They are different skill sets, but they still feel unequal. Not only does running up sheer cliffs like an assassin from Assassin’s Creed seem out of place for a weak creature who has to always hide to cheat death, it makes him seem more capable than he is in the stealth parts. While the added mechanics do a good enough job breaking up the monotony of crawling around, the traversal doesn’t fit the character in a few ways. At its core, however, is a pretty standard rotation of “run and hide, then sneak out” gameplay, with little room for more the types of complex problem-solving that the best stealth games have, at least in the early sections.ĭue to the game being almost entirely focused on stealth, Daedalic has also implemented some other platforming mechanics into the game, such as giving Gollum the ability to briefly sprint, run up short walls, climb, and even wall run on certain terrain. In order to successfully do this, users have a variety of options at their disposal, including the ability to hide in tall grass, distract guards, or taking down enemies. Like its name suggests, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is mainly centered around players having to sneak around as Gollum and get through various levels without being spotted by Orcs. Unfortunately, that story might be lost to players thanks to some lackluster gameplay. The Lord of the Rings franchise has a long and mostly great history of video game adaptations, but a game that puts players squarely in the shoes of a character like Gollum was not exactly something fans had ever envisioned happening.Īfter getting a chance to go hands-on with the game at PAX East 2023, it’s clear that the team at Daedalic Entertainment has taken a creative approach to telling a The Lord of the Rings story.

When it was announced in 2019, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum was immediately met with a curious reaction from fans.

Lord of the rings: gollum gameplay