My Precious! The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
Play as Gollum on his quest to retrieve his Precious. You will need to climb the mountains of Mordor, sneak around Mirkwood and make difficult choices. Who will gain the upper hand: the cunning Gollum or the innocent Smeagol?
Play as Gollum on his quest to retrieve his Precious. You will need to climb the mountains of Mordor, sneak around Mirkwood and make difficult choices. Who will gain the upper hand: the cunning Gollum or the innocent Smeagol?
What was once one of the most anticipated games of 2021 is eventually being released this week (on 25 May) with comparatively very little fanfare.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum brings games back to Middle-earth in a new stealthy adventure. The game is being developed by Daedalic Entertainment, a German studio famous for making point-and-click adventure games. The studio's most popular output is the Deponia series, but it has also worked on games such as State of Mind and The Whispered World. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is the studio's most high-profile creation to date.
The game was first announced in March of 2019, with a release date originally set for 2021. However, the game was delayed several times, with the latest release date set for 25 May.
As the name suggests, players will take on the role of Gollum, venturing through locations such as Mirkwood, Barad-dur tower, and Cirith Ungol. The game will make use of stealth mechanics, with players needing to avoid detection by enemies. The game will also feature a branching narrative, allowing players to make choices that will impact the story and the game's ending.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is set to feature a wide range of enemies, including orcs, spiders, and other creatures from Middle-earth. Players will need to use Gollum's unique abilities to navigate the game's levels, which will include puzzles and platforming challenges. Gollum has the ability to climb walls, jump long distances, and has a keen sense of smell that will help him detect enemies and hidden objects.
The game's story will take place before the events of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and will explore Gollum's life before he meets Frodo and Sam. Players will get a chance to see the world of Middle-earth from a different perspective, and learn more about the events that led up to the trilogy. The game's narrative will be faithful to the lore of the books and movies, and will feature many iconic locations and characters from the series.
The game features several interesting gameplay mechanics that set it apart from other action-adventure games. Here are some of the most notable features:
- Stealth gameplay: The game will make use of stealth mechanics, with players needing to avoid detection by enemies. Players will need to use Gollum's unique abilities to navigate the game's levels, which will include puzzles and platforming challenges. Gollum has the ability to climb walls, jump long distances, and has a keen sense of smell that will help him detect enemies and hidden objects.
- Non-linear levels: The game will feature open level design, allowing players to explore at their own pace and choose their own path through the game's levels. This will give players a greater sense of freedom and allow them to approach challenges in different ways.
- Stamina-based climbing: The game will feature stamina-based climbing segments, where players will need to manage Gollum's stamina as he climbs walls and other obstacles. This will add an extra layer of challenge to the game and make climbing sections more tense and exciting.
- NPC allies: The game will feature NPC allies that players can interact with and recruit to their cause. These allies will have their own unique abilities and personalities, and will help players in combat and other challenges.
- Branching narrative: The game will feature a branching narrative, allowing players to make choices that will impact the story and the game's ending. This will give players a greater sense of agency and make the game feel more immersive and engaging.
Daedalic has confirmed that the game will not feature any multiplayer modes or co-op features. The game is designed to be a story-driven action-adventure game in which players will take on a perilous journey as Gollum. Players will have to navigate through the game's levels using Gollum's unique abilities, such as his climbing, jumping, and sense of smell, to avoid detection by enemies and complete various objectives. The game will not provide any opportunities to play as other Lord of the Rings characters or engage in any multiplayer gameplay.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will be available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC, with a Nintendo Switch version also in development.
It can be pre-ordered (or purchased after release once the reviews are in and performance is known!) on PC for R495 for the Standard Edition, or R595 for the Precious Edition which includes a number of extras (Art Exhibition, Emotes Pack, Lore Compendium, Original Soundtrack, and Sindarin Voice Over.)
https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/the-lord-of-the-rings-gollum-436d4f
Sadly, as normal, local console players don't get any pricing benefits tossed their way. Expect to pay either R1069 or R1249 on PlayStation. Xboxers get a few Rands off - R1009 and R1179 are your prices.
