Frodo and his pals get all the press, but while they’re wrestling with evil jewelry, a powerful villain works to yoke the free lands of the north beneath Sauron’s sway. A dwarven Champion, an elven Lore-master, and a Dúnedain Ranger band together to rid Middle-earth of this new malevolence.

It’s the perfect setup for third-person bloodshed — loads more than we’ve seen in any recent Lord of the Rings game. War in the North’s visuals overflow with graphic carnage that’d make Ralph Bakshi weep. Swords cleave limbs like they’re made of margarine; oily sprays of viscous fluid coat your armor. The violence isn’t senseless, however. We learn frustratingly little about this trio’s history, but their brutal adventure snaps snugly onto the edges of Tolkien’s trilogy without trashing the world’s consistency.

Each hero can launch ranged attacks like arrows and crossbow bolts, which is handy when archers or spellcasters pelt you from watchtowers. Early in the game you’ll even befriend a Great Eagle (shown below) who’s happy to swoop in and peck enemies to death now and then. But you’ll spend most of your time bashing goons in close quarters using an axe, sword, mace, or staff. The more hits you land without taking damage, the more you’ll rack up experience-point bonuses and win opportunities to sever heads with critical strikes.

Leveling up gives you skill points to spend on character-specific upgrades, but there’s little contrast between classes. That means that while each can hold their own in any battle, you have little incentive to devise creative co-op strategies. Andriel’s protective domes are indispensable, and Farin’s War Cry can eventually revive fallen teammates instantly, but otherwise, don’t expect different heroes to shine under particular circumstances. Still, playing with human cohorts is preferable to reasonably helpful A.I. companions who turn suicidal whenever you require resurrection.

Sadly, War in the North milks every species enemy for all its worth. Creepy one-off bosses like a stone-giant and a spider queen are fun to carve up, but other harriers are determined to wear out their welcome. You’ll catch your breath when you face your first glowering club-wielding troll; by the time you’re on number 10, not so much. Endless hordes of goblins, orcs, and uruk-hai are fun to dismember and decapitate, but they’d be better opponents if victory required more than constant exploitation of a simple swing-swing-dodge pattern.

Sporadic breaks in friendly encampments and fabled cities offer some respite, but they feel inconsequential. You’ll make no substantive choices during conversation, so unless you’re a true Tolkien devotee, you’re bound to start skipping past the long-winded blather of even famous folks like Elrond and Arwen. It’s not like you’ll need their guidance to complete optional fetch quests on a 14-hour path that’s always bounded by contrived borders.

On the other hand, thoughtful environmental details and enveloping ambient sound effects make these imaginary lands feel like real places, be it in the crypts of the Barrow-downs or the shadows of Mirkwood. Adding points to your stats has little impact from level to level, but as you travel hither and yon, constantly gathering new and improved gear as you go, you’ll find you’ve somehow grown from awkward newcomer to seasoned ass-kicker.

War in the North is hardly the most memorable adventure through Middle-earth, but you won’t regret any of the time you spend fighting across its grim battlegrounds.

PUBLISHER: Warner Bros. Interactive  •  DEVELOPER: Snowblind Studios  •  ESRB: Mature  •  MULTIPLAYER: 3 on Xbox Live or System Link  •  ACHIEVEMENTS: Lenient  •  COST: $60

On Xbox 360

+ Bloody, action-packed combat against scores of Middle-earth creeps; tense boss battles.

+ Slow but steady skill and gear upgrades; three-person co-op; detailed locales; rich sound design.

– Not enough differentiation between classes; shallow enemy gene pool; some dopey companion A.I.

? No rearranging our inventory? Why not?

7.5