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"Explore
the mystical world of Middle-earth where you'll need to jump gaping chasms,
climb treacherous mountains, solve mind bending puzzles and battle hordes of
enemies just to survive. Meet enchanting Elves, battle-ready Dwarves, a powerful
Wizard, massive Trolls, bloodthirsty goblins, and more as you traverse from
the peaceful lands of the Shire to the harrowing forests of Mirkwood. And that's
just the beginning."
I have the power!
That's right folks; J.R.R. Tolkien's classic The Hobbit is finally coming to
all major consoles and a PC near you this September. Based on the timeless classic
which opened the doorway for the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Hobbit allows
you to assume the role of Bilbo Baggins as he joins Gandalf and the dwarves
on a quest to battle hordes of orcs, goblins, wargs, and more in their epic
quest to retake the Lonely Mountain. Told through action and page turning transitions
which is deemed "living the story"; Vivendi Universal is bringing
one of the most accurate depictions of Tolkien's universe to new and old fans
this holiday season. With development which follows directly with the original
literary descriptions; gamers will have the opportunity to relive the classic
adventure which started it all.
Bring it sport!
At a special press event in Los Angeles, Vivendi Universal showed off it's latest
build and released more details on this upcoming feature. For those who have
read the book or seen the classic Warner Home Video cartoon version released
in 1977, you already know that The Hobbit was intended to be a children's story.
Vivendi has taken that aspect and produced a game that will definitely strike
a chord with Tolkien fans the world over. Spanning 11 levels which take our
hero from the hills of Hobbiton to the deepest layers of the Lonely Mountain,
Bilbo must use his burglar-like skills to help the dwarves reclaim their kingdom
and defeat the ferocious dragon Smaug. Along the adventure Bilbo will encounter
teams of enemies taken directly from the literary works which must be defeated
using elements of combat, stealth, role-playing, and puzzle solving skill.
Upon startup, you instantly join Bilbo in the frays of combat as you land right
in the middle of the epic Battle of Five Armies. For those of you who aren't
familiar with the novel, the Battle of Five Armies was a massive clash of races
as the Dwarves, Humans, Elves, and Hawks take on the vicious Orc and Goblin
horde. As you weave your way in and out of combatants in an attempt to find
Thorin Oakenshield, the great Dwarf leader, you essentially learn combat and
get some early puzzle solving experience. Not to mention trying your best to
stay alive as Orcs and Goblins try to make 'short' work of you. Now you may
be asking yourself why they would start a game at the tale end of the adventure.
Well, rather then boring players to death with a longwinded tutorial as most
titles seem to do these days, Vivendi has chosen to throw you into the middle
of the action to earn your feel for the game. With all his abilities provided
here, players will instantly get to experience all the skill and knowledge Bilbo
will pick up along the way.
Upon completing this level, you'll be pleased to know that this battle was nothing
but a dream. In reality, Bilbo is still safely in his home at Bag End as Gandalf
is attempting to revive him. It seems after Gandalf has told him of the journey
to come, our brave warrior simply passed out from fear. After Gandalf brings
you up to speed, you must make your way out of Hobbiton to catch up with the
impatient Dwarves who have already begun the quest without you. This is an excellent
opportunity to see the beautifully recreated environments taken directly from
descriptions in the novel and even see a few surprises fans may not expect.
At the beginning of the adventure; Bilbo starts out with his handy walking stick.
This is a necessity for all travelers according to Tolkien's world and it makes
a handy first weapon for beginners. Of course Bilbo will eventually get a hold
of the famous Sting, but that comes later in the story folks. Along the way,
Bilbo will have a variety of weapons and tools such as the One Ring (Come on,
you know they wouldn't leave that out right?), and special stones which will
provide a variety of attacks to aid Bilbo in his quest. From freezing spells
to equipment, there will be lots of helpful tools to make Bilbo's life a little
easier. During the adventure, Bilbo must also collect special gems which are
usually left behind from fallen enemies or hidden in bushes and breakable objects
along the way. These gems are known as courage points; they range in value by
color, but they provide Bilbo with much needed health increases so he can survive
his quest.
Of course that's all very good; but what about the real weapons? Sting, the
One Ring; how does he use those items? Well, being true to the literature, Vivendi
has included all aspects of their use down to the smallest detail. The sword
known as Sting (For those of you who don't know, this is the sword which Bilbo
passes down to Frodo in the Lord of the Rings) has its normal slicing and dicing
uses just like any other sword. However, just like the epic, it will glow a
bright blue signifying any approaching Orc or Goblin. This will come especially
handy once you get down into the depths of the Goblin City and have to sneak
around to retrieve the captured Dwarves. The One Ring is also very handy in
a pinch. As you know, anyone who wears it will become invisible. You have to
remember folks, during the Hobbit, the ring did not show it's evil intent to
Bilbo. That comes later so don't worry too much. However, how hard can a game
be if you could stay invisible all day? Well using the One Ring does have a
twist. You can't stay invisible for very long. There's a slowly depleting meter
which gauges the ring's power and can get you into some serious trouble if you
think you can leave it on all the time. But of course you have to get the ring
first; and there is a certain creature who may give you some trouble.
As with these famous items, Bilbo does have a few unique skills of his own.
Using his skills as a burglar, Bilbo will need to rely on his stealth to get
around tight situations. Of course, burglars can pick locks as well. So Vivendi
included a handy little lock picking puzzle game which will kick in when you
comes across a locked chest or possibly a doorway. This element can hold a significant
enjoyment to players once they get the feel of it. But watch out, some of the
games demonstrated proved to have disastrous results if you can't do it right.
Overall, the latest build which was demonstrated at this event showed some promising
features that make a game truly successful. With the large fan base behind the
Tolkien world, this is definitely a title which will be thoroughly enjoyed.
Not to mention the raging success of the Lord of the Rings films will surely
draw in those new fans who want to know how this whole mess with the One Ring
began. We still have quite a way to go until its projected release this September.
But as more details are shed on this title, the Tolkien fans out there will
have to satisfy their need with these screens and character renders supplied
to us by Vivendi Universal. Believe me, once you get the opportunity to see
the beautifully done 3D representations of epic locations such as Mirkwood,
Hobbiton, and the Goblin City, you'll see why The Hobbit is a title to keep
an eye out for this holiday season. For you Tolkien fans/gamers out there; once
to see Smaug's layer done in full 3D I'm sure you'll rush right out and get
this one for your collection. The team at Vivendi has definitely done their
homework with this one.