LEGO Lord of the Rings

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My wife and I love to play the Lego games together, and so far, this is the best one that we have played. Obviously, we have not completed the game yet, but what we have played is fantastic. The hubs are much larger and more open then previous lego games, and if you know your way around the mvoies/story, you will know where to go next to continue the story. For example, when we finished weathertop, we pretty much knew to head towards Rivendell next, and we had no problem finding the next stage. Coolest part is that when you are in the hubs, there are neat little side quests (like the lego guy who lost his bag of crops on the road to Brie when the black riders came). Looks like we will have to backtrack a bit to help him out. Pretty cool way to add some replayability!

I only played a demo of the last lego game (Batman 2), so I am new to the lego characters talking aspect of these games. At first, ti is very weird if you have played all the old games, but in the end, it works really really well for this game, mainly because it jsut lifts all the audio straight from the movies. Also, it follows the movies very very religiously. No weird deviations. Imagine watching the movies again with Legos.

If you are a fan of the Lord of the Rings and a fan of the lego games, then obviously, this will not let you down. If yo uare a fan of either, then this will not let you down.

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This game just came out today, I am about three hours in. So much I like already, and it's different enough from the other Lego games to remain entertaining. I was worried when I heard about the voice acting months ago, but nothing to fear there; it's straight out of the movies, not some hokey sound-a-like, but with the typical lego sarcasm and/or charm added in with animation and other typical Lego game "speak" (hmm, mmhm, and grunts and such).

I very much like the open-world sort of format, lots of places to explore in addition to the levels, and there are side quests to boot.

I do have to say I have had one glitch so far, and had to power down the PS3 to reset it (controller locked, but didn't have to do a hard reset at least), but this is pretty typical of TT's Lego releases at first, they usually fix everything with a patch pretty soon. Just beware it could happen and try to save often to prevent frustration if you tend to lean that way.

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This game is hands down the best LEGO game ever!!!! I have already finished FotR, and it has been the best! The levels are great, and you traverse through the hub world in between them, so you are really taking the whole journey! They have Mithril bricks instead of Gold bricks, and you can use them to create weapons and tools (if you have designs). Everything is so unique to this LEGO game, and there is never a loss of excitement!

The cutscenes are great also! They take the voices from the movie and weave it into the animation. The makers of this game are also terrific at silent humor!

In short, this is a no-brainer to buy!

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Remember back when Lego Star Wars was announced, and how it sounded like a bizarre April Fool's joke? Several years on, and it seems almost routine to see a new Lego game popping out and tackling some of entertainment's biggest properties (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter DC comics, etc). Yet, it was strange how we never got a LEGOfied version of the biggest fantasy epic of all...Lord of the Rings. Now, almost seven years later, the omission is corrected, and ringers can finally see their favorite universe filled with adorable little figures and plastic studs.

Following the plot of all three films, LLOTR has players play through almost every notable scene from the films, such as the Last Alliance prologue, the journey through Moria, Helm's deep, the battle of the Pelennor Fields, and the final confrontation in the Crack of Doom. While a few scenes are either missing or not playable (The bridge battle against the Balrog, Lothlorien and the Siege of Minas Tirith, for example, only appear in cutscenes, and the Mouth of Sauron is completely absent), the game stays quite faithful to Tolkien's narrative, albeit, with a simplified, kid-friendly version.

Those who have played through previous Lego games can know what to expect here: traveling through levels, smashing up random object to get studs, while solving puzzles and fighting enemies, and little has changed here from prior installments. What has changed are lots of little tweaks that really enhance the gameplay, and make it more fun overall.

It's always been a staple of Lego gameplay that each character has a special skill (or two) that requires switching around to make it through each stage. While this remains, what's unique is that virtually every character now has the ability to learn skills as well, thanks to forging mirthril items. For example, Sam has the ability to use elven rope in all matter of ways. By finding mithril blocks, and a blacksmith's blueprint, players can forge a rope that any character can use, which adds a nice touch of customization that can lead to some hilarious situations (The Witch-King going fishing, for example, or Saruman digging in the dirt to grow plants).

Much like prior Lego games, there's a hub world where the player can access any of the game's levels. What's great about LLOTR, however, is that the hub world is Middle Earth itself: in the style of Grand Theft Auto, players start out in one end (Hobbiton), and work their way across the world as they complete stages, eventually being able to walk the length and breadth of Middle Earth without seeing a single loading screen. Granted, Middle Earth isn't true to size, being more like a very large amusement park, but it's a very impressive feat to stand upon the top of Orthanc and see Minas Tirith, Minas Morgul, Mordor, and Mt. Doom all in one shot.

