If you’re one of those brick-loving gamers who was sad to see no LEGO game for your new Xbox One or PlayStation 4 console, take heart! Warner Bros. Interactive today unveiled LEGO The Hobbit, which is scheduled to ship in 2014 for both next-gen consoles. LEGO The Hobbit will also have Wii U, Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, plus a version for PlayStation Vita, 3DS and PC.
LEGO The Hobbit will be based on the first two films of The Hobbit Trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and the upcoming The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug. The latter film, from New Line Cinema and MGM, will open in theaters worldwide on Dec. 13 (just over two weeks from now). Following the storyline of the first two films, LEGO The Hobbit will take players on quests throughout Middle-earth, joining Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the Grey, and Thorin Oakenshield and Company in their exciting adventures toward the Dwarven Kingdom of Erebor.
In LEGO The Hobbit, kids and families will be able to take on the form of their favorite Hobbit characters, including Bilbo, Gandalf, and all of the Dwarves: Thorin, Fíli, Kíli, Óin, Glóin, Dwalin, Balin Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori and Ori. Each has his own special ability, with TT Games, the developer, saying that those special abilities will also be quite funny. As you might imagine, with Dwarves involved…. For instance, Bombur can be used as a trampoline that enables his companions “belly-bounce” out of danger.
“We are thrilled to depict the characters and environments of Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth in LEGO form with the LEGO The Hobbit videogame,” said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games. “Our family-friendly take on these thrilling adventures will have kids and parents playing and laughing together as they build and explore in LEGO Middle-earth.”
Players will visit key locations from the first two films, including Bag End and Bilbo’s Hobbit-hole in Hobbiton. The game will also see players trek through the treacherous High Pass over The Misty Mountains, and explore the depths of Goblin-town, Mirkwood and Rivendell. Along the way, players will solve countless puzzles, partake in Treasure Quests and battle with Orcs, Trolls and fouler things. They will also be able to mine for gems, discover loot from enemies, and craft powerful magical items or build immense new LEGO structures.
LEGO The Hobbit is in dvelopment by TT Games, which has created all the other LEGO video games we know and love. The game will expand on the play themes introduced in the brand new LEGO The Hobbit toy collection, which you can find in stores now.