Players know now thatThe Lord of the Rings: Gollumis a stealth-based action-adventure title, and that combat is only prevalent in the form of stealth assassinations, as well as using environmental interactions to subdue or defeat unsuspecting enemies. This will be unique for a character who is far more physically, mentally, and emotionally vulnerable than others in Tolkien’sLegendarium, as with it comes the character’s limited abilities.
Gollum is cunning, capable of using his wits to take advantage of enemies and exploit their weaknesses, and it will be interesting to see how split-personality decisions come into play. But some fans are less concerned with how the narrative may be shaped inThe Lord of the Rings: Gollum, and more concerned about what will ensue during moment-to-moment gameplay. Based on information released since its official announcement,The Lord of the Rings: Gollum’s combat, or lack thereof, will be interesting to see.
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Players Should Expect Far Less Combat Than Other LOTR Games
The fun in many adaptations ofThe Lord of the Ringsis its action-fantasy. Not all characters are spell-casting sorcerers or marksman Elves, but geopolitical tribulations come to a head in massive wars that impact powerful races across Middle-earth.
The race of Men contains Rangers and skilled hunters, while Dwarves wield mighty axes and can fell creatures more than twice their size. Invideo game adaptations ofThe Lord of the Ringsfilms, fans are able to play as their favorite characters throughout the trilogy, including Legolas, Gandalf, and Faramir, with abilities that are appropriate to what they are capable of.
Likewise,The Lord of the Rings: The Third Ageis an RPG with abilities that a player can level-up as different Middle-earth races, adding diversity to each companion. Swords, bows, axes, and spells are common in the series' medieval warfare, with Tolkien’s refreshing take on fantasy adding even more armaments and abilities inThe Lord of the Rings. For example,Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordormarries the melee and stealth skill-set of a Gondorian Rangerwith the spectral swiftness of a Noldorin prince. Thus, fans have grown accustomed to this power fantasy inThe Lord of the Ringsgames.
However, that fantasy is being stripped from players inThe Lord of the Rings: Gollum, where fans will play a lowly Hobbit corrupted by the One Ring. It has already been confirmed thatThe Lord of the Rings: Gollumwill not have dedicated combat, and that engaging enemies head-on is folly, meaning this will likely be the most puzzle-oriented and stealth-heavy game inThe Lord of the Rings’ IP. This change may be jarring, though it comes with inherent expectations for playing as Smeagol.
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The Lord of the Rings: Gollum’s Combat Centers on Stealth
Instead of engaging in combat like players would in traditionalThe Lord of the Ringsgames,The Lord of the Rings: Gollumwill concentrate on action-adventure exploration and stealth. The game features distinct,choice-based story paths between Smeagol and Gollum’s split-personality, which will likely establish the encounters players must tackle. Such choices may make situations more difficult, yet more rewarding. Gollum is able to stealthily assassinate enemies who are unaware of the player’s presence, though this is ultimately a more risky option as it may leave players vulnerable to other enemies.
Otherwise, enemies along the player’s path can be dispatched through the creative use of environmental set pieces. If direct combat is unavailable, it could makeThe Lord of the Rings: Gollum’s exploration and puzzlesricher as a result, particularly if exploration leads the player to perches or other areas that are more advantageous. This option will hopefully make exploiting environments and exploring different traversal options as effective as it needs to be satisfying, leaving each area bereft of enemies without ever having been spotted. Because Gollum lacks actual combat, it will be interesting to see how well the game can shine in every other element.
Combat is not necessary for a game to be fun, butThe Lord of the Rings: Gollumwill need to justify the property’s sudden transition to a genre fully centered around stealth, and a character most players would likely not choose to play. Interactive environments could be made satisfying in tandem with well-timed stealth assassinations, but more ofThe Lord of the Rings: Gollumwill need to be shared in order for fans to determine if this concept is a worthwhile one.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollumis scheduled to release on September 1 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, and for Switch on a later date.
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