Aspyr Media has released The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition, bringing Snowblind Studios’ 2011 action RPG to modern consoles and PC with a range of quality-of-life improvements. The new edition retains the original game’s three-player cooperative focus while adding features such as character hot-swapping, improved enemy targeting, updated interface elements, autosaves, and 60 FPS support.
War in the North tells a story set alongside the events of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but away from the Fellowship’s main journey. Players face Agandaûr, a Black Númenórean serving Sauron who has assembled an army in the ruins of Fornost. The campaign follows three original heroes attempting to contain the growing threat in the northern regions of Middle-earth.
Players can choose between three characters: Eradan, a Dúnadan Ranger focused on stealth; Andriel, an Elven Loremaster who specializes in magic; and Farin, a Dwarven Champion built around heavier combat. The new Legacy Edition allows players to switch between the three characters during gameplay, while also giving them greater control over the equipment, skills, and abilities assigned to computer-controlled companions.
Character progression remains a major part of the experience, with players able to develop skills, customize equipment, and collect increasingly powerful weapons and armor. The campaign also features the Great Eagle Beleram, which can be called upon to attack enemies during battles.
Co-op remains central to the game, supporting up to three players online and two players through local split-screen. The adventure also revisits several recognizable locations and characters from Tolkien’s world, including Rivendell, Lórien, and Mirkwood, alongside appearances from Aragorn, Gandalf, and Elrond.
The Legacy Edition introduces several additional improvements intended to modernize the original experience. These include refined enemy lock-on, visible Health, Mana, and EXP bars for party members, additional save slots, a new autosave system, and “Triggering Secrets,” which allows players to discover certain secrets regardless of which character they are controlling. Gyro and motion-control support have also been added on PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.
The game supports 60 FPS on compatible platforms, although both 60 FPS and local co-op are unavailable on the original Nintendo Switch. The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store and GOG for $19.99. A 10% launch discount is available through August 24. The Nintendo Switch 2 version launches August 18 on the Nintendo eShop in Europe.
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Are you looking forward to playing The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, and have you played the original release? Let us know in the comments section below.
