LEGO The Hobbit Reviews
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.
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 is charming, funny, faithful to the films, and incredibly tedious to play.
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 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.
It's arguably not fair to criticise a Lego game for being a Lego game but having seen three on the Xbox One (or PS4) since its launch, it is becoming more and more difficult to hold back the feeling of repetition. Lego The Hobbit is better than The Lego Movie Videogame but that's not a massive accomplishment and sadly neither are as good as Lego Marvel.
LEGO The Hobbit is a tried-and-true LEGO game that could've been better. Still, it's worth checking out if you're a fan of the fiction and/or TT Games' familiar interactive formula.
In the pantheon of LEGO games, LEGO The Hobbit isn't the worst by a long shot – but the formula's certainly getting tired. While the decision to release the game with only two-thirds of the story complete is an odd one, there's still more than enough content to keep you occupied for a good while, and the presentation is still as charming as ever.
After the impressive voice acting and general spectacle of the main adventure starts to fade, you're left with an altogether dull world in which to roam.
Despite its sudden conclusion and its familiar gameplay, LEGO The Hobbit is a fitting adventure, adapting the films for younger and older players alike.
One of the weakest Lego games of recent times, and not just because the formula is getting old but because The Hobbit isn't a particularly good fit for it.
Lego The Hobbit is a handsome game, but it's also proof that the formula Traveller's Tales employs for most of its Lego titles simply doesn't work for everything it adapts.
The similarity of the various dwarf characters can prove to be a challenge. The sheer number of dwarves in Thoromir's party and their similarities in Lego form makes finding the right character with the right ability for any particular task more difficult than it probably should be. I do not discount my unfamiliarity with the movies being a contributing factor here but in the other Lego games I've played, character designs are varied enough for this not to be an issue. There's really only so much detail you can put on a Lego character yet there's no mistaking R2D2 with an Ewok, is there?
LEGO The Hobbit is yet another LEGO game. It does a great job of presenting the world and characters, but the mechanics and gameplay have seen very little in the way of touching up. If you've played previous LEGO games, you have a good idea of what to expect here, and if you haven't, it is perfectly accessible to newcomers. As usual, the selling point is the setting tied to the game. If you (or your kids) are big fans of "The Hobbit," then they'll enjoy the game. If not, it'd be better to look at one of the many other franchise tie-ins that have received the LEGO treatment.
You can debate whether the formula is old or simply tried and true, but for me it was a great way to spend some time with one of my favourite stories.
I felt like this was one of the weaker LEGO titles to have been released. A lot of the time I was thinking "If you've played one or two LEGO games then you have pretty much played them all." The game is still good, and can be very fun, but the lack of change became much more noticeable this time round. Would I recommend this game? Maybe at a later date when the rumored DLC for the 3rd movie comes out or a "complete edition" is released next year.
As with anything, you can have too much of a good thing. Standing on its own two feet this would be a fantastic game, but off the back of its predecessors it's a tiny step rather than any form of giant leap. If you like Lego games then you'll no doubt lack them up, but akin to go on a rollercoaster for the umpteenth time, it feels like it might beginning to lose its thrill.
LEGO The Hobbit is a fun little game that serves its purpose well. It's a good game for kids to play and fans of Peter Jackson's film trilogy will get a kick out of it. It would have been nice if Traveller's Tales strived to innovate its LEGO formula and included content from The Hobbit: There and Back Again. It's a fun game, yes, but never escapes the shadow of better LEGO games.
Travellers Tales have created another sterling example of how to make a family-friendly platformer. There are challenges and puzzles that will test older gamers, and plenty of action for casual and younger audiences. While some of the maps aren't very well planned out, often leading to random running around until you see the way forward, LEGO The Hobbit is still accessible and fun. However for those who already own LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, or the recently released LEGO The Movie - there is nothing special on offer here, except perhaps for die-hard fans of the Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings.
Fans of Tolkien's work or the recent movies are sure to enjoy the journey there, and back again. For everyone else, this is another LEGO title. For better or worse, the series keeps on chugging. Thankfully it is always of high quality.