AU Shippin' Out December 3-7: LEGO The Lord of the Rings, Guardians of Middle Earth

This week is a good time to be a Lord of the Rings fan. With two separate titles being released from the universe, will you be the one to rule them all? If you're not a Lord of the Rings enthusiast, Nintendo's role playing game Paper Mario: Sticker Star offers a light-hearted alternative.

Lego The Lord of the Rings is based on Peter Jackson's Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings motion picture trilogy and will follow the storylines of each film, using dialogue from the movies. Unlike the Lego Harry Potter franchise, which was split over two games, the entire Lord of the Rings saga will be told in one entry.

The game follows Frodo Baggins and the unlikely fellowship that sets out from Rivendell on a dangerous journey to destroy the One Ring and bring peace to Middle-Earth. Throughout Lego The Lord of the Rings, players will enter the Mines of Moria, climb the Misty Mountains, and battle orcs, Uruk-hai, and the nasty Balrog.

Developer Traveller's Tales is keeping closely to the fantasy book series, with the game including characters that have never appeared in Peter Jackson's film adaptations. Lego The Lord of the Rings will reportedly feature 85 playable characters. Lego The Lord of the Rings will be out December 5.

On the other end of the spectrum, Guardians of Middle-Earth is a multiplayer battle arena game (MOBA) that features tie-ins to the film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The console-exclusive game contains elements often associated with PC-exclusive MOBA titles, placing a strong emphasis on team work.

Players can assume well known characters from the Lord of the Rings universe, such as Gandalf, Legolas and Gollum. Guardians of Middle-Earth will be coming to the 360 on December 6.

If J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantastical world does not quite entice you, Paper Mario: Sticker Star and the Dragonborn DLC for Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will also be out this week. Check out the full list of new releases below.

December 4, 2012
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dragonborn (360)

December 5, 2012
Lego The Lord of the Rings (360, 3DS, PS3, PC, DS, Vita)

December 6, 2012
Guardians of Middle-Earth (360)
Mass Effect Trilogy (PS3)
Zone of the Enders HD Collection (360, PS3)

December 7, 2012
Nickelodeon Dance 2 (360, Wii)

December 8, 2012
Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS)