<s>
The	B-Application
Lord	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Rings	I-Application
:	I-Application
War	I-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2011	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Snowblind	O
Studios	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Warner	O
Bros	O
.	O
Interactive	O
Entertainment	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
port	O
was	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Feral	O
Interactive	O
in	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
video	O
game	O
based	O
on	O
both	O
J	O
.	O
R	O
.	O
R	O
.	O
Tolkien	O
's	O
1954	O
high	O
fantasy	O
novel	O
The	O
Lord	O
of	O
the	O
Rings	O
and	O
Peter	O
Jackson	O
's	O
film	O
trilogy	O
adaptation	O
released	O
in	O
2001	O
(	O
The	B-Application
Fellowship	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Ring	I-Application
)	O
,	O
2002	O
(	O
The	B-Application
Two	I-Application
Towers	I-Application
)	O
and	O
2003	O
(	O
The	B-Application
Return	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
King	I-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
War	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
failure	O
,	O
which	O
some	O
attributed	O
to	O
the	O
timing	O
of	O
its	O
launch	O
among	O
other	O
high-profile	O
releases	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
War	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
game	O
played	O
from	O
a	O
third-person	O
perspective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Farin	O
uses	O
two-handed	O
heavy	O
weapons	O
such	O
as	O
axes	O
,	O
a	O
single-handed	O
weapon	O
and	O
a	O
shield	O
,	O
or	O
a	O
crossbow	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
can	O
also	O
create	O
potions	O
from	O
alchemy	B-Language
ingredients	O
collected	O
in	O
the	O
field	O
,	O
and	O
her	O
special	O
ability	O
allows	O
her	O
to	O
find	O
secret	O
passages	O
marked	O
with	O
hidden	O
elven	O
glyphs	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
a	O
single-player	O
game	O
,	O
players	O
may	O
issue	O
orders	O
to	O
their	O
AI	B-Application
companions	O
;	O
ordering	O
them	O
to	O
either	O
seek	O
out	O
enemies	O
and	O
attack	O
,	O
or	O
stay	O
near	O
the	O
player	O
character	O
and	O
defend	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
may	O
also	O
revive	O
fallen	O
allies	O
;	O
if	O
the	O
player	O
character	O
dies	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
must	O
wait	O
to	O
be	O
revived	O
by	O
an	O
AI	B-Application
ally	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
features	O
online	B-Application
co-op	O
gameplay	O
for	O
up	O
to	O
three	O
players	O
,	O
each	O
controlling	O
one	O
character	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Single-player	O
games	O
also	O
include	O
a	O
hero	O
mode	O
,	O
although	O
it	O
is	O
limited	O
to	O
the	O
player-character	O
;	O
the	O
AI	B-Application
allies	O
do	O
not	O
enter	O
hero	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
dawn	O
of	O
the	O
Second	O
Age	O
,	O
after	O
the	O
defeat	O
of	O
the	O
Dark	O
Lord	O
,	O
Morgoth	O
,	O
the	O
elves	O
of	O
Eregion	O
forged	O
the	O
nineteen	O
Rings	B-Application
of	I-Application
Power	I-Application
to	O
help	O
themselves	O
,	O
the	O
dwarves	O
and	O
men	O
rule	O
Middle-earth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Returning	O
to	O
Mordor	B-Application
,	O
he	O
regained	O
his	O
strength	O
,	O
eventually	O
capturing	O
Minas	O
Ithil	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Around	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
the	O
One	O
Ring	O
was	O
found	O
by	O
a	O
Hobbit	B-Device
named	O
Sméagol	B-Application
,	O
who	O
became	O
utterly	O
corrupted	O
by	O
it	O
,	O
living	O
in	O
the	O
caves	O
of	O
the	O
Misty	O
Mountains	O
,	O
and	O
physically	O
transforming	O
into	O
a	O
creature	O
known	O
as	O
Gollum	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
five	O
hundred	O
years	O
,	O
Gollum	B-Application
was	O
consumed	O
and	O
corrupted	O
by	O
the	O
