The Lord of the Rings: War in the North

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is a cooperative action RPG from Snowblind Studios that offers its own supplementary story running parallel to the events of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, this time away from Frodo's main quest with the Ring, set in the northern regions of Middle-earth besieged by Sauron's forces.

Players jointly control a trio of new characters – a human ranger, a dwarven warrior, and an elven ranger-sorceress – each offering a different playstyle, from close-quarters combat through archery to support spells and summoning allies. The game places emphasis on cooperation among up to three players, a developed combat system with combos and the ability to hack enemies apart, and gradually upgrading characters through experience points, skill trees, and found gear with different bonuses tailored to each role within the team. The story leads players across a variety of Middle-earth settings, drawing on both the film's aesthetic and Tolkien's literary mythology, and offers a darker, bloodier tone of combat than players were used to from previous film adaptations, including a more explicit depiction of violence in battles against orcs and trolls.

Reviews praised the game especially for its engaging cooperative combat system and faithful, atmospheric portrayal of Middle-earth; criticism came in the form of remarks about technical shortcomings and less balanced pacing when played solo. War in the North is still remembered today as one of the more successful attempts to bring the world of The Lord of the Rings into the action RPG genre, valued especially by those who experienced the game with a full lineup of three co-op partners, for whom it offered an above-average solid cooperative experience. The lighter emphasis on faithfully retelling the film's plot, and instead offering its own standalone story, was in fact seen by many players as a plus, since it allowed them to explore Middle-earth without already knowing every next story beat from the books or films.