LEGO The Hobbit Reviews
A fun and charming extension of the film that nevertheless suffers from some disjointed story problems and some sameness of characters.
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.
It may be incomplete, narratively speaking, but Lego The Hobbit is just as content-packed as any other game in the series, and is a great experience for Lego and Middle-earth diehards alike.
The more lighthearted tone of The Hobbit works great with the Lego style, with lots of fun moments
Lego The Hobbit is charming, funny, faithful to the films, and incredibly tedious to play.
Lego the Hobbit complements both franchises
Lego The Hobbit brings the first two Hobbit films to life in TT Games' great, family-friendly style. On PlayStation 4, the game looks absolutely amazing, especially in the cutscenes and major battles when it matters most. Unfortunately, the source material lets down TT Games here; the dwarves just aren't very distinct when compared to the cast of Lego Marvel and The Lego Movie. All told, Lego The Hobbit is very good, but it doesn't reach the best of those previous titles.
Lego The Hobbit is, if not the best Lego game, then closely matched with the top entries in the series.
It's very faithful to the movie and manages to embellish enough so as to not be a simple retelling, yet doesn't quite cover enough ground to be anything other than a companion to the films. It's probably the best Hobbit game you're going to get – just don't expect a massive deviation from the LEGO formula.
Despite its sudden conclusion and its familiar gameplay, LEGO The Hobbit is a fitting adventure, adapting the films for younger and older players alike.
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.
Although a decent jaunt for fans of either franchise, this is an example of a game created purely because the developers had the means to create it. This franchise is no longer essential, and there is serious work to be done if TT want their over-fed baby to remain fresh and current, and not merely soullessly lucrative. An enjoyable romp in of itself then, but by this point no one but kids and fans need really apply.
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.
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.
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.
Warner Bros.' latest plastic block adventure is a blast, but also a bit misleadingly titled since it only covers the first two films.
A minor issue I found too was while playing co-op with my wife. The game lets you visit two different areas of the map and work on separate things, which is nice. However, if I was working on a specific quest and then my wife started talking to an NPC to gain a new quest, the game collapses the split screen and reads you the quest. This becomes increasingly annoying when one person is in the middle of doing something and a quest is started, sometimes accidentally. This would be fixed with an option for online co-op, however that has still not been realized in the series sadly.
LEGO The Hobbit is what everyone expected, which can be good or bad depending on your exposure to the series. There is plenty to enjoy here for Middle-Earth fans, children, and those who haven't been burnt out yet by the series, but for those who were hoping for a fresh take on the LEGO video game experience there are few unique experiences to be had.
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.
It is not to say that there is no fun to be had in this re-imagined Legoverse, because even with tired familiarities, Lego The Hobbit does plenty to satisfy you with its charm and whim, but the franchise needs a modest makeover if it wants to keep its youthful patrons engrossed.