This game has pushed me to my breaking point and forced me to write my very first steam review.
I had fond memories of playing this game on the xbox 360, so when I saw it was on sale I instantly got it.
The main story is just as fun and entertaining as I remember, however if you dare try to 100% percent this game you are in for a world of hurt. I'm not usually a completionist, but if I feel like getting 100% is attainable I will usually go for it. And never when I've played a lego game have I found it too difficult to complete. But I will not be completing this game.
There are several major bugs that make getting certain bricks nigh impossible. Gollum walls always have issues, with Gollum deciding that he no longer wants to climb a wall and just jumps off.
Good luck doing any of the push puzzles, because the block you're pushing is almost guaranteed to randomly fly away, and occasionally fly completely off the track.
This game also has a habit of making you switch between several characters or items to collect a brick, which is usually fine, but if at any point the puzzle breaks (and it probably will) you are then forced to do all of it over.
For one particular brick I was made to do a fishing minigame, then use a crank to open the door, then shoot an arrow, then use an axe, then throw a bomb. just to unlock a push puzzle, which inevitably broke. Having the block I was pushing become stuck in midair with no way to get it down except for restarting the puzzle. So I did. I went back to the waypoint and began repeating my steps, but when I got back to the crank, Samwise decided not to turn it. Completely breaking the puzzle. forcing you to either play a level or quit the game to reset the overworld. In addition to all of this, the puzzle itself was a nightmare to find. When setting your destination for the brick, the ghost studs lead you to a completely different location. This broke me.
There are also several INTENTIONAL gameplay elements that are annoying. Such as the dead marshes level when Gollum will not shut the hell up for the life of him, continually beckoning you to follow him when you are just trying to complete the level. Also the absolute dog water lighting. You will be forced to turn your brightness all the way up just to see certain levels, or you'll probably miss a collectable. And traveling the overworld is a slog. Once you get past the enjoyment of the pretty environments, you are left with walking for several minutes from point a to b at times, with characters whose fastest speed is a leisurely jog.
This is the least polished lego game I have ever played and I'm honestly shocked that a AAA company would release something like this. Do not buy it with the intention of completing it, unless you have the patience of a Buddhist monk.
