The Hobbit LEGO

Its arrival may be rather at odds with the movie Christmas launches of the past two years, but LEGO The Hobbit is in North American stores from today and hits Europe on 11th April, including the Wii U and 3DS in its many release platforms. The game features events from the first two films of the trilogy, and we'd bet all of Smaug's gold that another title will follow to cash in on this years final cinema release.

For now we have this title, with Warner Bros. Interative Entertainment and TT Games keen to tell us that it's the Hobbit-themed adventure we've all been waiting for. The LEGO game formula has certainly served both companies very well for a number of years, while a press release accompanying the launch promises the following.

LEGO The Hobbit will take players on epic quests and a variety of adventures as they explore key locations from the films, such as Lake-town, Dale, Erebor, Bag End, Goblin-town, Mirkwood, Rivendell and the treacherous High Pass over the Misty Mountains. Fans will also assume the roles of their favorite characters, including Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, and the Dwarves of Erebor: Thorin, Fíli, Kíli, Óin, Glóin, Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori and Ori, each possessing a unique and hilarious ability. One of the main new features of the game allows players to utilize the Dwarves’ combined abilities such as buddy fighting, two-player attack, staff climb, mace swing and belly bounce to help them fight Orcs and fouler things or to progress through the game.

Friends and family will enjoy discovering Middle-earth through the easy access drop-in, drop-out gameplay option available on the consoles. Together players will navigate 16 levels, unlock more than 90 playable characters and partake in diverse treasure quests, mine for gems, discover loot from enemies, craft powerful magical items, and collect objects as they triumph in a game of riddles and discover the power of The One Ring.

That's PR talk, of course, but it'll be interesting to see how this title stacks up against its many LEGO predecessors. Let us know whether you're thinking of embarking on the quest, while the latest launch trailer is below — if you haven't seen the films, it has some spoilers.