Ring	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Just	O
prior	O
to	O
Sauron	O
's	O
departure	O
,	O
the	O
Ring	O
passed	O
to	O
another	O
hobbit	B-Device
,	O
Bilbo	O
Baggins	O
,	O
who	O
used	O
it	O
to	O
assist	O
in	O
the	O
victory	O
of	O
elves	O
,	O
men	O
and	O
dwarves	O
at	O
the	O
Battle	O
of	O
the	O
Five	O
Armies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sixty	O
years	O
later	O
,	O
Gollum	B-Application
was	O
captured	O
by	O
orcs	O
,	O
and	O
taken	O
to	O
Mordor	B-Application
,	O
where	O
he	O
was	O
tortured	O
into	O
revealing	O
the	O
owner	O
and	O
location	O
of	O
the	O
Ring	O
;	O
Bilbo	O
Baggins	O
of	O
the	O
Shire	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
information	O
given	O
him	O
by	O
Gollum	B-Application
,	O
Sauron	O
,	O
still	O
unable	O
to	O
take	O
physical	O
form	O
,	O
thus	O
sent	O
the	O
Nazgûl	O
to	O
the	O
Shire	O
to	O
retrieve	O
the	O
One	O
Ring	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aragorn	O
explains	O
that	O
a	O
Hobbit	B-Device
with	O
a	O
"	O
great	O
burden	O
"	O
is	O
on	O
his	O
way	O
to	O
Bree	O
,	O
and	O
if	O
the	O
enemy	O
take	O
the	O
object	O
from	O
him	O
,	O
it	O
will	O
mean	O
certain	O
doom	O
for	O
the	O
Free	O
peoples	O
of	O
Middle-earth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Halbarad	O
(	O
Peter	O
Jessop	O
)	O
tells	O
them	O
Aragorn	O
left	O
Bree	O
in	O
the	O
company	O
of	O
four	O
hobbits	B-Device
,	O
heading	O
towards	O
Rivendell	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
advises	O
them	O
to	O
follow	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
passing	O
through	O
the	O
Barrow-downs	O
,	O
they	O
reach	O
Rivendell	O
,	O
where	O
they	O
are	O
welcomed	O
by	O
Elrond	O
(	O
Jim	O
Piddock	O
)	O
,	O
Gandalf	O
(	O
Tom	O
Kane	O
)	O
and	O
Aragorn	O
,	O
who	O
explain	O
the	O
Hobbit	B-Device
Frodo	O
Baggins	O
(	O
Yuri	O
Lowenthal	O
)	O
,	O
is	O
in	O
possession	O
of	O
the	O
One	O
Ring	O
,	O
which	O
must	O
be	O
destroyed	O
by	O
casting	O
it	O
into	O
fires	O
of	O
Mount	O
Doom	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
first	O
announced	O
on	O
March	O
18	O
,	O
2010	O
when	O
Warner	O
Bros	O
.	O
Interactive	O
Entertainment	O
revealed	O
Snowblind	O
Studios	O
were	O
developing	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
and	O
Windows	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
War	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
was	O
the	O
second	O
Warner	O
Lord	O
of	O
the	O
Rings	O
game	O
,	O
after	O
Aragorn	B-Application
's	I-Application
Quest	I-Application
,	O
but	O
the	O
first	O
for	O
which	O
they	O
possessed	O
the	O
rights	O
for	O
both	O
the	O
films	O
and	O
the	O
books	O
(	O
Aragorn	B-Application
's	I-Application
Quest	I-Application
was	O
based	O
exclusively	O
on	O
the	O
films	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
their	O
earliest	O
press	O
release	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Warner	O
said	O
War	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
would	O
feature	O
"	O
unseen	O
lands	O
,	O
story	O
elements	O
,	O
and	O
characters	O
from	O
Middle-earth	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
elements	O
familiar	O
from	O
past	O
feature	O
films.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
More	O
specifically	O
,	O
War	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
was	O
inspired	O
by	O
Gandalf	O
's	O
comment	O
in	O
The	B-Application
Return	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
King	I-Application
that	O
the	O
efforts	O
in	O
the	O
east	O
of	O
Middle-earth	O
during	O
the	O
War	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Ring	I-Application
would	O
have	O
been	O
futile	O
if	O
not	O
for	O
the	O
contributions	O
of	O
"	O
a	O
few	O
heroes	O
in	O
the	O
North.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
the	O
player	O
speaks	O
to	O
an	O
NPC	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
uses	O
a	O
system	O
similar	O
to	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
