Much like the way Gollum spent way too long in that cave in the mountains, so too has The Lord of the Rings: Gollum spent far too long out of fans’ reach as delays saw the release continuously get pushed further and further back. But worry no more: this new addition to the many Lord of the Rings adaptations out in the world is finally set to release in May this year, and the gameplay looks terrific to say the least.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum shines a light (despite the creature really preferring darkness) on one of Tolkien’s most complex characters. It follows Gollum’s journey after losing his precious to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, including his torture at the hands of Sauron’s servants and his own personal quest to find the one ring.
Creators Daedalic Entertainment, in partnership with Middle Earth Enterprises, state,
“The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is a story-driven action adventure. Embark on a perilous journey as Gollum, chasing the only thing that is precious to you. Climb, leap, and sneak your way past dangers or into advantageous spots. Gollum is skillful and sly, and torn by a split personality. It is up to you to decide whether to yield to the darker side of Gollum or trust the kinder gentler hint of Sméagol.“
Seeing as this story wasn’t fully covered by Tolkien in his books, there will be, of course, deviations from the source material along with new content to create this expansive game. This could leave some fans frowning, unless it is pulled off very well.
The gameplay footage would have us feel a lot more sympathetic towards the former Stoor Hobbit of the River-folk, which is somewhat necessary for us to feel invested in his story. With your guidance, Gollum takes on foes much larger than himself, escapes perilous situations, and is even assisted by what appears to be a beautiful elf lady.
Daedalic Entertainment dropped a new story trailer recently which shows off the scale of the project and gives us a glimpse at the many landscapes players can crawl across as Gollum, crossing paths with well-known characters as well as introducing us to new ones.
For those who would like to see even more content prior to the release, Daedalic and Nacon will stream a special showcase at 6.30pm CET on Twitch today.
The game will release on PC, PlayStation4, PlayStation5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on May 25 with a later release planned for Nintendo Switch.
