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I managed to pick this game up a couple of days after it came out, and got it mad cheap because of a sale at the store: buy one used, get one free, didn't like one of the used games and sold it back and got almost full price back for it, using it to get LOTR for only $17 out of my own pocket. I brought it home, played it with a few friends, and we loved it-it's a well done game, good graphics (not flawless), and a decent storyline. I know the LOTR fad is pretty much over, but has anyone else tried this game and enjoyed it? It's going down in price quickly too, suggesting many people probably aren't buying it, so you can probably score a used copy for around $20-25.

It plays a lot like Champions of Norrath and Baldur's Gate, and for good reason-it's a Snowblind game. If you like the Snowblind style of game, this is the motherload. If you hate Snowblind's style, then I guess just keep walking. It keeps the style from CoN and BG with slottable items, but there are less items that can be slotted and less elven-stones to slot them: largely because LOTR is supposed to have less magic, so when you get a stone, it's a real treat. CoN handed them out like they were candy. But the gameplay is fun, they really did their homework in the LOTR universe and I'd definitely give it a 4 out of 5 star rating. Only reason it doesn't have a perfect 5 is because it sounds like it isn't long enough-it runs about 14 hours (I'm about 7-10 hours into it, and have half the missions done) and you only have 3 characters to choose from. However, you can switch between these characters any time you complete part of a map. Quests are moderately challenging, but you won't want to chew your own face off from playing against impossible odds. And if you complete a task and die at the same time, tie goes to the player-which never seems to happen. I died on a level JUST as I reached my goal-screen even said "you have failed" and because it was at the same moment, I got credit for finishing the level and won.

As I said earlier, if you like Snowblind's style of games, go out and buy this one. If you hate their style, don't bother. If you haven't played their stuff before, give it a rent. But you can play with another friend on one console, or system link/online play for a total of 3 people-you have your own mini-fellowship. I've taken to calling it the Derp-squad, in a loving way
A full list of their games, to know if you like them or not, is as follows: Champions of Norrath, CoN: Return to Arms, Baldur's Gate 2, Baldurs Gate 2: Dark Alliance, Justice League Heroes-that's right: they tackled the Batman/Superman answer to X-men Legends, and now LOTR: War in the North.

A friend of mine has got it and said it's good fun. I think the game suffered from being released the same week (perhaps even same day?!) as Skyrim. What on earth were they thinking?

I thought it came out around Christmas. Weird. Well, if it came out around skyrim time, then it was abad decision on their part. A very bad one.

Pacific wrote:A friend of mine has got it and said it's good fun. I think the game suffered from being released the same week (perhaps even same day?!) as Skyrim. What on earth were they thinking?

I didn't get it becuase it doesn't have couch co-op, which was a big part of all the other games listed.

Couch co-op? Meaning 2+ people on the same couch? You can have 2 people on one console, just not 3. There is co-op.

I thought it was a decent game. A nice break from the standard LotR story (dealing with the north and all that). I could have done without the cameos of the Fellowship, but I suppose that can't be helped.

Also, it totally has couch co-op.

I loved Champions of Norrath.

I may go pick this up today, so me and my wife can play it!

Shrike325 wrote:Also, it totally has couch co-op.

I wonder if they changed their mind, becuase originally it was listed as online co-op only, which is why I didn't pick it up.

I liked alot, it was a good game but with some minor flaws thou. But all in al well worth the cash

My friend and I saw it as a D and D game with a Lord of the Rings skin. Overall, quite fun and a bit more immersive than older D&D tites like Baulers Gate: Dark Alliance and D&D Heroes. A better item system and better skill sets helped a lot.

Just beat it earlier tonight. I think it took me about 20 hours or so, because I didn't complete every quest in normal time-missed getting all 7 scrolls for Elrond I had a blast, and played through as the ranger-I enjoy stealth games, and playing through as a guy who can go invisible, sneak to the casters/bowmen in the back and hamstring the long range attacks is quite enjoyable. Also, he's great at healing fallen allies while invisible. The ranger, by far, is the best character. I don't usually like to play the human, but he's just too good, and fun too. They all have great uses though, and you can't unlock everything in the game without playing through as all three characters-thankfully, switching characters and going back to previously beaten levels is easy. And of course, in typical Snowblind fashion, once you beat it, you get to keep your skill set and play through on the next difficulty. I'm now altering my view from a 4 to a 4.5 out of 5, as the only problem I see is too few characters to choose from. Overall, one of the better games I've played in a long while. I see this being my replacement to Champions of Norrath, which I truly, truly love.