The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is a stealth action-adventure that places players in the filthy, tormented skin of one of Middle-earth’s most tragic creatures. Developed by Daedalic Entertainment, the game attempts to carve its own niche by focusing on a narrative and a protagonist seldom explored in mainstream Tolkien adaptations. Instead of playing as a valiant hero or a powerful wizard, you are cast as the desperate Gollum, creeping through the shadows in Mordor and beyond, years before the events of the original trilogy.

Mechanically, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is rooted in traditional stealth gameplay. Players must avoid detection, sneak through guarded fortresses, and solve environmental puzzles with Gollum’s agility and cunning. The environments, although often bleak, do portray a certain grandeur reminiscent of Tolkien’s world, with imposing citadels, cavernous tunnels, and looming volcanoes. However, the gameplay loops quickly become repetitive, and the movement mechanics are often unrefined, making what should feel thrilling more laborious and less satisfying than similar entries in the genre.

What truly sets this adaptation apart is its attempt to delve into Gollum’s fractured psyche. Players are frequently prompted to navigate the duality between Gollum and Sméagol, making choices that reflect the internal struggle between his better nature and his fanatic obsession with the ring. While this narrative device is intriguing and faithful to Tolkien’s characterization, the resulting choices rarely feel impactful, and the story struggles to provide a satisfying sense of progression or transformation for its protagonist.

Visually, the game’s presentation is a mixed bag. While Daedalic has captured certain atmospheric elements—a sense of dread in Mordor, or the sinister contours of Barad-dûr—character models and animations frequently fall short of modern standards. Gollum himself, in particular, often suffers from awkward animations and a plasticine sheen that undermines immersion. Performance issues and technical hiccups also mar the experience, with bugs and abrupt frame drops that can disrupt the flow of stealth and narrative scenes.

The voice acting and sound design fare somewhat better, especially with Gollum’s inner dialogues being a highlight, channeling both pitiful vulnerability and malicious cunning. The soundtrack serves as a subtle backdrop, echoing the world’s gloom rather than orchestrating epic moments, a design choice that fits the game's intent but may leave fans yearning for the cinematic grandeur of Peter Jackson’s films or other more robust Lord of the Rings games.

Despite some genuine attempts at originality and narrative depth, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is ultimately hampered by underwhelming mechanics, dated visuals, and a lackluster story payoff. It stands as a curious addition to Tolkien adaptations—commendable in concept but stunted in execution. For devoted fans eager to experience a different perspective on Middle-earth’s mythology, there is some merit here. However, for most players, the experience is likely to feel muddled, repetitive, and overshadowed by more polished stealth games and richer Lord of the Rings adaptations.