Snowblind Studios’ 2011 co-op action RPG The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is back as a Legacy Edition, out today from Aspyr at $19.99 with a 10 percent launch discount running through August 24. The release covers PlayStation 5, XBOX Series X|S, Switch, Switch 2, and PC through Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG, with the Switch 2 version reaching the Nintendo eShop in Europe on August 18.
The co-op setup carries over from the original, with support for three players online or two locally in split-screen, though local play and 60 FPS are both off the table on the original Switch. Your party pulls from three heroes: Eradan, a stealthy Dúnadan Ranger, Andriel, an Elven Loremaster handling the magic, and Farin, a Dwarven Champion built to soak damage. The roster is fixed.
Changes in the Legacy Edition add quality of life work rather than just a visual overhaul. Character hot-swapping is the headline addition, letting you jump between the three heroes on the fly and assign equipment, skills, and abilities to computer-controlled party members for the first time. The rest covers refined enemy lock-on, health, mana, and EXP bars for the whole party, autosave alongside additional save slots, gyro support on PlayStation 5, Switch, and Switch 2, a Triggering Secrets feature that surfaces other characters’ hidden supply caches no matter who you’re controlling, and 60 FPS on everything but the original Switch.
The story is untouched, following Agandaûr, a Black Númenórean serving Sauron who has gathered a force in the ruins of Fornost while Frodo and Sam make their way to Mount Doom. Aragorn, Gandalf, and Elrond show up along the route, and the campaign runs through Rivendell, Lórien, and Mirkwood. You can also call in Beleram, a Great Eagle, to strike from above during a fight.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment licensed the release, and it’s Aspyr’s first Lord of the Rings title. I’ve said before that Aspyr has done well with its remasters for the most part, pointing to Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 and 2, and Tomb Raider as evidence the company knew how to handle these classic games. That was back when Deus Ex Remastered was delayed indefinitely after fans criticized its visual style. Aspyr says more classic Lord of the Rings releases are planned, though it hasn’t named any of them yet.
