A surprise re-release of The Lord of the Rings: War in the North has arrived on modern consoles and PC. Aspyr has remastered the 2011 action RPG, making it available for players on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. The Legacy Edition is also available on PC.
This new version launches at a discounted price of $17.99 until August 25, after which it will increase to $19.99. The remaster includes several enhancements aimed at bringing the game up to modern standards, such as 60fps performance, bug fixes, and quality-of-life improvements. Notable additions include an enemy lock-on system and the ability to hot-swap between characters during gameplay.
Originally released in November 2011 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North received mixed reviews from critics. While it offered online co-op and a story that ran parallel to Peter Jackson's film trilogy, incorporating actor likenesses and the movies' aesthetic, it was also noted for not taking enough risks. The game's commercial performance was also impacted by major releases at the time, including Modern Warfare 3 and Skyrim.
Despite its initial reception, the game has found a fond place in the memories of some fans and was even included on IGN's list of the best Lord of the Rings games. War in the North stands out as the first Lord of the Rings game to receive an M for Mature rating, embracing a grittier and more violent tone than the films, a direction that would later influence games like Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.
Aspyr has indicated in a press release that this re-release is part of a broader plan for more Lord of the Rings titles to be remastered in the future, though specific titles were not announced. The original publisher for War in the North was Warner Bros., and it remains to be seen if any rights issues could affect potential remasters of games previously published by EA.