Aspyr has released a remastered edition of The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, a 2011 action RPG known for its three-player cooperative gameplay. The Legacy Edition is available today on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG, as well as on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. A release for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 is scheduled for August 18.
The re-release marks the first of several anticipated classic Lord of the Rings titles from Aspyr, according to Warner Bros. "Fans can look forward to even more classic releases by Aspyr from the beloved franchise in the future!" a press release stated.
Developed by Snowblind Studios, which also co-developed Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, War in the North was a precursor to Monolith's Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War. The original game received a critical reception, with one review at the time calling it a "soulless cash-in" that turned its setting into a chore.
The Legacy Edition introduces several enhancements, including 60 FPS support, the ability to hot-swap characters, split-screen co-op (though not available on the original Switch model), improved target-locking, an updated UI/UX, an autosave feature, and gyro controls. Numerous bug fixes have also been implemented.
The game casts players as a trio of heroes—a dwarf, an elf, and a human ranger—battling Sauron's forces in the northern reaches of Middle-earth. The gameplay involves fighting through enemy hordes, leveling up characters, acquiring new abilities, and collecting loot. While characters like Aragorn make cameo appearances, and players traverse familiar locations such as Mirkwood and Rivendell, the game does not feature the Nemesis system popularized in Shadow of Mordor.