Year: 2011
Type: Original Soundtrack (OST)
Composer(s): Inon Zur
Number of tracks: 19

★★★★★

The Lord of the Rings: Origins

If I had to classify my Tolkien nerdiness on a scale of 1-10, I'd probably land at a solid four, maybe a five at most. Reasons for this include: I've read The Hobbit, watched The Rings of Power, and all Der The Lord of the Rings-movies in their extended versions multiple times, along with their accompanying bonus materials. Additionally, I've played various video game adaptations, watched countless useless YouTube videos and compilations, and can sing along to "They're taking the hobbits to Isengard."

Why don't I rank higher on the scale? I haven't read The Silmarillion, and I found The Rings of Power to be entertaining. According to the hardliners, that probably disqualifies me already. Nevertheless, I believe I can judge a good The Lord of the Rings-game when I see one – or a good game in general. The Lord of the Rings: War in the North was not one of them. Released in 2011, it pursued a co-op approach and told the story of a group of brave adventurers in – surprise – the far North of Middle-earth.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North (2011)

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum (2023)

With its release falling into my heavy gaming period, it should have been right up my alley... if the quality had been there. In reality, the version my friend (from the internet) gave me at the time was flawed, so I couldn't continue playing at a certain point. The fact that I never bothered to fix this issue should speak volumes: if even Past Mattis wasn't up for it, then that should mean something. After all, he played pretty much every piece of junk. Okay, maybe the co-op component would have enhanced the experience, but let's move on. I thought it was bad, sue me.

Fortunately, the accompanying soundtrack isn't bad. Composed by Inon Zur, whom we now know from various games, the OST unfolds an interesting fantasy note that often screams more Dragon Age than The Lord of the Rings. In fact, one could almost call it a copy of what we hear, for example, in Origins: horns, drummers, and choirs vying for the listener's favor. Mixed in a dramatic decor, this creates a dark symphony that could serve as a link between Fable and Dark Souls.

What I was hoping for, however, is missing: a connection to Howard Shore's masterful work for the films. That may be unfair, as many composers have delivered magnificent works for the Star Wars-games that weren't 1:1 copies of John Williams. However, most games feature quotes or variations of well-known melodies. There are plenty of those in The Lord of the Rings , but not in this score. Of course, you don't have to incorporate a Forth Eorlingas everywhere – especially if it doesn't fit thematically – but a bit more closeness to the 'source material' wouldn't have hurt. Now, one could argue that the Dragon Age-esque style already has some similarity to Shore's style, and that may be true. However, it's not enough for me.

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
1	Echoes of Angmar	Inon Zur	4
2	Between Hammer and Anvil	Inon Zur	4
3	Sons of Forgotten Kings	Inon Zur	3
4	Nordinbad	Inon Zur	3
5	Ghosts of the Grey Mountains	Inon Zur	3
6	The Savage Ettenmoors	Inon Zur	3
7	Before the Citadel Gate	Inon Zur	4
8	Into the Heart of the Storm	Inon Zur	3
9	Realm of Ancient Kings	Inon Zur	4
10	A Gathering Storm	Inon Zur	3
11	The Savage Peaks	Inon Zur	4
12	Men of Carn Dûm	Inon Zur	4
13	Trolls!	Inon Zur	4
14	Beast Among the Ruins	Inon Zur	4
15	In the Footsteps of Kings	Inon Zur	3
16	The Forges of War	Inon Zur	3
17	Halls of Valor	Inon Zur	4
18	Shadow on the Ettenmoors: Reprise	Inon Zur	4
19	Against the Darkness	Inon Zur	4