Supposedly debuting next year, details on The Lord of the Rings: Gollum has been somewhat brief, with Daedelic's next-generation, stealth-adventure still remaining something of a mystery in the eyes of intrigued Middle-Earth fans. Of course, they know the game will be coming to next-generation consoles in 2021 and feature an emphasis on moral-choice, but other than that, the studio has kept its cards relatively close to its chest.
However, a new interview with IGN looks to change that, with the studio revealing lots more about The Lord of the Rings adaptation as well as unveiling a fresh look at the game through a cinematic teaser. According to the developers, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is best described as a "Prince of Persia-like stealth action" game with "a branching narrative." Gameplay will allegedly be split into two halves, with Dadelic telling IGN that players will mostly shift between a more story-focused moral choice system and a tense, stealth-centric action game.
In terms of stealth, players will look to sneak by enemies, with Gollum being able to dispatch them if he needs to. Lead designer Matt Wilkes does clarify that "Gollum’s strengths lie in cunning not combat," so players will have to rely more on outsmarting their foes than facing them head-on. As for the narrative side, the game will slot in right before the beginning of J.R.R Tolkien's iconic trilogy of novels, seeing Gollum captured by the armies of Sauron while journeying across Mordor in search of Bilbo and The One Ring. The story picks up from there, with Daedelic claiming the "Smeagol-side causes trouble and distractions and opens up new, conflicting goals."
It seems this core conflict between both Gollum and Smeagol will be a big part of the game in general, with Daedelic hinting that the player will have to choose which side comes out in certain encounters with the decision overall leading to differing consequences. Interestingly, these will apparently not have any impact on the game's conclusion, with Tilman Schnanen stating "In the end, of course, Gollum's fate is pretty much determined by the books. But your decisions can and will have effects."
Alongside the interview, Daedelic has also revealed a new teaser, which shows Gollum venturing through the confining caves the character has notoriously been known to dwell in during The Lord of the Rings' books and films. Reaching the mouth of the cave, players are treated to a familiar sight, as Gollum looks out over the hellish landscape of Mordor. Of course, the perilous Mount Doom makes an appearance, alongside a surprisingly modern-looking Barad-Dur, which fans have noted in the comments looks more like 5G tower than a mythical, evil fortress. Nonetheless, the game is shaping up to be one of the most exciting releases coming next year.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X in 2021.
Source: IGN
