LEGO The Lord of the Rings Image
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 49 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 97 Ratings

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  • Summary: LEGO The Lord of the Rings retells the story of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy through the visuals of the LEGO universe.
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LEGO The Lord of the Rings - E3 2012 Announcement Trailer
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 49
  2. Negative: 0 out of 49
  1. Dec 11, 2012
    100
    Perhaps most impressive though is the level of polish found here...characters are quick to bounce back if they do happen to get stuck on the destructible environment, and the environmental and level design has been tweaked to perfection, eliminating a lot of the series' problems.
  2. Dec 5, 2012
    90
    LEGO Lord Of The Rings is another in a long line of classic LEGO games. It is fun and accessible. It is easy to lose an entire evening to its charms. It is the most well rounded of the LEGO titles too, whether a fan of the books or films, or not. It is one game to rule them all.
  3. Dec 4, 2012
    87
    In the end, LEGO The Lord of the Rings is fantastic – very possibly one of the best LEGO games made to date. The level design is ingenious and unique despite using the same tried and true techniques we've seen before. I like how different situations call for unique strategies. I also appreciated the risk taken since there is no central hub.
  4. Nov 20, 2012
    80
    Things like the lack of online co-op are undoubtedly more prevalent with each iteration, but Lego Lord of the Rings is still a huge success that's wonderfully adorable and an absolute delight to play.
  5. Jan 22, 2013
    80
    Either way, LEGO Lord of the Rings is worth a look.
  6. Dec 1, 2012
    80
    Even with the occasional silliness, Lego Lord of the Rings perfectly captures both the great action of the franchise and the majesty of the world Tolkien created. It's the first Lego game since 2005's Lego Star Wars that I can recommend with very few caveats.
  7. Nov 29, 2012
    60
    Lego TLOTR is, despite its many flaws, still broadly enjoyable. It has charm, it has its moments and the series holds an undeniable attraction for kids both actual and inner. It's a Lego game, in other words. But it's bloated, too, full of half-formed, shoddily executed ideas and frustrating glitches.

See all 49 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 20
  2. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. Nov 19, 2012
    10
    Great LEGO game and a cool way to tell such a complicated story for the kids. The only thing missing was a hose customiser, would have lovedGreat LEGO game and a cool way to tell such a complicated story for the kids. The only thing missing was a hose customiser, would have loved to be able to pimp my ride! Expand
  2. Dec 9, 2013
    10
    Exceeds your expectations. The sheer amount of things to do, replayability, unlockable items/characters. I spent 2 hours just running aroundExceeds your expectations. The sheer amount of things to do, replayability, unlockable items/characters. I spent 2 hours just running around the village destroying objects to accrue lego money before moving onto missions (and doing the same thing) Its visually sumptuous. Voice work from the actual actors. Music/ambience from the movies.

    I wasnt a big fan of the films but i want to rewatch them now. Lego Marvel Superheroes is just as good.

    I'm 38 years old
    Expand
  3. Jan 15, 2013
    9
    Enjoyed this game immensely, i'm not really it's target audience, which is children, but i can say that children would find this game veryEnjoyed this game immensely, i'm not really it's target audience, which is children, but i can say that children would find this game very fun. It has a lot of replayability, as do all lego games with their collectables, unlockable characters, and so on, it's lifespan goes beyond what most modern games have on offer. Graphically it's good, but as it is a lego game, there is naturally only so much that can be done. The game re-creates accurately scenes from the movie, and even contains nods to characters that only fans of the book would know. This is by no stretch of the imagination a challenging game, it's very casual, but that is what the game is aimed at being, and it is not ashamed, or trying to disguise this. My only complaint, is that i found the controlls to be actually a little difficult to get used to; aka, the item/character selection wheel, and i'm a 22 year old adult. So if i struggle a little, a child might lose his patience. Expand
  4. Apr 8, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The most epic LEGO game. It offers a vast world, so many things to explore, a storyline based on one of the best fantasy books (and films of course). Simply outstanding. Expand
  5. Jan 23, 2013
    9
    Truly excellent game and so nice to revisit the Lego games genre again. Graphics were excellent as was the gameplay and range of charactersTruly excellent game and so nice to revisit the Lego games genre again. Graphics were excellent as was the gameplay and range of characters and side missions available. The free roam aspect was what really made this game for me and added a welcome element of exploration. The use of original score and character voices was also a highly valued insertion. Would have been a 10 if not for the flaws in the character customisation (e.g. bright blue inner cloaks, changing weapons and no short option etc. though others may not have experienced this). Expand
  6. Dec 1, 2012
    8
    Another great Lego game. This game perfectly re-enacts The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The game has a massive amount of collectibles toAnother great Lego game. This game perfectly re-enacts The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The game has a massive amount of collectibles to collect that will take you tons of hours to get everything. The only annoying thing about this game has to do with the platforming...it's sometimes hard to judge how far to jump due to the camera and you will fall into the water countless times. Other thing is when playing alone your secondary character rarely helps out and usually just stands there. So you have to control the second character too. It's a bit odd considering in the other Lego games the secondary character was automatic. Overall though, the game fantastically captures the spirit of The Lord of the rings. Expand
  7. Jan 13, 2013
    7
    Is this the worst Lego game to date? No. Is it as good as the originals? No. TT is trying to change so much that they are really breakingIs this the worst Lego game to date? No. Is it as good as the originals? No. TT is trying to change so much that they are really breaking some of the fundamental things that made Legos fun.

    Let's start with the most obvious - the voices. This was marked as a big deal but honestly I never liked it. One of the things that makes Legos so fun is watching their silent acting. The actions were funny even if you didn't understand what they were trying to say. Adding voices has ruined that experience. The game just isn't funny like all the other Lego games. Forget the "true to the movie" crap. This just isn't a funny game to play. I wish they had provided the option to turn off the voices.

    They added some new features to the game but I think they detract more than they add. TT has added yet another set of collectibles that allow you to...do nothing but get more collectibles. This is tied to the side quest concept. Neither of these do anything for the game other than extend its length. The quests aren't fun and don't move the story forward. Some of the collectible items are suppose to be useful (allow you to use a single char with all the abilities) but some of the key abilities still cannot be obtained without using certain characters. This was a half-hearted implementation and does nothing for the game.

    Fortunately there were no vehicles in this game (because TT has never gotten them right). But they replaced that will yet more jumping puzzles that test your patience. If you don't jump at the right time you lose the puzzle. Losing the puzzle means starting all over again. Some puzzles can take minutes to complete. TT does anybody there actually evaluate how much time you are wasting of gamers' times because of these crappy puzzles? If they were straightforward then this would be a different scenario but often times the camera angle changes, you have to switch characters (which is messed up), jump at just the right time or a series of other actions that cause failure. The jumping puzzles aren't fun. I remember when Lego games were for younger kids. I doubt most 8 yr olds could easily complete them now.

    Changing chars is painful in this game. You really have to understand what is going on or you can mess things up. If you "quick" select a char from the radial and that char is already on the screen (either the second controller char or because of story mode) then you switch from the first to the second char's location. If you're in the middle of a puzzle you just got screwed. If you use the full roster screen or the char is not visible then the current char switches. This leads you down the path of always using the full roster just to be safe. The problem with the full roster is that, especially with timed events, it is slower and can take a while to get the char you want.

    All in all this game attempts to move the Lego games forward but I think it actually takes them a step back. I hope voices, the horrible jumping puzzles and odd char selection behavior don't make their way into the next Lego game. This isn't the worse of the serious but it is nowhere near the best. Bring us back the fun Lego games TT!!!
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See all 20 User Reviews

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