A new gameplay trailer for Lord of the Rings: Gollum has dropped and gives fans a small taste of what is to come in this latest Middle-Earth title. Originally slated for a 2021 launch, Lord of the Rings: Gollum's release date was pushed back to an unspecified time in 2022 to allow co-developers Daedalic Entertainment and Nacon a chance to make the game, in their words, "meet the expectations of the fans." At least now, fans are getting a look at what their patience has gotten them.
Lord of the Rings: Gollum will be a departure from most other Tolkien-based titles that have come out in the past two decades. Ever since Peter Jackson's iconic film trilogy, most Lord of the Rings-based gaming titles have been extensions of that particular adaptation. From LEGO games to the more mature Shadow of Mordor series, Jackson's interpretation of Tolkien's mythology has become so ingrained in pop culture that it has become the definitive style across all mediums. Lord of the Rings: Gollum, however, appears to harken back to pre-Jackson times with its interpretation of the lore and now players can get a slightly better sense of what that means.
Daedalic Entertainment posted a sneak peek trailer on YouTube, which showcased some gameplay elements players can expect from Lord of the Rings: Gollum. Many of the mechanics on display in this short tease seem to play into the titular character's stealthy nature as expected. Fans also got a chance to see Daedalic's interpretation of some of the many creatures present throughout Tolkien's mythology that Gollum has encountered throughout his travels.
The aesthetic is not the only thing that feels different for Lord of the Rings: Gollum when compared to other Middle-Earth games. Most Tolkien-based titles since the release of Jackson's trilogy have been heavily action-oriented with emphasis on combat and occasional role-playing. While there will likely be some of these elements in Lord of the Rings: Gollum, it appears that will not be the focus of the game like so many other entries under the intellectual property.
The impact of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy sometimes makes one forget that Middle-Earth existed long before it was brought to the screen. Tolkien's work is no different from any other literary piece and can be interpreted in many different ways by adaptors. As the movie trilogy becomes older, there is a strong likelihood that more Middle-Earth adaptations will stray away from Jackson's overall aesthetic in a similar way to Lord of the Rings: Gollum. It is an inevitability that happens to all great works over time no matter how sacrilegious that may sound.
Source: Daedalic Entertainment/Youtube