The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will brings players back to Middle-earth, one of literature’s most famous worlds and the subject of numerous film and video game adaptations. Not all of these have been entirely faithful to the original text of author J.R.R Tolkien, however, so fans skeptical of a game centered around the diminutive creature may be wondering how Lord of the Rings: Gollum and its characters compare to the books.
Developer Daedalic Entertainment established early that its Gollum wouldn't look like the Peter Jackson movies' version, and the game is instead based on the original text by Tolkien. That said, Tolkien wasn’t always particularly forthcoming with his character descriptions, likely making this a daunting task for Daedalic.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum’s titular character has so far been shown to be a fairly accurate rendition of the version first introduced in The Hobbit. Like in the book, this Gollum has "two big round pale eyes in his thin face" and large feet. Three other characters have also been revealed for the game: Gandalf, Thranduil, and the Mouth of Sauron.
Lord Of The Rings: Gollum's Gandalf Compared To The Books
Gandalf is a key character in both The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit. In The Hobbit, Gandalf is described as "an old man with a staff. He had a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, a silver scarf over which his long white beard hung down below his waist, and immense black boots." He is also revealed to have "long bushy eyebrows that stuck out further than the brim of his shady hat.”
The Gandalf of The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is certainly "a old man with a staff" and is wearing the grey cloak and blue hat described by Tolkien, but the length of his beard and eyebrows appear to have been scaled back. He also has a sword sheathed in his belt, unlike his literary counterpart.
Lord Of The Rings: Gollum's Thranduil Compared To The Books
Thranduil is never actually named when he is first introduced in The Hobbit, despite being a prominent character in the book. Rather, he is simply referred to as "the elf-king." He also lacks a physical description in The Hobbit, although the text does reveal that, "If the elf-king had a weakness, it was for treasure, especially for silver and white gems," and that, "On his head was a crown of berries and red leaves, for autumn was come again. In the spring, he wore a crown of woodland flowers." It is also revealed that Thranduil holds a "carven staff of oak."
Daedalic's artwork shows Thranduil's design in Lord of the Rings: Gollum takes much inspiration from the book, as it incorporates many natural elements into the elf-king's garb. His grown is an ornate collection of foliage, while ferns adorn the trimming of his cloak. He also has a tree embossed across his abdomen and feathers in his sash. Meanwhile, rather than a staff, this Thranduil has a sword identical to Gandalf's.
Lord Of The Rings: Gollum's Mouth of Sauron Compared To The Books
The Mouth of Sauron is pure malevolence and one of Sauron’s most dedicated followers. In The Return of the King, he is described as "A tall and evil shape, mounted upon a black horse. […] The rider was robed all in black, and black was his lofty helm; yet this was no Ringwraith but a living man." Later, the Mouth of Sauron is said to twist his face with "amazement and anger to the likeness of some wild beast that, as it crouches on its prey, is smitten on the muzzle with a stinging rod."
The adaptation of the Mouth of Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: Gollum does not wear a helm, lofty or otherwise. Instead, he has an ornate collar that rises up and surrounds his skull, leaving his eyes and scalp exposed. This collar appears to be made of metal and festooned with some sort of teeth. The Mouth of Sauron is still swathed in black, and he has long, sharp fingernails. He is clearly still a man (or perhaps an elf, given the pointed ears), but one that is tainted with evil. It should be noted that, in the artwork, the Mouth of Sauron is not riding into battle, so perhaps The Lord of the Rings: Gollum's interpretation is meant to depict what he would wear outside of the warrish scene described in the book.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will come to Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms in 2022.
Sources: The Hobbit, The Return of the King