And the hub world itself isn't just a pretty show: in a way, it is like an amusement park, full of items and people to find, hidden treasures to locate, and attractions (levels) to experience. As you make your way through the game from area to area, you'll find people who offer side quests of the "Give me this item and I'll give you this item" variety, giving you access to new abilities and skills to make the game a little easier, or more enjoyable. If you also keep an eye open, you'll run into the many, many, many characters you can buy and use in freeplay mode (though in a nice touch, you'll have to fight some of them to buy them. Encounter the Witch-King with a good guy, for example, and you'll have to beat him senseless before buying him).

And what would a Lego game be without the humor? Like the prior games, LLOTR takes an inherently serious story and makes it kid friendly by tweaking little things throughout. While we have the standard "everyone pops into Lego pieces with an amusing scream" deaths, the story elements are great. Boromir, for example, gets shot with bananas and brooms instead of arrows, and his funeral barge gets stuck on a boulder, necessitating rocks being thrown at it to be put back on course. I don't want to give anything else away (save that one cutscene at Weathertop nearly had me in stitches from laughing so hard), but rest assured that if you want silly Lego humor, you'll find it here. Be sure to keep an eye out for Peter Jackson's cameo!

Still, for all it's fun, there are a few areas where LLOTR fumbles. The controls are, for the most part, fine, but I never really felt comfortable with jumping, and characters sometimes have a hard time grabbing onto things, such as ropes. I also had a lot of trouble using Gandalf's magic as an offensive and move-objects power, and had a hell of a time trying to get Legolas to shoot Oliphaunts in the right spot AND jumping on while they were stomping around.

Context commands are also a bit finicky, and require the player to be in the exact position needed with very little room for error, which led to a few deaths while I was trying to put blocks together (you are invincible while doing so, which is very appreciated), or characters shrugging in confusion.

While it may be more immerse to travel around Middle Earth to buy characters, it is a bit odd how there's no teleport feature to get to really distant areas, as the only to get around is either on foot, or by horseback. I also wish you could buy characters from a store, rather then having to find them, as it would be easier and more convenient. If you want to buy Saruman, for example, you'll have to climb up to the top of Orthanc to find him (you'll also need a character with extra-strength to get into Isengard in the first place), and it's regrettably easy to fall all the way to the bottom, and have to start all over again.

I was also somewhat disappointed with freeplay mode. While you can indeed replay any level with any character (Boromir battles Sauron with the Last Alliance! Gollum fights Gollum in the Crack of Doom!), and select any character while playing, instead of picking one from the menu before starting, I was very disappointed that some events cannot be changed, such as the stage where Gandalf fights the Balrog while plunging down Khazad-Dum. Ever since seeing a gameplay video of that fight, my mind had been filled with fanboy images of Sauron (yes, he is playable) battling the Balrog in freefall, or Gimli, or anyone else. While it's a minor complaint, it's a bitter one for me personally.

I'm also wondering as to why the game never talks about the Character Creator feature. The mode itself is located inside Bag End, and is as awesome as ever(it's great fun to create myself wearing Sauron's armor and lugging his mace around), but you could go through the entire game without knowing it existed, as it's never mentioned in-game, or even in the manual.

Minor quibbles aside, if you're a huge fan of Lego games and Lord of the Rings, then LLOTR is a no-brainer. Even non-LOTR are likely to find a lot to enjoy here with the humor and highly refined gameplay. People who like fast paced action may find the pace a bit slow at times, with the focus being on puzzles and platforming, but for good, family friendly entertainment, Lego Lord of the Rings is tough to beat.

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The Good:

+Fun and exciting gameplay

+Voices and music ripped directly from the film

+Good looking game

+A great sense of humor about it

+Lots of replay value

The Bad:

-A glitch or two can lessen the fun

-There is virtually no challenge; although this is not necessarily a bad thing

Back in 2005, LEGO Star Wars came out and became a surprising success by adding it's brand of innocent humor along with letting players play through the prequel trilogy in LEGO form. It was an enticing idea. One that worked splendidly. Since then the LEGO games have taken a hold of gaming, allowing us to experience some of our favorite films in LEGO form. The original Star Wars trilogy, Indiana Jones and Harry Potter are but a few film sagas to be turned into LEGO form. LEGO Lord of the Rings was to be expected. It's finally here and it's pretty enjoyable stuff. The LEGO formula is starting to wear off a bit and overstay its welcome, but the game is still fun.

