You, two friends and a giant, killer bird will become best of pals in Lord of the Rings: War in the North.

Slated for release later this year on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, War in the North is an action role-playing game that lets three players quest simultaneously. While the story takes place during the time of Frodo Baggins, et al., it’s a completely separate story, allowing the designers more freedom to create surprising new adventures.

In this Wired.com video, we speak with design director Michael de Plater about the game’s heritage and the most interesting new features that will be shown in the playable demo at E3 Expo in Los Angeles next week.