Developer: Traveller's Tales
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Platform: 3DS, DS, PC, Mac, Wii, Wii U, 360, PS3, Vita
Lego: The Lord of the Rings – Preview
Last thursday we had the pleasure to attend a presentation (and hands on) by TT producer Phil Ring about the new Lego: The Lord of the Rings game. During this presentation we were able to see the difference with the older Lego games and ofcourse we were able to try out the game several months before the actual release.
Overall the game is like the previous games and will revolve around completing levels and collecting ‘studs’ to achieve better scores. This Lego game however, offers us the ability to run around freely and switch between (unlocked) characters at any time to complete different objectives or enter different areas. Lego: The Lord of the Rings does not limit us solely to our main quests but also offers us plenty of side-quests and mini games to earn extra studs or even special items. All of this goes pared with a great design which mixes Lego and The Lord of the Rings. To add even more to this loveable combination we get treated to cutscenes with the actual voices from the movies with a hint of the humor we’ve come to known from the Lego games.
During your free roam you will be able to access the entire overworld without actually having to stop and wait for loading times for each seperate area. When entering different areas you will instantly feel the difference between the one you’re currently in and the one you left earlier. We were able to see the cheeriness of the shire fade away when entering Bree that immediatly gave the game a darker touch. We even see the occassional wink to landmarks from the movies or even parts from ‘The Hobbit’.
Main quests will always be marked with blue ‘studs’ you have to follow to reach the area in which you need to complete quests to progress further in the story. Completing these quests will enable the chance to unlock extra characters which you will need in the future for main and side-quests. Like you’d expect the main quests often treat us to scenes from the movies, Lego style. This means having the voice cast of the original movies and that extra dose of Lego humor. Don’t be surprised to actually see a Ring Wraith on a surfboard during the game! Lego: The Lord of the Rings will guide us through the story from when Frodo leaves the shire till the actual end of the dark reign of Sauron. All of this will provide us with a lengthy game and also the longest in the Lego series. If you still think all of this will be too short you will be able to complete loads of side-quests to ease that Lego hunger of yours.
During the hands on we were able to play through the weathertop quest where Sam, Merry and Pippin attracted the Ring Wraiths when preparing their ‘second dinner’ while Frodo was asleep. You will actually need to complete several aspects first to create their second dinner. After that we needed to escape from the Ring Wraiths which needed some puzzle action between Frodo and Sam because you will need to switch back and forth between the normal world and the shadow world. Again this will go paired with some Lego humor to give it a milder touch to make it accessible to all ages. Keep in mind this does not mean story parts will be changed during the game because the game stays true to the game.
The side-quests mainly consist our of ‘find and return’ objectives and the occassional mini game that goes paired with it. These quests will still be available if you like to finish the story first before actually starting with these small quests. Finishing these quests are actually quite usefull to do, to earn some extra mithrill blocks (which are also spread around the world). These blocks can be used to create items that are interchangeable between all your characters to grant them extra abilities. (like boots for higher jumping and so on) A great attribute to add some extra fun to the game.
We also had the chance to try out the 3DS version which is surprisingly big for a handheld version. Ofcourse the world has been scaled down a bit to adjust the game to the capabilities to the 3DS’ capabilities. Some of the quests are also adjusted a little bit.
Overall we were left with a great impression of the game and we hope to see it hit the shelves soon!
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