,	O
with	O
the	O
player	O
given	O
several	O
response	O
options	O
from	O
which	O
to	O
choose	O
each	O
time	O
the	O
NPC	O
says	O
something	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
whereas	O
in	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
,	O
there	O
was	O
a	O
moral	O
dimension	O
in	O
choosing	O
a	O
given	O
response	O
,	O
that	O
would	O
affect	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
character	O
,	O
there	O
is	O
no	O
such	O
aspect	O
in	O
War	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
War	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
is	O
the	O
first	O
Lord	O
of	O
the	O
Rings	O
game	O
to	O
be	O
rated	O
M	O
(	O
17+	O
)	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
PEGI	O
18	O
in	O
Europe	O
,	O
and	O
BBFC	O
15	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
next	O
shown	O
at	O
the	O
Game	O
Developers	O
Conference	O
in	O
March	O
2011	O
,	O
where	O
it	O
was	O
revealed	O
gameplay	O
options	O
would	O
include	O
single-player	O
mode	O
,	O
two-player	O
local	O
split-screen	O
with	O
one	O
online	B-Application
player	O
or	O
one	O
AI	B-Application
controlled	O
player	O
,	O
two	O
to	O
three	O
player	O
LAN	B-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
two	O
to	O
three	O
player	O
online	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
via	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
or	O
Steam	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Digital	O
content	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
version	O
includes	O
War	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
wallpaper	O
,	O
fonts	O
and	O
icons	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
a	O
Ranger	O
avatar	B-Application
for	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pre-order	O
deals	O
included	O
;	O
for	O
Amazon.com,	O
early	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
War	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
digital	O
comic	O
written	O
by	O
Brian	O
Wood	O
and	O
illustrated	O
by	O
Simon	O
Coleby	O
;	O
for	O
Best	O
Buy	O
,	O
an	O
"	O
Elf	O
Theme	O
Pack	O
,	O
"	O
giving	O
the	O
player	O
access	O
to	O
rare	O
Elven	O
equipment	O
and	O
unlocking	O
the	O
Lothlórien	O
challenge	O
mission	O
immediately	O
;	O
for	O
GameStop	O
,	O
a	O
"	O
Human	O
Theme	O
Pack	O
,	O
"	O
giving	O
the	O
player	O
access	O
to	O
rare	O
Ranger	O
equipment	O
and	O
unlocking	O
the	O
Osgiliath	O
challenge	O
mission	O
;	O
for	O
Target	O
,	O
online	B-Application
access	O
to	O
three	O
tracks	O
from	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
;	O
for	O
Toys	O
"	O
R	O
"	O
Us	O
,	O
a	O
limited	O
edition	O
War	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
poster	O
signed	O
by	O
Jim	O
Lee	O
,	O
and	O
early	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
War	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
digital	O
comic	O
;	O
and	O
for	O
Walmart	O
,	O
a	O
"	O
Dwarf	O
Theme	O
Pack	O
,	O
"	O
giving	O
the	O
player	O
access	O
to	O
rare	O
Dwarven	O
equipment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Lord	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Rings	I-Application
:	I-Application
War	I-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
received	O
"	O
mixed	O
or	O
average	O
reviews	O
"	O
across	O
all	O
systems	O
;	O
the	O
PC	O
version	O
holds	O
an	O
aggregate	O
score	O
of	O
66	O
out	O
of	O
100	O
on	O
Metacritic	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
twenty-five	O
reviews	O
;	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
version	O
63	O
out	O
of	O
100	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
thirty-five	O
reviews	O
;	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
version	O
61	O
out	O
of	O
100	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
thirty-eight	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Official	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
Magazines	O
Cameron	O
Lewis	O
scored	O
the	O
game	O
