Lego The Hobbit

Lego The Hobbit
Cover art
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Jon Burton
James McLoughlin
Producer(s)Randhir Jutley
Designer(s)Jon Burton
Programmer(s)Steve Harding
Artist(s)Leon Warren
Composer(s)Ian Livingstone
Rob Westwood
Original music composed by Howard Shore
Platform(s)
Release
  • NA: 8 April 2014
  • EU: 11 April 2014
  • AU: 17 April 2014
Wii U
OS X
  • WW: 18 December 2014[3]
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Lego The Hobbit is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales. The game was released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment on 8 April 2014 in North America, and 11 April in Europe. The game is a follow-up to Lego The Lord of the Rings based on the first two Hobbit films; An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug.[4] It was released on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, OS X and Microsoft Windows.[5]

On 1 January 2019, all digital sales of the PS3 and Xbox 360 version of the game were halted. This was confirmed a few days later by publisher Warner Bros. Interactive.[6] The game was later re-added to Steam on 27 April 2020 and on console stores on 6 May 2020.[7]

Gameplay

[edit]

The game shows several features from the previous games, including a feature where the user should locate specific materials to build a big Lego object. When the user selects and input the correct materials a screen is displayed where the Lego machine is built and the player should select the correct pieces in exchange for studs.

Also the characters have different actions to perform, making the Dwarf Company a group with different capabilities during the mission, including someone with archery abilities, another that uses a big hammer that can move big objects, another with the ability to extract minerals from stones, and so on. Bilbo improves his abilities as the game advances: when he gains Sting he has the ability to be a more skilled fighter; and when he gets the One Ring he can disappear and build invisible Lego structures.

The game, similar to the latest Lego video games, is composed on a large map, rather than a single hub. The player can move among different events where different characters ask the player to retain a specific material from a mission or to exchange materials.

Plot

[edit]

Much like its predecessors, the game presents storylines from The Hobbit films: An Unexpected Journey and Desolation of Smaug. However, the developers modified the storylines to fit the events into a number of game chapters per film, as well as adding the humour the series has become known for.

DLC

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There are 4 DLCs that are included with this game. They are The Big Little Character Pack, Side Quest Character Pack, The Armory Pack and The Battle Pack.

Cancelled The Battle of the Five Armies DLC

[edit]

It was reported at the London Toy Fair in January 2014 that a DLC would be released covering the events of the final film in The Hobbit series, to be released around the time of the film at the end of that year.[8] However, no DLC was released. Over a year later, in a correspondence with GameSpot it was revealed that, despite no actual cancellation of the DLC, there were no longer any plans to adapt the film as a DLC, nor to adapt it as another game.[9][10]

Audio

[edit]

Similar to Lego The Lord of the Rings, Lego The Hobbit features talking minifigures, with their dialogue taken directly from the films. Additional voices were provided by Tim Bentinck, Liz May Brice, Clare Corbett, Duncan Duff, Daniel Fine, Joel Fry, Jenny Galloway, Andy Gathergood, Anna Koval, Jonathan Kydd, Steve Kynman, Jamie Lee, Andy Linden, Sara Beck Mather, James Naylor, Emma Pierson, Jason Pitt, Richard Ridings, Emma Tate, and Marcia Warren. Christopher Lee, who played Saruman in the film series, has an uncredited role as the game's narrator.

Reception

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References

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  1. ^ "Lego: The Hobbit isn't setting off for Wii U just yet". Engadget. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  2. ^ Brian (8 April 2014). "LEGO The Hobbit officially pushed back a couple of weeks on Wii U". Nintendo Everything. Archived from the original on 13 February 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  3. ^ LEGO The Hobbit™ for Mac Launch Trailer, retrieved 23 May 2023
  4. ^ Karmali, Luke (26 February 2014). "Lego The Hobbit Release Date Announced". IGN. Archived from the original on 6 February 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  5. ^ Kubba, Sinan (25 November 2013). "Lego: The Hobbit Announced". Joystiq. Archived from the original on 30 November 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  6. ^ Phillips, Tom (3 January 2019). "Lego Lord of the Rings games removed from Steam, Xbox and PS4 stores". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  7. ^ Talbot, Carrie (27 April 2020). "The Lego Lord of the Rings games are back on Steam". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  8. ^ Adam (22 January 2014). "LEGO Hobbit Videogame to get There & Back Again DLC". Brick Fanatics. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  9. ^ Crossley, Rob (13 March 2015). "No Plans to Release LEGO The Hobbit's Five Armies DLC". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  10. ^ Gera, Emily (16 March 2015). "Lego: The Hobbit won't get Battle of the Five Armies DLC". Polygon. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  11. ^ "LEGO The Hobbit for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  12. ^ "LEGO The Hobbit for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  13. ^ "LEGO The Lord of the Rings for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  14. ^ "LEGO The Hobbit for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  15. ^ "Lego The Hobbit Review". 10 April 2014. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  16. ^ "Lego The Hobbit Review". Eurogamer. 10 April 2014. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  17. ^ "Lego The Hobbit Review from Game Informer". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 10 June 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  18. ^ "Lego The Hobbit Review". 10 April 2014. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  19. ^ "Lego The Hobbit Review". 10 April 2014. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  20. ^ "Lego The Hobbit Review: There and Not Quite Back Again". 10 April 2014. Archived from the original on 16 May 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  21. ^ "Lego The Hobbit Review". 10 April 2014. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  22. ^ "Lego The Hobbit Review: There and block against". 10 April 2014. Archived from the original on 31 October 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  23. ^ "Lego The Hobbit Review: Safe Fairyland". Polygon. 10 April 2014. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  24. ^ "LEGO the Hobbit Review: A truly Hobbit-sized entertainer". Archived from the original on 20 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.