There’s a little studio we’re rather fond of called Daedelic. (I’ve never been able to pronounce their names properly.) After making quite a few good little games, the studio is tackling a big one. The Lord of the Rings universe. And yes, I admit it, my knowledge of the universe stops at the film. So discovering the story of Gollum is a superb idea… Lacking polish…
Too much waiting.
Let’s face it, ever since it was announced, Lord of the Rings Gollum has been eagerly awaited by fans of the saga. Too much, in fact. Because the title isn’t AAA, and with development switching bosses along the way, it’s a safe bet that the release schedule was also thrown off course. Yes, the studio was totally independent before it was bought out by Nacon. On the one hand, this allowed them to continue their activities with greater financial ease. On the other hand, it also means they can keep to their schedules. For a publisher, delivering an IP quickly is important.
SO YES, GOLLUM IS A « LITTLE BUDGET » GAME, and keep that in mind.
In terms of gameplay, Gollum is an average infiltration game that manages to do quite well. It’s a very linear adventure game, like Stix, for example. Except here, it talks… a lot. And fans will be happy, because the studio has made sure that all the dialogues fit in with the universe and the lore. This is where Gollum really comes into its own.
The title’s narration and cinematic sequences are sure to please fans and neophytes alike. It’s just a pity that the title sometimes offers choices to be made that have no impact on the adventure. After all, we know the character’s endgame. It would be strange to rewrite the Lord of the Rings universe. The nice thing is that Gollum is tormented throughout his life. And the title fully exploits this when Gollum has to convince Smeagol or vice versa. A real pleasure. Add to this a captivating soundtrack and you’ve got a really good title.
Gollum or Smeagol…
What’s wrong with the title? Its finish. You can feel that the title still needed a few months of brushing up on all sides. Too many bugs. Some of which can just block your progress. And it’s unthinkable in 2023 to still have this kind of error. But we’re talking about a small studio that has changed hands in the meantime and will now have access to the resources it needs to go further.
Finally, the title is certainly criticized, but has the potential to offer a good story in a classic gameplay. The title’s fidelity is top-notch, and we could come back for more if only the bugs didn’t frustrate progress. But for the title’s AA budget, this is a very good game indeed. So it’s up to you to decide. Especially as future patches should polish things up.
