The Lord of the Rings: Gollum’s multiple delays and lack of actual gameplay shown do not bode well for it. Its development has seemed rocky ever since its initial announcement, but while its most recent delay is another opportunity to rectify its current issues, it is still unfortunate. That said, while there iscriticismThe Lord of the Rings: Gollumhas generatedthat is fair with regard to what has been shown thus far, some criticism has simply predicted it will be an underwhelming game due to the fact that fans play as the crooked creature once known as Smeagol.
Following the power fantasy high of Monolith’s two-entryMiddle-earthseries, Daedalic’sGollumasks fans to temper their expectations when it comes to action. The game will be primarily stealth and exploration-based, with unique dialogue choices in an inner conflict mini-game that seemingly affect the player’s circumstances. These features may not all add up to a satisfying experience, butBlueTwelve and Annapurna’sStrayis evidence that a concentration on atmospheric exploration may be all thatThe Lord of the Rings: Gollumneeds in order to excel.
RELATED:Stray Mod Adds Spyro the Dragon to the Game
Stray’s Environmental Storytelling and Atmosphere Are its Key Features
Strayreleased to a positive receptionfrom fans for its adorably authentic iteration of a cat in gameplay. This included moments where the cat would suddenly disobey the player’s controls when a harness is placed onto it, as well as dizzyingly inverting controls when a paper bag is on the cat’s head. Players could then scratch at carpets and doors, meow on command, and knock items off of ledges at their discretion. But while this is the interactive feature that hooks players initially,Straypresents intricate themes in an animated environment full of exploration.
Once players arrive at the Slums, there are many NPC robots to interact with and optional fetch quests to start, and the environment has a lot of creative navigation through interior and vertical traversal. The Slums, Antvillage, and Midtown are all diverse and dynamic in terms of where players can go and what items they can find. Each new area presents its own traversal obstacles that make for fun passageways players then learn about and return to afterward.Stray’s platforming resorts to simple button inputs instead of allowing players to freely leap themselves. However, the game’s exploration is more interesting in terms of finding out where to go, rather than how platforming is achieved. Therefore,Straymay be the perfect design formula for a game likeThe Lord of the Rings: Gollumthat looks light with regard to its interactivity.
RELATED:Lord of the Rings: Gollum Release Date Hit With Big Delay
Daedalic’s Gollum Does Not Need to Live Up to Other LOTR Games
Daedalic’sGollummay not be the power fantasy players have come to expect from otherThe Lord of the Ringsgames, but if it is able to somehow achieve the same atmosphere thatStrayhas, it may not need to. Much of the actual gameplay that has been shared shows Gollum either climbing a shale surface, shimmying along a ledge, or crawling around and attempting to avoid potential enemies.Strayis not an action game either, but instead offers sequences dedicated to certain gameplay mechanics.
One portion ofStrayhas action where the player is able to finally fight back with a UV light, while a sequence in the third-act is centered chiefly around stealth. It is in this diversification thatStrayfeels freshand never redundant.The Lord of the Rings: Gollumneeds to diversify its gameplay similarly, where some moments center on exploration and some moments center on stealth.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum’s dialogue optionsmay shape what choices players make and what incidents they run into, making its gameplay more aligned with how fans wish to play, but scripted events should still allow players to breathe and enjoy its environments. Middle-earth’s locales will be exciting to explore, particularly if they have memorable iconography embedded in them, andThe Lord of the Rings: Gollumshould make these moments fun to traverse and move around.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollumis in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
MORE:LOTR: Gollum is Putting a Lot of Emphasis on Its Dialogue System
