LEGO The Lord of the Rings Review for PC

System: PC, PS3*, Xbox 360
Dev: Traveller’s Tales
Pub: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Release: November 13, 2012
Players: 1-2
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p	Cartoon Violence

Visually, the game isn’t pushing any new ground, but it still looks pretty solid. There are a few weird visual things—like hair that looks way too shiny—but these are so minor that they hardly matter.

Okay. So I’ve been restraining myself for a good portion of this review, and I think it’s time to just let the Lord of the Rings fanboy in me gush for a moment:

LEGO The Lord of the Rings Screenshot

There’s a sequence where you get to play as Treebeard! Tom Bombadil is an unlockable character! Once you get to Rohan, you will get to ride around on LEGO horses! After the Fellowship breaks, you are able to advance either the Frodo storyline or the Aragorn storyline whenever you choose! The LEGO version of Shelob looks disturbingly awesome! Whew! And that’s just scratching the surface of the sheer amount of awesome things you’ll get to see and do over the course of this game.

LEGO The Lord of the Rings takes the charm of the LEGO games and mashes it up with the brilliance of Tolkien’s beloved masterpiece in a way that does justice to both. This is a refreshing, from-the-ground-up rebuilding of the LEGO formula, making this perhaps the best LEGO game to date. I doubt very much that it could possibly leave you disappointed.

By
Josh Wirtanen
Editor / Social Media
Date: November 20, 2012

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.0

Graphics
It’s not groundbreaking, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a great looking title despite a few visual oddities.

4.4

Control
Everything works here as it should.

4.9

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
I would have given it a perfect score if it weren’t for Gollum’s overly repetitive lines in the Dead Marshes.

5.0

Play Value
Once you get to the Middle-earth overworld, you’ll be completely overwhelmed with just how much content there is here.

4.7

Overall Rating - Must Buy
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 - 1.9 = Avoid	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	3.5 - 3.9 = Good	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair	4.0 - 4.4 = Great	5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

Explore all of the open world of Middle-earth and experience epic battles with Orcs, Uruk-hai, the Balrog, the Witch-king, and other fearsome creatures.

Wield the power of the Palantír or Seeing-stone (“one that looks far-away”), and jump between multiple storylines.

Experience the LEGO The Lord of the Rings heroes come to life in an all new way with the minifig characters delivering the dialogue from the films.

Discover and unlock over more than 60 playable characters, including Frodo, Aragorn, Gandalf, and many others.

Collect and use a variety of weaponry and magical items, including the Light of Earendil, Elven rope, swords, and bows.