Of course, for the PlayStation 4, Sony plans to expand its PlayStation Plus service to include cross-game chat and free albeit limited versions of commercial games for players to try before they buy (for example, Evolution Studios’ DriveClub). Of course, it has also been decided that multiplayer on PS4 will now be available only through PlayStation Plus.

Xbox Live has also begun a push to offer free full games for the Xbox 360, which includes Halo 3, Assassin’s Creed II and more. As for what Microsoft will offer on the Xbox One’s version of Live – besides the abolishing of Microsoft Points – remains to be seen. Stay tuned for more.

Their latest venture is Lego Lord of the Rings, their first attempt at dabbling with Tolkien’s universe (and releasing just in time to coincide nicely with The Hobbit’s release); maybe it’s the fact that they’re releasing two games in the same year, the first of which was extraordinarily good. Maybe it’s because most of their manpower is working on the upcoming Lego City Undercover. Maybe Warner Brothers. had them on a tighter leash for this one than mot of their other games. It doesn’t matter what the reason is, unfortunately, Lego Lord of the Rings doesn’t quite play out as well some of the other games in the series.

Oh, make no mistake, it’s still a fun enough game to play through, and it will probably hold kids’ attention forever; but unlike the other Lego games, which were, yes, aimed at the kids, but incredibly satisfying even for an adult, Lego Lord of the Rings is too simplistic in its gameplay mechanics, and almost too literal in its reinterpretation of Middle Earth. This results in the loss of one of the greatest joys of playing a Lego game, which is seeing the universe the games are tackling gleefully reimagined with Legos. Yes, I understand that Lord of the Rings as a franchise probably holds more prestige and power and respect than any other franchise they have tackled so far, but still, you can’t help but feel a little disappointed.

Surprisingly enough, the almost literal interpretation of Tolkien’s complex and decidedly not-for-kids universe is in almost direct opposition with how simple and almost shallow the gameplay mechanics are. Unlike some of the other games in the series, which hold enough content and depth to entertain the most cynical and jaded of all gamers, Lego Lord of the Rings plays off as a decidedly tired and formulaic take on the entire gig- smashing scenery to collect Legos, running around and fighting Lego themed Orcs and other minions. Yes, the flashy animations hold a certain shine to them and make combat feel deeper and more exciting than it really is, but you soon see past it, and the mindless hacking and slashing begins to get repetitive, fast.

Worse still are the puzzles, which this game has a lot of. It is refreshing to see puzzles in the game in the first place, since most games’ ideas of puzzles these days are ‘blow whatever’s in your way,’ or ‘do exactly everything exactly as I tell you to to get this part that is meant to provide a change of pace from the combat over with.’ No, Lego Lord of the Rings has some real puzzles. It’s just that they aren’t really anything special.

Oh, they’re well designed. Nothing gets to me as badly as poorly designed puzzles, but Lego Lord of the Rings makes good on its puzzle design. it’s just that, like the rest of the game, the puzzles seem a bit formulaic, especially if you’ve played the other games in the series. There’s nothing challenging about them, and unlike numerous other games, like the Portal series, that masks a lack of difficulty with at least the inventiveness of its puzzles, Lego Lord of the Rings is perhaps insultingly easy.

It plays exactly as you’d expect then, from a Lego game. Surprising, given how conservatively Middle Earth has been treated, with not as many Lego surprises in this reimagining. Which adds to the problem, as this Middle Earth is still familiar, only it’s exactly the same as you saw it in the movies. Which is to say, it looks great. Again, though, I stress, there’s not a whole lot of Lego theming going around.

The graphics, as is standard for Lego games, are gorgeous, and dripping with charm. The music here is lifted almost wholesale from the movies, so don’t expect very many new tunes. What that means, though, is some really neat music regardless. The story is handled cavalierly, in spite of how reverent the developers are clearly trying to be. If you’re hoping to use this game to introduce your little kids to the magic and wonders of Lord of the Rings, bad idea! At best, it can be used as a nice complement, but if this game were all the exposure you ever got to Tolkien, you’d come away feeling very confused, and probably wondering what all the hysteria was about.

It’s a good game, then, particularly for its target audience, which is going to be kids. It might be a bit too easy for them, but they’re still gonna have fun. The production values remain surprisingly high. But the game just feels shallow, almost formulaic, and you can’t help but feel that it could have been a whole lot more than what it turned out to be. Maybe in the inevitable sequel, Traveler Tales can give us the Lego Lord of the Rings game that we deserve. For now, get it for your kids if you want, even dabble a bit in it yourself. Just don’t go in expecting something as good as the movies or the books, or even the other Lego videogames.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.

Man, what the hell has been going on lately? First, PC copies of Black Ops 2 got switched with copies of Mass Effect 2, and now this.

It turns out that several copies of LEGO Lord of the Rings are being shipped with the demo disc instead of the full version. Either the guys working at printing presses these days aren’t getting enough money, or they’re just in a mood to troll everyone.

This was reported by a GameInformer editor. After he went to purchase a copy of the game, he was told that it’s been recalled, and when he got his disc at another store, he found out that the copy included the demo disc. When the clerk at the store went on to check the other copies, it was discovered that all the copies had been shipped with the demo discs.

Warner Bros. has asked for a recall, and this will be fixed soon enough.

Like all LOTR titles, this LEGO iteration will allow players to take part in some of the more awesome moments, along with controlling their favourite characters from the popular novel and movie trilogy.

The developer diary shows plenty of scenes that fans of the movies will immediately recognize. Have a look at the trailer above.

LEGO The Lord of the Rings takes players along on the adventures of Frodo Baggins and his unlikely fellowship as they set out on a perilous journey to destroy The One Ring and save Middle-earth. Kids, tweens, teens and parents can traverse the Misty Mountains, explore the Mines of Moria, knock on the Black Gate of Mordor, and partake in epic battles with Orcs, Uruk-hai, the Balrog and other fearsome foes while harnessing the humour and imagination of LEGO gameplay to solve puzzles and explore Middle-earth. Players will take on the form of their favourite members of the fellowship — Frodo the Hobbit, Aragorn the Ranger, Gandalf the Wizard, Legolas the Elf, Gimli the Dwarf, Boromir a Man of Gondor, and Frodo’s Hobbit friends Sam, Merry and Pippin — as they relive the most momentous events from the films.