The Hobbit Video Game for X-box by Sierra Entertainment

JRR Tolkien, author of The Hobbit (the prequel to The Lord of the Rings)

Image via Wikipedia

At home we have an X-Box which my children love to use in their free time and there are a few games that we own that I have also tried.  I don’t really go for the super-violent type of game where everyone is being shot or stabbed every few seconds.  That is definitely not my style!  This game is more of an adventure story, based loosely on The Hobbit book by JRR Tolkien.  It is one of my favourite books and when I found out that there was a video game made of it, I knew I just had to try it out.  

We got it a few years ago and I must have finished the game about ten times!  It is so much fun and not that difficult to play.  I’m not exactly a video game expert as I have far too many other things that need doing around the house, but when I have the time and want to just sit and enjoy myself, I will sometimes play The Hobbit for a little while.

The story is about a hobbit (a fictional character that resembles a human but about half the size) who goes on an adventure along with a wizard named Gandalf, and thirteen dwarves.  The reason for their journey is to get to the Lonely Mountain and reclaim the dwarves’ gold and treasure from the dragon Smaug, who has been guarding it for 100 years.  Along the way they find themselves in many dangerous spots and Bilbo, the hobbit is the one who always has to find a way to rescue everyone.

There is some violence in the game of course, but it is not realistic looking and there is no bloodshed.  The fighting is done with rocks, a walking stick and a sword, but you will never see any blood or gore.  The graphics in the game are very good but cartoonlike.  Also in the story is the creature Gollum, whom Bilbo gets a magic ring that makes him invisible, some wood elves and giant poisonous spiders.

This is the creature Gollum from the movie The Lord of the Rings played by Andy Serkis.  It is from him that Bilbo gets his magic ring.

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Gandalf the Wizard played by Ian McKellen in The Lord of the Rings.

If you have never played this game and you have an X-Box, I suggest that you rent it and give it a try.  The game is also available for Game Cube, Play Station 2, and Game Boy Advance.