One of the most bizarre characters from the Lord of the Rings franchise is getting his very own game. Daedalic Entertainment has been working on a new Lord of the Rings title that centers around the corrupted hobbit Gollum earlier this year. Lord of the Rings: Gollum will be quite different from most other LOTR games and will follow the life and times of the peculiar creature.
Daedalic has been pretty tight-lipped about the project, but information about Gollum has started to trickle out. From gameplay mechanics to characters and art design, one thing is clear: Gollum aims to be a unique, engaging experience unlike any other Lord of the Rings game before it.
Plot
Lord of the Rings: Gollum puts players in the shoes of the titular Gollum as the ring takes hold of his life, pushing him further into madness. The game will be set sometime between Gollum finding the ring and the start of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Given Gollum is said to have lived for hundreds of years, there’s certainly a wide berth for the timeframe Daedelic can explore.
Most notably, Gollum is creating its own unique look and feel rather than taking visual cues from the iconic Peter Jackson trilogy, as indicated by a recent trailer during Nacon Connect. The latest trailer shows off the game’s take on Gandalf, as well as shows a bit more of the world of the game. Players can also expect to see a more emotional Gollum than portrayed in the movies, who is a bit more compassionate and caring. This will allow players to sympathize with him more throughout the game’s epic questline.
Gameplay
While most Lord of the Rings titles have leaned into fantasy mechanics or focused on combat, Gollum is described as an action-adventure title that focuses on stealth elements. Players will need to traverse Mordor’s rugged landscape outsmarting orcs and ringwraiths instead of bashing them into oblivion. Lord of the Rings: Gollum will feature some platforming elements as well, but it won’t be the title’s primary focus.
In addition to the stealth gameplay, the split personalities of Gollum and Smeagol will be integral to both gameplay and the game’s story, with the narrative being influenced by which side players choose. While Daedalic have not released much information about how the narrative mechanic will work, the focus on incorporating the dual personalities does indicate the level of care going into adapting this character for a video game format.
Release Date
Lord of the Rings: Gollum doesn’t have an exact release date yet. Daedalic had previously hoped to release the game sometime in 2021 but confirmed at Nacon Connect it was delayed into 2022. There is also talk of Lord of the Rings: Gollum being the first part of a series, as Daedalic Entertainment has an extended contract allowing it to make multiple Lord of the Rings games. However, Daedalic has stated future games would focus on different characters; whether this means a new story focusing on a different character or a follow-up to Gollum’s story from a different perspective is something fans will have to wait and see.
Developed by Daedalic Entertainment and published by Daedalic Entertainment and Nacon, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum releases in 2022 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC.
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