Lego: Lord of the Rings (L:LOTR) was released in November 26, 2012 was dismal addition to a Lego series of game, and to Lord of the Rings in general. The Lego game series is famous for hilarious way it parodies the story that game is based on, and ingenious gameplay. On first part L:LOTR fails to deliver but the L:LOTR gameplay is exceptional.
The story of L:LOTR is as would be expected, the story of Lord of the Rings, but that is what it is. The game takes numerous pieces of dialogue straight from Peter Jacksons Lord of the Rings. Although the films were very good it just does not feel or look right in the game. In prior Lego games whenever dialogue would have been used, characters comically portayed what would have been said, versus saying it. Now of course the game cutscenes themselves still hold a whole host of, one example is when Aragorn was handing out weapons to the hobbits; Sam threw his sword and picked up his frying pan instead, another was when Boromir was killed by Lurtz, Lurtz shot him with vegetables instead of arrows, or when Theoden gave his speech at Minas Tirith, he cut off one of his riders weapons. Those kind of scenes are riddled throughout and are hilarious when a gamer comes across them, but the addition of dialogue breaks the game comedic atmosphere. Something, which going into L:LOTR expecting something completely different, broke the game for me.
However, while the game’s comedy was down toned from prior Lego games, one of its, if not the redeeming factor was the ingenious gameplay. Not ingenious gamplay in how game is played, but what manner the game is being played, as all the controls and how the game is played has not changed sense its inception. In past Lego games there were central hubs, which the gamer would go into and enter as to begin each mission. L:LOTR is different in that as the gamer goes through the game, the gamer travels through Middle-Earth, from the idyllic Shire to the hellish Morder, not just during missions themselves. This enables the gamer to travel to beloved Middle-Earth location, which is well worth it. The gamers first view of Rivendell is extraordinary and is well worth a second look. This makes the game very sand box like, and RPG-lite, with addition of usable collectables a gamer will collect throughout the entire game. Making the experience and the game very memorable even outside of the comedic moments as the gamer literally travels with fellowship.
Lego: Lord of the Rings suffers from an adversity to what should have been a different game, but redeems itself through a unique system of gameplay unseen in prior Lego games.
