Before the internet made us forever connected, it was much harder for media to develop the kind of fandom it can today. That’s why series like Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings were so monumental and have gone on to inspire generations of new iterations. LotR has seen a mix of popular and less popular games, with The Lord of the Rings: Gollum certainly being one example of a game.
It stays true to its promise of setting itself comfortably in the universe where it takes its name and it feels just as much like a Lord of the Rings game as any other title. It’s true that this title will likely mean more to players who’re more familiar with the universe, with small references to kings, armies, and other lore that’s been established over the years.
As a game though, LotR: Gollum is a new perspective of the LotR universe, showing how the creatures and lesser heroic figures from the stories live. Players take on the role of the titular shriveled creature, so they must live and interact with the world as he does, for better or worse.
At least it sounds like Middle-Earth
The story takes place in a lesser-known part of the book where Gollum is taken prisoner twice. First, he’s captured by Sauron’s forces and forced to work in a slave camp under the infamous tower in between torture sessions. Of course, this all happens within a flashback where Gandalf is grilling Gollum after he’s once again captured by the Elven forces.
This will likely make sense to someone with full knowledge of the books, but as someone who’s just seen the movies and played the games, the larger context was lost on me. I was able to relate with Gollum in the present tense, as the survival of the character ensures you keep playing the game. However, even that motivation began to wear thin due to some poor overall gameplay.
The premise itself was really intriguing when it was first announced over two and a half years ago, with many players curious to see a new take on LotR in games after the successful Shadow of Mordor series. After playing this game for a while, it just made me want to go back and play those two games again because at least the gameplay loop was fun.
LotR: Gollum is largely a bunch of big and complicated levels that have some elements of old-school Assassin’s Creed and stealth titles like A Plague Tale. Unfortunately, this also lends to the problems of those titles, including unclear paths and few options on how to proceed. The AI is very single-minded with specific paths they’re meant to take if notified by hitting a metal surface with a stone.
They’re also fairly stupid and I could often trick them if I found a way to stay out of their, apparently, very specific field of vision. The solution to getting around them is fairly simple, and yet I still found myself having issues with it even when I had done everything the game had asked of me. One example includes knocking out light, and creating a darkness to hide in, only for the Orc to still see you anyway.
Some of the dialogue was funny, admittedly, with Orcs, slaves, and other species being heard conversing as Gollum sneaks around the shadows near them. Nothing especially stood out, but I was at least grateful for something while I scoured each level. Hearing them for the tenth time in a row does rub you the wrong way, though. One of the best moments comes near the very beginning and it’s very tense, but I won’t spoil it as it comes as a genuine surprise.
Poor control and a sluggish narrative
The stealth sections are definitely the less prominent part of the gameplay that I played through, with much more of it being the kind of slow parkour climbing from a decade ago. Most of the time you’re just trying to get from point A to point B as fast as possible, but that’s impossible with how easy it is to slip off the edge of nearly any surface and into the death pit below.
It has been over a decade since a game infuriated me the way that LotR: Gollum did and it’s not because of anything it did on purpose. When the gameplay works quickly and you’re able to get through the level without issue, there’s almost some enjoyment. However, after you’ve died from the same ledge a dozen times, your patience will begin to wear thin. This isn’t a bug either, the game’s parkour and climbing are just unapproachable in some places.
Outside of that, the pacing is just not great either, with Gollum spending literally hours of game time in the same prison, doing the same things over and over again. There’s even a point where you think he’s finally about to escape, only to realize you still have to play so much more in the prison. The beginning parts when you’re herding animals is kind of something interesting, but it’s a rare exception.
Gollum himself is kind of a disappointment too, even if the voice work is pretty spot-on. He’s got a more cute and stylized look, as does much of the world, and it doesn’t really play into the source material. All of it was pretty boring to look at and lacked the signature grossness that some might have come to expect from the LotR‘s visual representations.
There is a cool mechanic that explores the two sides of Smeagol’s mind, giving players the option to choose a nice or more evil action. One example includes choosing whether or not to smash a beetle and it’s almost interesting if the answers weren’t immediately apparent. Paired with the very basic interface it feels about halfway as fleshed out as it could be.
Technically there were a lot of issues, both with Gollum and the actual world while exploring. There are so many pixels in this title, be it in Gollum’s head or any light source that’s meant to be pointing in one direction. This is also paired with framerate drops from the beginning and the occasional bug where I would get trapped behind some kind of structure.
Something outside of the game that deserves discussing is the DLC that has been lampooned since it was announced, and that turns out to be for a very good reason. The additions are minimal to nonexistent and I honestly couldn’t tell anyone the extra cost is worth the price. It’s just not a game that’s worth the base price, let alone any additions for “real Tolkien fans.”
Conclusion
The Final Word
While LotR: Gollum seems to get all the important names and locations right, the feel and look of the Middle-Earth that many have come to expect isn’t there. The few short entertaining moments aren’t going to be enough to keep anyone’s interest beyond the first hour, with much of the game’s activities after that feeling like an ever-increasing chore.
Try Hard Guides was provided with a PC review copy of this game. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles in the Game Reviews section of our website!
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