Developers use 'War in the North' trailer to justify severity of combat

Decapitation, dismemberment, and the viscerality of violent combat are authentic hallmarks of Tolkien's
Lord of the Rings, say game developers of the "Blood & Steel" trailer for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game
War in the North.

The emphasis on ferocity enables Snowblind Studios to distinguish War in the North from other Lord of the Rings games.

There's another element at play here - an increasingly widespread desire to reach out to players for whom the Call of Duty franchise is their main gaming touchstone.

So in this latest clip we hear talk of an "intense, brutal and fun combat experience," of killstreaks, character customization, and becoming an even bigger badass.

That said, War in the North's expected late August release doesn't guarantee a smooth retail launch.

Though it can avoid direct competition with the hack and slash action of Dungeon Hunter Alliance (PS3, April), Dungeon Seige III (360 PC PS3, May), and Hunted: The Demon's Forge (360 PC PS3, June), August is a difficult month to debut.

The annual Madden game coincides with the start of the NFL season, but apart from that the games industry generally experiences a temporary slump with most of the northern hemisphere busy chasing the sun.

Still, it's too early to rule anything out. Anorther Warner Bros. property, Batman: Arkham Asylum, wasn't held back by a late August release and its sequel, Batman: Arkham City, is becoming one of the most hyped games of the year.

War in the North's Blood & Steel trailer can be seen on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=18nHHebTHug or the game's official website, http://www.warinthenorth.com.