There must be something wrong with me… Once I pick up LEGO: LOTR, I can’t put it down. Sure, that bodes well for the game, but it’s an absolute horror for my circadian rhythm! It’s a fun adaptation of Peter Jackson’s films, distilling the action down to the core story and throwing in typical LEGO humour throughout the game. However, though much of the game has a younger feeling, its sense of childish adventure is surrounded by the darker, more grown up elements that were in the films. This leads me to believe that it’s more of a nod to older fans of the LEGO brand and Lord of the Rings franchise than it is just another game to expand the LEGO video game franchise for the sake of exploiting children’s desire to see LEGO versions of major media franchises in playable LEGO form.
If that is indeed the case, it’s odd that so many of the cinematic story elements, like the majority of the Lothlorien section, and even some of the action portions, like the first half of the battle at Minas Tirith, were wholly omitted from the game. But, like I said, I couldn’t put it down. I’m hooked.
