The Hobbit

As popular as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings novels are, it's true to say that a lot more people know about the fantasy world of Middle-earth since the release of the film equivalent. But The Lord of the Rings isn't the first time Middle-earth was realised. First came The Hobbit, and keeping in tradition with the recent trend that sees developers turning books and films into video game adventures, Inevitable Entertainment and Vivendi have released The Hobbit for Xbox.

Unlike the virtual Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Hobbit takes a step back from endless battles and combat in favour of a traditional 3D adventure. Assuming control of the little fella, players will engage in an adventure that sees Bilbo Baggins navigating treacherous locations, solving puzzles and defeating oncoming enemies.

The game spans several well known areas from the book, including Rivendell, Mirkwood and Laketown, that play host to more than two dozen familiar types of enemy, which must be defeated by means of an intuitive combat system. But stealth, puzzle and role-playing elements of the game play their part too. It's undoubtedly a diverse adventure. One that's easy to pick up and play, and one that children will love.

Thankfully, the game's myriad locations and their inhabitants have all been rendered to faithfully represent Tolkien's vision of Middle-earth. Complete with colourful environments, elves, dwarves, trolls and goblins, and appearances from the legendary Gandalf, Elrond and Gollum, players will have an easy time immersing themselves into The Hobbit's fantasy world.