Following the release of 2011 action RPG The Lord of the Rings: War in the North on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2 earlier this week, Aspyr has indicated that it has plans to release more games based on the legendary IP. While no details have been revealed yet, the press release announcing the release of The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition notes that it is the first game in the IP to be released by Aspyr, and that “fans can look forward to even more classic releases by Aspyr from the beloved franchise in the future!”
Over the last few decades, there have been several games based on The Lord of the Rings, with many of them stuck on older hardware and incompatible with modern gaming machines. Whether Aspyr can get the license to bring many of them to modern platforms remains to be seen, but it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the surprise release of the cult classic Battle for Middle-earth strategy games, despite those being developed and published by EA. As for more recent games in the franchise, Aspyr might be working on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 ports of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel, which would likely be easier since they were published by Warner Bros.
The 2000s saw plenty of games based on the IP being released thanks to the popularity of Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy at the time, including 2000s-era action-adventure games like The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, and maybe even turn-based RPG The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age. While Aspyr hasn’t made any official statement regarding the matter yet, these games, as well as the aforementioned Battle for Middle-earth, have been known to be wrapped up in legal issues concerning who owns the rights to sell them.
In the meantime, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition throws players into the legendary world of Tolkien’s stories, albeit fighting entirely different threats than the original Fellowship. The story revolves around ranger Eradan, elf mage Andriel, and dwarf Champion Farin, who team up to take on the Black Númenórean, Agandaûr. Each character offers their own unique gameplay; Eradan focuses on a mixture of stealth gameplay with melee and ranged combat options, Andriel offers magical support and healing along with area-of-effect spells, and Farin stands in the front lines with his emphasis on melee damage and durability.
The Legacy Edition re-release includes split-screen and online co-op for up to three players in total, along with an RPG progression system that revolves around unlocking and unleashing unique skills and abilities. Nintendo Switch players, however, will have to keep in mind that local co-op and 60 FPS aren’t available on the platform. New gear can also be found in the world that can further improve your damage and durability. Along the way, players will get to visit many of the iconic locations from Middle-earth, and even meet up with some of the most iconic characters from the stories, like Aragorn, Elrond, and Gandalf.
