you'll be getting when War in the North launches on November 4th.