Lego Lord of the Rings?

[Hopeless]

Well what do you think about the latest addition to the Lego computer brand?

Can you see a Hobbit version coming out as a sequel?

Have you been watching youtube video's about this and the demo version?

[GolemsVoice]

So far I've enjoyed most of the Lego X games, and I'll certainly give this game a try, I'm optimistic.

[Drakeburn]

On one hand, it isn't really Lego anymore, making Lego products based on franchises. I missed the old days when they used to have unique ideas and when minifigures used to have yellow skin, like Lego Rock Raiders and Lego Adventurers.

On the other hand, it is a good way to introduce the younger generations to Middle Earth without scaring them.

[Balain]

So far I love the game. I have it for the ps3 and the vita. They are a little different so I'm not just playing the same thing on the bus as at home.

I do have a question about the vita version(and I think the 3DS version is the same as the vita)

The objects that only dwarves can break. There is one in the shire flat on the ground. I have no idea how to break it. The ones standing up I use Gimili to charge them. You can't charge the flat one, you just run over it. In the ps3 version you jump and attack, but you can't do that on the vita. So what the heck am I doing wrong or missing?

okay I found a big axe for Gimili and now he can jump and attack.

[GolemsVoice]

On one hand, it isn't really Lego anymore, making Lego products based on franchises. I missed the old days when they used to have unique ideas and when minifigures used to have yellow skin, like Lego Rock Raiders and Lego Adventurers.

Well, they still have their classical lines, which they continue since more than 15 years, with slight variations. Lego City, Star Patrol (or Space Rangers, or whatever.), a new underwater set with explorers and fishmen and so on. So it's not like classical Lego has disappeared. The games, obviously, focus on more well-kown franchises, and I don't blame them, especially since most of the games are rather well made (especially for something "for children")

[Sipex]

I recently downloaded the 360 demo for LotR and have played nearly every Lego game since Lego Star Wars.

It's kind of jarring experiencing the dramatic sounds and speech, pulled directly from the movie mixed with the traditional Lego game silliness. I think having the characters talk could work if you make the script and the sound track fit the feeling of the game (possibly with the Lego City game coming out) but the epic feeling and direct pulled lines from LotR feels out of place.

That said, it's not enough to ruin the game, which, by itself seems very solid for the most part, classic Lego fighting, puzzles, building, etc. Plenty of different characters to give wildly different abilities. Definitely going to get it.

However, Lego games are far from perfect and are known for buggy sections and the odd gameplay mechanic which should not be. Some nitpicks I ran into during the demo:
1) Ranged fighters (Legolas) suck in battle due to an amalgamation of reasons which all team up to make fighting worth swapping to a melee character when possible.

The demo was the Battle of Helm's Deep so you can imagine there was lots of fighting (and there was!). Aragorn and Gimli easily cut through the swaths of orcs (who could take several hits), however, Legolas primarily shoots enemies, and while the aiming works fine enough, there is no hit stun to his attacks so enemies charging Legolas, keep charging and quickly engage melee mode.

However, Legolas doesn't automatically engage melee mode most of the time for a simple reason. Once you have him firing arrows and he enters his 'shooting stance' you have to stop attacking for a couple moments (while being wailed on by orcs in melee/running for your life) for him to exit the stance. Your natural urge just to keep mashing the attack button will have Legolas unsuccessfully trying to hit the orcs in melee with more arrows (which doesn't work all that well).

2) The inventory/pickup system, while innovative and neat, is thrown on the same button used to build (B in the 360 version). This commonly results in you going up to a build pile and opening up your inventory by accident since you have to be placed JUST right to begin building.