The Lord of the Rings: Gollum recently got a great teaser trailer. Of course it reveals nothing new about the game. We all knew it starred Gollum, and that it’s part of the Lord of the Rings universe, and the trailer doesn’t elaborate on that. What it does show however, is that the game has just the right tone for the tale, something that many games in the franchise have failed to master in the past.
Gollum is a selfish creature that closed himself away from the world. He has lived an unnaturally long life because he’s been caring for the one ring, which has also been feeding off of him, using him as a form of protection and safety. When we meet Gollum in The Lord of the Rings: Gollum though, he’s lost the ring. He’s been captured by the forces of Mordor, and tortured for all of the information he has. Once he’s spilled the beans, we get to take control of him.
This guy is not the protagonist you’ll grow to love, I’m not even sure you’ll grow to accept him. He’s a character that never redeems himself, and that’s partly due to his own corruption, and the fact that some people never give him a chance. This game is set to see you play as Gollum through the most pivotal points of his life in the books, and that’s going to mean sneaking around and avoiding enemies as much as possible. Sure, Gollum can fight a Hobbit, but he’s not match for anything with a weapon.
This game is going to be one of the greatest stealth games of all time, because it won’t let you fight your enemies. Instead, you need to use Gollum’s twisted body and agility to avoid them at all costs. Nothing will be simple, everything will be hard, and the teaser trailer here absolutely nails the tone. A volcano exploding in the distance, and Gollum hiding up against a wall at the slightest noise. This is a game about a coward, and being cowardly, and I’m so excited to see how that plays out in practise.
