Fantasy owes a lot toLord of the Ringsas a genre. Middle-Earth was JRR Tolkien’s life’s work and serves as a tremendous inspiration to works like it to this day. The setting is also full of stories and characters that make fantastic choices to build a game around. Plenty of studios have taken a crack at it before, but now there’s a whole new breed ofLord of the Ringsgame on the way. Nobody really expected a game to tell a story about Frodo and Sam’s capricious guide, butThe Lord of the Rings: Gollumplans to do exactly that.
Daedalic Entertainment might be subverting expectations with the star of its game, but it’s definitely gotten a lot of attention. If the game can follow up on its promises of stealth, action, and moral choices, it might be the first really high-profileLord of the Ringsgame in a few years. Even though it’s an old and beloved franchises, it hasn’t gotten many critically acclaimed games in the past. That all changed whenMiddle-Earth: Shadow of Mordorreleased and was met with much praise.IfGollumcan follow up on that success, it might be the catalyst for a new generation of well-loved, AAALord of the Ringsgames.
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Shadow of Mordor’s Legacy
In a way,Gollumis fortunatethat there aren’t a lot of acclaimedLord of the Ringsgames out there. If it manages to meet expectations, it’ll set the bar for games like it and it could serve as an inspiration to other creators. That’s what happened whenShadow of Mordorcame out in 2014. It wasn’t just beloved because it was such a fresh experience in its setting – it was highly praised as a game. It’s remembered fondly particularly for its unique Nemesis system, encouraging Talion and Celebrimbor to get back at enemies that take them down.Shadow of Mordorspawned a sequel and still serves as an inspiration.
There’s no doubt that the team at Daedalic Entertainment will haveShadow of Mordorin mind while developingGollum.That’s the standard that the game has to meet, after all. Inevitably, since they’re the biggestLord of the Ringsgames of the last ten years, comparisons will be made, as different as the gameplay may be. If it can live up towhatShadow of Mordoraccomplished, it’ll do more than establish itself as a fine title in its own right. It might be just the right thing to spur a newLord of the Ringsmovement in gaming.
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Following Gollum’s Lead
Frankly, beforeShadow of Mordorgame along, a lot of the major games in that setting were unimpressive. Games likeGuardians of Middle-EarthandAragorn’s Questwere met with lukewarm reviews, meaning one disappointment after another for fans of the franchise.Shadow of Mordormay have been one huge light in the dark for fans, butit’s up toGollumto provethatLord of the Ringsgames are changing for the better. It comes down to developing newfound faith in the setting as a strong choice for video games.Once that’s accomplished, the possibilities are endless.
Studios might make new attempts at developing games based on theSilmarillion,for instance, plumbing the depths of the series' lore. Alternatively,a retelling ofLord of the Ringsitselfwould always be welcome if it’s accomplished in AAA fashion. Monolith,Shadow of Mordor’s home studio, does have another game in Middle-Earth in development. Even though it has no hand in Daedalic’s work,Gollumwill make a natural companion to it. First, though,Gollumhas to establish a pattern thatLord of the Ringsgames are entering a renaissance, and that it isn’t just Monolith that can whip up something great. IfGollumcan manage that, it’ll really be something precious.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollumreleases on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X in 2021.