Like the other LEGO games before it, LEGO Lord of the Rings will have you playing through the whole saga as the fellowship. It follows the trilogy quite well, recreating some of the most memorable moments of the film in LEGO form. In the past the LEGO games haven't been known to do a lot of voice acting, but here you'll find moments in which certain lines are ripped directly from the film and spoken by the characters as opposed to the gibberish they talk in in the other games. That being said, it's really nice to hear some of the more iconic lines. There are some liberties taken with some of the moments, of course. Like the previous LEGO games there's a good sense of humor here and so some scenes are changed for the sake of comedy. It's all in good fun and is sure to remind you of some of the best moments of the trilogy, while giving you something to laugh about from time to time.

There are a grand total of eighteen levels in LEGO Lord of the Rings. You'll begin in The Fellowship of the Ring and keep proceeding until you eventually play through The Two Towers and The Return of the King. Along your journey you'll play through set piece moments and be able to switch between whatever characters are there on the fly. When first playing through the game it's all story based and thus you'll only be able to play as any character that's actually staged to be there. Each character has their own abilities that make them handy in situations. Legolas can jump really high or use arrows as platforms. Gandalf can use his wizardry. You can throw Gimli at certain stones to break them. But perhaps the most amusing is Frodo who's only ability is to scream and that (somehow) makes enemies simply stop attacking him. It's a good setup and the game will constantly make you switch between characters to solve puzzles or to make use of them. Simply put, you'll never be playing as the same character throughout.

The first time through each level, however, you'll always come across puzzles and items off the beaten path that you simply can't get to at the moment because you may not have the character for it. Luckily you can play through levels again with other characters who will have the ability to get you to these secrets off the beaten path. As you complete the levels you'll unlock other characters who have abilities you can use when you choose to go back in Free Play mode.

There is a lot familiar about the LEGO series by now and if you've played any of the previous entries you won't really be surprised by much of this. As you go through levels you're encouraged to get studs which can eventually be used to buy more characters and the like. There are a lot of characters that are fun to play as, but of course, some are just clones of another (as in, same abilities). Nevertheless, getting them all and seeing your favorite characters in LEGO form is still a treat. And because of going back for all those goodies and more studs there's a lot of replay value for what amounts to a relatively short campaign.

A buddy can always jump into the fray and drop out any time they wish to do so. Much like how it's been done before, co-op isn't much of a problem. If someone wanders off too far the screen will automatically split until you're both reunited in the same vicinity again. It's not likely to happen too often, however. LEGO Lord of the Rings is a pretty linear affair. You won't find yourself getting lost along the way very much and most times when you can go off the beaten path, you'll only have to return onto the right path.

As you might also imagine, LEGO Lord of the Rings has a non-existent challenge. For the most part, you'll have your rough spots but the only penalty for death is really just the loss of studs. You'll always continue right where you died and you have an infinite number of lives. There has never been such a thing as a game over in the LEGO series and it's not going to start now. The games are a lot of wholesome fun. They've never embraced challenging the player.

Production wise most times the LEGO games usually look good. The same is true here. The animations of the LEGOs are great, but what really bears mentioning is the attention to detail. All the LEGO games tend to do really well here. From seeing your characters as LEGOs to the expression on their faces during cutscenes and the like. The environments are also really good looking. The game runs at a consistent frame rate, though I have noticed a glitch or two from time to time. The games usually look nice, but it's not uncommon to see the games suffer from strange glitches. In particular, my copy seems to randomly freeze after I've been playing for a couple of hours and I have to reset it.

The voice acting is great because it's all ripped from the movies. Sometimes it doesn't overlap perfectly with the movements but that's fine by me. The score for the game is also ripped directly from the movies themselves and plays rather nicely. the sound effects (particularly of LEGO pieces breaking) is also a nice touch. It's a great blend of LEGOs and Lord of the Rings.

The LEGO games have always been fun ways to enjoy some of our favorite movies in LEGO form. Despite how the formula is starting to wear thin it's still a lot of fun to play these games. LEGO Lord of the Rings is definitely among the better outings. If you enjoyed the Lord of the Rings trilogy then you might want to give this game a try.