LEGO The Hobbit Reviews
LEGO The Hobbit has plenty of charm and plenty of content, but it's hard not to feel like the series is lacking some of the verve that it once had.
You'll need to be a massive Lego game fan to get the most out of this latest tie-in, as it's one of TT's most by the numbers efforts yet. Riddled with technical glitches, samey combat and surprisingly dull replications of the movies' set pieces it's a harder sell than it should be, more so because it's missing the final third until December. As ever though, you may keep coming back to it, as the collectibles are as moreish as ever, despite the increasingly roundabout way of finding everything. Still, I'd rather play this than watch the movies again.
Lego The Hobbit is charming, funny, faithful to the films, and incredibly tedious to play.
Even if you're not completely sick of the LEGO formula, you will be by the end of LEGO The Hobbit. This is a simple action game with light puzzles and an overwhelming cast of characters. It's also a disappointing retread of games you've probably already played. There are a few memorable moments sprinkled throughout this adventure, but this newest LEGO game covers too much familiar ground.
LEGO The Hobbit has some strengths, and it's perhaps tempting to look at the sheer size of the world and volume of content and give it a pass. However, we feel that the frequently poor design and shoddy gameplay experience represent a low in the franchise. We're often supportive and complimentary of the LEGO series for what it does achieve despite some flaws, but this is a sloppy effort from Warner Bros. and TT Games. A typically rushed movie tie-in, and an unfortunate blemish on an otherwise excellent franchise.
This isn't TT's fault by any means, but it does make for a game that has to wrangle a sloppy a story, awkwardly transitioning from Ian Holm's older Bilbo as narrator, before those duties are passed onto Christopher Lee's Saruman for reasons that aren't entirely clear. It's not the best Lego game by any means, mostly due to the lacklustre licence at its core. However, Lego The Hobbit still demonstrates TT Games' willingness to experiment with the series' popular design and it makes some strides here to shake-up the formula in exciting new ways. If you love The Hobbit then you'll find the world absolutely crammed with things to do and see, but those that were disappointed by Jackson's second Middle- earth trilogy might not want to be reminded of the cinematic misfire.
It feels good to finish on a complaint. When I was writing about Path Of Exile a few days ago, I felt a bit mean finishing on a sour note, but The Hobbit left me feeling a bit grumpy. Admittedly, burning through a Lego game as quickly as possible isn't the best way to play, and I'd probably feel more fondly toward this one if I'd dipped in and out over a period of weeks.
Is LEGO The Hobbit a must have title? Not at all and if you haven't worked through the other two LEGO releases on PS4, then it is hard to tell you to put those to the side and pick this up immediately. However if you have a family and you have worked through the other games, then you won't go wrong by picking this up, because it is a LEGO game and the fun factor is still there.