A lot of people have been commenting on how buggy this game is. Sadly, I was not spared the glitches. I was just about the play the final chapter of the game when I got stuck between two checkpoints in Norinbad, and unable to advance any further. Very angry about this.
The game itself tells a story not detailed by either Tolkien or CGI-obsessed nutcase Peter Jackson, but does take place in the latter's expansive LOTR universe. It looks, plays, and feels a lot like a Dungeon Siege game, and for anyone disappointed with the lame Dungeon Siege 3 then War in the North would have been a perfect remedy had it not sabotaged my ability to actually finish it. Besides this particular bug I found the characters, movement and collision detection to be very clunky. You will often move so slowly that you won't be able to help getting massacred by orcs and trolls. Even if you want to run away from said battle and give yourself more room - forget it! The creatures and characters on-screen somehow take up more space than they should and there is an invisible bubble around them which you cannot pass through. Very frustrating indeed.
The game is liberal with trophies, and I was going for the Platinum before my progression was put to a premature end. I unlocked 59% in total. Only one of them is for online play, and it's a bit of a tricky one too. It should not have been there.
I'd like to recommend this game, but since it will likely prevent you from enjoying it due to the bugs (in a different way from me, no doubt) I can't.
Graphics B Sound A- Gameplay C+ Lasting Appeal D-
