Lord of the Rings: War in the North Hands-On Impressions -- There Will Be Orc Blood

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North was one of the most surprising titles shown at GDC this year. Everything from the alternate perspective narrative that tells the tale of the northern resistance that cleared the path for the fellowship in the south during the battle for Middle Earth to the vicious combat to the art design was quite, unexpectedly, impressive. Best of all though, we had a chance to go hands-on with War in the North, and here’s a little of what we saw:

"Pushing forward through the snow, our party notices a band of orcs trudging up ahead. An orc scout stands on an overhanging ledge near the group, keeping an eye out for ambushes and ready to alert nearby reinforcements the moment an attack breaks out. After a moments deliberation, we draw our bow, aim down our arm and quickly let four arrows fly in less than three seconds. They hit the orc scout, causing him to tumble off the ledge and into the chasm below. The orc party turns towards us, and charges."

To find out how this encounter played out, read our full Lord of the Rings: War in the North hands-on preview.