As soon as the frustration of LEGO: The Great Adventure digested, no time to breathe, we get back in the saddle with a new episode of the great franchise of Traveller's Tales. In 2012, we were treated to the excellent LEGO: The Lord of the Rings, there is no reason why the Hobbit episodes should not be entitled to their homage. And too bad if it will be necessary to be satisfied only with two episodes for the moment. This LEGO: The Hobbit obviously covers the episodes "An Unexpected Journey" and "The Desolation of Smaug". For the part called "History of a Round Trip", we will come back. Thus, in the skin or rather the plastic of Bilbo Baggins and pushed by Gandalf, you will come to the aid of the Dwarves of Ereborn who fervently hope to take back the kingdom of Ereborn conquered several years earlier by the dreadful dragon Smaug. From the elven houses of Rivendell to the oppressive Black Forest, passing through the green pastures of Hobbiton or the cliffs of Mount Windy, your journey will be strewn with pitfalls, but you will see the country! Travel trains youth they said, that's good you're a young Hobbit! But you will not be alone in your quest since accompanied by a multitude of characters with very specific characteristics.
Hardy little ones!
Naming the 7 dwarfs of Snow White is child's play next to the 13 dwarfs of The Hobbit: Thorin, Balin, Dwalin, Kíli, Fíli, Bofur, Bifur, Bombur, Óin, Glóin, Dori, Nori, Ori. Why cite them? Because each of them has a special skill that will have to be used at one time or another in LEGO: The Hobbit. It's a trademark of the franchise. One character = one power. For example, Bifur or Nori, thanks to their spear, can be used as a ladder and thus help their teammates to reach platforms previously reserved for tall characters. Fíli, meanwhile, with his shovel can grow plants or dig up objects. To each his own task. The only problem with Dwarves - although I have no problem with Dwarves - is that they all look the same when it comes to quickly selecting the right character for the situation. Even if the developers had the good idea to integrate a reminder (written too small however) in the character selection menu to know who does what, it is not uncommon to get the wrong guy. Especially since they all have beards! Fortunately, of the 100 characters to unlock, some make our lives easier: Gandalf and his hat, Legolas and his long blond hair, Gollum... As a result, we quickly associate their icon with an ability. Say like that, you might think we're nitpicking but in fact, it's very important to have a certain fluidity because this bugger from LEGO: The Hobbit is going to ask you to sweat blood and bricks to overcome it.
Flatter LEGO
There is no question of difficulty here. Whether it's Star Wars, Harry Potter or Marvel, the software will hardly pose a problem for players of all ages and all experiences. Like the previous opuses, you will have to redo the game twice – at least – to unlock all the content. The regulars know that from the start, it will be necessary to follow the main plot of the films and therefore be satisfied with the pre-selected characters who will not allow us to visit the entirety of each level, to discover all the secrets and hidden objects there... In short, to torch the level at 100%, you will have to redo it in "Free" mode with the characters you want. Completing a chapter in full is a source of many bonuses, which are also essential to validate the side missions that abound in Middle-earth. As for LEGO: The Lord of the Rings, you can freely walk around to flush out your next challenges. Sometimes you have to bring the right item to a character, sometimes race or even make a specific object. And it is on this point that I will insist because this is the main novelty of this LEGO: The Hobbit. Each object or enemy that you destroy will drop, in addition to coins, resources useful for creating objects.
Wood, ropes, stones, carrots, gems, leather, all kinds of things that will have to be gathered for the confection. It goes without saying that sometimes you won't get enough. Two solutions then: redo certain levels to hope to harvest what you lack or barter with the many merchants scattered on the map. You could almost believe in an RPG! And along with that, don't forget to find the blueprints for crafting mithril items that you will collect by completing levels and other challenges. Everything is connected ! As a result, LEGO: The Hobbit offers a substantial lifespan. Apart from the repetitiveness of the actions, difficult to spit on the rest of the realization. The game is of a religious fidelity to the films, taking up the decorations, the musical themes, the official voices and even the replicas. There is a gameplay point of view where we would have to complain. We think in particular of the sequences of QTEs - more and more numerous - which break the rhythm of the game, a few jerks of the image and the destroyed objects which hinder our progress until they disappear as in LEGO: La Grande Adventure. It's a little bit always the same faults, and it might be time to correct all that!