7.5	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
he	O
was	O
critical	O
of	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
differentiation	O
between	O
the	O
three	O
protagonists	O
,	O
the	O
shallow	O
pool	O
of	O
enemies	O
and	O
the	O
linear	O
nature	O
of	O
the	O
gameplay	O
,	O
he	O
concluded	O
"	O
War	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
is	O
hardly	O
the	O
most	O
memorable	O
adventure	O
through	O
Middle-earth	O
,	O
but	O
you	O
wo	O
n't	O
regret	O
any	O
of	O
the	O
time	O
you	O
spend	O
fighting	O
across	O
its	O
grim	O
battlegrounds.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
's	O
Steven	O
Hopper	O
scored	O
the	O
game	O
7	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
,	O
writing	O
"	O
there	O
's	O
something	O
too	O
safe	O
in	O
War	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
concluded	O
"	O
War	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
is	O
a	O
good	O
choice	O
for	O
some	O
classic	O
action-RPG	B-Application
fun	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
's	O
Carolyn	O
Petit	O
scored	O
both	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
versions	O
6	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
she	O
praised	O
the	O
graphics	O
,	O
she	O
was	O
critical	O
of	O
the	O
collision	O
detection	O
,	O
the	O
autosave	B-General_Concept
feature	O
,	O
enemy	O
AI	B-Application
and	O
technical	O
issues	O
with	O
multiplayer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
concluded	O
"	O
there	O
are	O
times	O
when	O
War	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
shows	O
you	O
the	O
game	O
it	O
could	O
have	O
been	O
 [ ... ] 	O
But	O
each	O
time	O
the	O
game	O
starts	O
to	O
hit	O
its	O
stride	O
,	O
it	O
soon	O
stumbles	O
and	O
falls	O
on	O
its	O
face.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
felt	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
unlikely	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
success	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
timing	O
of	O
its	O
release	O
;	O
amidst	O
such	O
highly	O
anticipated	O
title	O
as	O
Dark	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
,	O
Battlefield	O
3	O
,	O
Modern	B-Application
Warfare	I-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
Batman	B-Application
:	I-Application
Arkham	I-Application
City	I-Application
,	O
Uncharted	B-Application
3	I-Application
and	O
Skyrim	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
concluded	O
"	O
Unless	O
you	O
're	O
a	O
Tolkien	O
die-hard	O
,	O
you	O
'll	O
probably	O
be	O
better	O
off	O
waiting	O
a	O
week	O
for	O
the	O
next	O
fantasy-based	O
game	O
featuring	O
a	O
struggle	O
in	O
the	O
snow-riddled	O
northern	O
reaches	O
of	O
the	O
world	O
 [ ... ] 	O
At	O
its	O
core	O
,	O
War	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
is	O
n't	O
a	O
bad	O
game	O
;	O
it	O
's	O
merely	O
a	O
disappointing	O
one.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Informers	O
Joe	O
Juba	O
scored	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
version	O
5.5	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
clumsy	O
and	O
unpolished.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
too	O
complained	O
about	O
game	O
breaking	O
bugs	O
,	O
and	O
concluded	O
"	O
I	O
can	O
only	O
say	O
one	O
good	O
thing	O
about	O
War	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
:	O
It	O
could	O
have	O
been	O
awesome	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eurogamer	O
's	O
Jeffrey	O
Matulef	O
scored	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
version	O
4	O
out	O
of	O
10	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
concluded	O
,	O
"	O
The	B-Application
Lord	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Rings	I-Application
:	I-Application
War	I-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
is	O
a	O
soulless	O
cash-in	O
that	O
has	O
little	O
to	O
do	O
with	O
its	O
license	O
,	O
and	O
nor	O
is	O
it	O
much	O
fun	O
in	O
its	O
own	O
right	O
.	O
</s>
