We've seen nearly a dozen games spawned from the revived Lord of the Rings franchise: action games, strategy games, adventure games, RPGs, MMORPGs ... a lengthy list that only grows longer when you take various expansions and add-ons into account.

Next up is Lego The Lord of the Rings from TT Games, a studio that has been pumping out Lego games at a rate of roughly two per year. It makes a certain amount of sense, what with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hitting theaters in December 2012. Not to mention the fact that few understand how to navigate a saturated market better than TT Games, which continues to find success with its family-friendly Lego adventures.

Lego The Lord of the Rings appears to take very few chances, based on what we saw during a recent hands-on preview session. All of the familiar bits and bobs work just the way they always have. The backpack-equipped Fellowship can now store an inventory of useful items, but you're still busting up Lego objects, collecting tons of Lego studs, and rolling your eyes at goofy Lego humor.