The long-expected video game The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is finally releasing on May 25, 2023 on PC, Xbox, and Playstation (with a Switch port coming later in 2023). Now seems like a great time to remind ourselves of everything we know about LOTR: Gollum in Question and Answer format.
The Game
What is The Lord of the Rings: Gollum?
According to the game's official site, LOTR: Gollum is "an action-adventure game and epic interactive experience. You play as the enigmatic Gollum on his perilous journey and find out how he outwitted the most powerful characters in Middle-earth."
What kind of gameplay can we expect?
From trailers and brief previews, the gameplay favors stealth mechanics like skulking through the shadows, climbing walls to remain just out of sight of enemies, and using distraction techniques like the tried-and-true "throwing a rock in the opposite direction." The game's official site appears to confirm this: "Use [Gollum's] unique skills to explore and infiltrate legendary locations and dizzying heights." Combat is unlikely to feature heavily in the game, which tracks with what we know of the character of Gollum - he tends to sneak up on someone unsuspecting rather than try to face them head-on. Gollum will also have an ability bar that can be filled.
Will this game be action-focused or story-focused?
LOTR: Gollum appears to be more focused on storytelling than action, which follows the track record of developer Daedalic Entertainment, known mostly for narrative-driven point-and-click adventure games. The game will make use of the protagonist's split personality by giving the player the choice to react to events as either Smeagol or Gollum - which will sometimes trigger a mini-game in which they must convince the other side to go along with them. Players will also be able to replay levels to find out what happens if they make a different choice.
What platforms will LOTR: Gollum be released on?
On May 25, LOTR: Gollum will release on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Playstation 4, and Playstation 5. A Switch port will follow later in 2023.
Wasn't Gollum supposed to be released earlier?
That's correct; when the game was first announced by developer Daedalic Entertainment in 2019, it was with an expected release date in 2021. Later, Nacon bought Daedalic Entertainment and the game's release was quietly pushed back to September 1, 2022. Then, in July 2022, Nacon announced the release date was being pushed back once more, to May 25, 2023.
How much will LOTR: Gollum cost?
PC versions of the game are available for $50 USD on Steam and Epic Game Store; console versions are a tad pricier, at $60 USD. You can also pre-order the Precious Edition for an additional $10 USD on your platform of choice ($60 on PC, $70 on consoles), which comes with a Lore compendium, a full-game VO in Sindarin, and six exclusive emotes, among other things.
Sindarin?
Sindarin is the language most commonly spoken by Elves on Middle-earth during the time period of LOTR: Gollum. Although some lines in the regular game will be spoken in Sindarin, only players who pre-order the Precious Edition will be able to experience the entire game's voice-acting done in the language of Elves.
The Story
When is LOTR: Gollum set?
LOTR: Gollum will begin eight years prior to the founding of the Fellowship of the Ring - before Frodo undertakes his dangerous journey, but after Bilbo's disappearance from the Shire. Basically, the game will concern itself with what Gollum was up to during that time period, events which Gandalf hints at in the books: Gollum's captivity in Mordor, Aragorn's capture of Gollum and Gandalf's interrogation, Gollum's imprisonment in Mirkwood and his escape from the Elves.
Speaking of which, will we see any familiar faces?
Yes. Gandalf the Grey will interrogate Gollum about his time in Mordor, and players are also going to come face-to-face with Shelob the Spider. Denizens of Mordor, like the Witch King of Angmar and the other Naz'gul, look like they'll have parts to play as well. Other familiar characters, although unconfirmed, could also show up, like Aragorn, Legolas, and perhaps even Frodo.
What about new characters?
There will be some, like Mell, a young elf who lives in Mirkwood, and Candle Man, a human servant of Sauron who resides in Barad-dûr. Characters who are mentioned in the books, like Thranduil (Legolas's father) and the Mouth of Sauron, will also have their moment in the spotlight.
What locales will we get to explore?
The first half of the game will take place in Mordor, as Gollum escapes his captivity in Barad-dûr. Other Middle-earth locations encountered, like Mirkwood.
The Look
Will Gollum look like he does in The Lord of the Rings films?
No. The developers have gone for a different look, accentuating the character's eyes and once-human features to remind players of what Gollum used to be. Other characters, like Gandalf, will also be distinctly different from their previous on-screen appearances.
Will the game itself look nice?
It's hard to judge from most footage online, which mainly uses Beta versions of the game. We'd expect that the look on next-gen consoles and PC will outperform the older consoles, as will loading times.
Is The Lord of the Rings: Gollum the kind of game that tickles your fancy? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Comments
I know this is just a minor thing but it's THE Lord of the Rings Gollum not lord of the rings Gollum. Emphasis on the THE.
Perfect example of a patron that will likely not enjoy a game loosely based on Tolkien novels.
Hope I'm wrong and it's fun but otherwise...
I'm right there with you nonetheless.
Hmmm that's a tricky one, precious. No combat means you're probably very limited in what you can do and that might influence the big deciding factor for me: overall game time. I won't pay AAA prices for games that offer less than 80ish hours of meaningful game play. Sorry, not sorry.
I'll be surprised if this game reviews well. LoR fans would likely hate it if you get even the slightest lore-related point wrong, and its gameplay would likely be found wanting because its almost certainly going to be 100% stealth and running.
Not even sure if it'll hold a candle up to the old stealth game styx.
My precious!!!!