PS3 LEGO LORD OF THE RINGS FOR FREE

вЂњOh but now we're doing it in Lord of the Rings!вЂќ Yeah, and I'll bet dollars to doughnuts we'll be doing it with another huge franchise next year, but that's just a new coat of paint.

PS3 LEGO LORD OF THE RINGS FOR FREE

Sure, the controls are responsive, the interface is well designed, and there's a ton of collectibles to tempt you back for free play sessions with unlocked characters, but we've done all this before. It isn't to say the puzzles are poorly designed or anything, just that they feel rote by now, as does the entire formula. It was a good start when LEGO Star Wars first hit, but this approach to puzzle solving has gotten old and stale. Everything boils down to either a pixel hunt or simply choosing the right character to interact with whatever block or device is in the way. We can do better for them than the linear, thoughtless puzzles present here. Many of us played games like Legend of Zelda or Dragon Warrior when we were kids, and the generations that have come since only catch on faster. I get that these are supposed to be accessible for younger players, but I think the devs have underestimated how smart kids are. Some of that joy dissipates once you start solving one of the game's many puzzles. Sadly, the game is at its best during these instantly gratifying, mindless moments of button mashing. These little audio/visual rewards turn what might have felt repetitive into something addictive. Even watching bushes or trees rustle as you knock them about is enjoyable, as is the shower of studs that comes after. In combat, landed blows have some weight to them, and when you and your foe attack at once, it's handled with neat little clash animations that make sword fights look more choreographed than they are. The minute to minute of going around hacking up innocent scenery and not-so-innocent orcs is made fun by the rewarding, if simple feedback you get from doing so. Pretty though it can be, it still plays very much like a LEGO game, for all the good and bad that encompasses. Despite not looking very much like a LEGO game, it's tough to complain about the visuals, even with the occasional frame drop or screen tear. They give the home of the elves an ethereal warmth that feels truly distinct from the searing heat that Mount Doom exudes. The texture work is stronger than any previous title in the series, but the real stars are the lighting and weather effects. From Bag End to Pelennor Fields, this is a faithful recreation, and though you canвЂ™t explore quite as freely as the world begs you to, it's hard to argue with how it looks and feels. Instead of a LOTR inspired LEGO world, you get a straightforward interpretation of Middle Earth with some LEGOs lying around.ДЄll the same, there's a lot of Middle Earth to explore and pretty much every region seen in the films is present here in some form or another. Both experiences are enjoyable in their own way, but they don't feel connected at all. You actually forget it's a LEGO game until you see a blocky pile of rubble in front of you that clashes with its surroundings, at which point you run right up to it and smash it to bits, delighting in the resultant mini-explosion of LEGO studs and pieces. As you leave the ornate architecture of Rivendell behind you, with all nine members of the Fellowship in tow and a vast crawl of sun-drenched mountains before you, the nerd chills hit. It certainly has a magical allure to it, but that magic feels borrowed rather than created. Playing through it is more or less like getting treated to a cliff notes version of the trilogy. That charm is mostly lost here though due to how directly the game apes the movies. There's always been a certain charm to seeing simple, creative ways to translate a comic book or feature film into the LEGO universe. Every strand of music and every line of dialogue is pulled straight from Peter Jackson's successful film adaptions, both to the game's benefit and detriment. Of all the LEGO games, Lord of the Rings makes the clearest effort to trade on the power of the brand it features.

Ps3 lego lord of the rings