The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will have a difficult time weaving an impactful narrative since its titular protagonist is incredibly unsympathetic. For the most part, Gollum is a nefarious, selfish creature who cares for nothing but the One Ring. There's a modicum of sympathy to be found in Sméagol, Gollum's original identity, but at Gollum's place in the LOTR timeline, there doesn't seem like there will be much to like about the character.

LOTR: Gollum is a stealth game developed by Daedalic Entertainment, and seems to include some platforming and puzzle solving. Players will control Gollum as he escapes from the clutches of Sauron's minions following the torture which resulted in him revealing the location of the One Ring - with a Baggins in the Shire. Although the premise is odd at a glance, a stealth-heavy platformer set in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium is actually a fairly novel idea. One specifically about Gollum, though, brings into question how effective its narrative can be.

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One benefit the game's story will have is showing players a chapter of the LOTR saga that has yet to be depicted. Only portions of Gollum's journey from Mordor, through the Dead Marshes and Mirkwood, and eventually to the Mines of Moria are relayed to the reader and viewer in the original novel and Peter Jackson's film adaptions. Unfortunately, Gollum is practically the villain of his own story, Sauron's hordes notwithstanding. Potential bosses for LOTR: Gollum include Aragorn and Gandalf, two of the franchise's most beloved characters. Daedalic might try to spin Gollum as an anti-hero, but he's not a very compelling one at first glance, especially during the period in which the game takes place.

Gollum's Sympathetic Arc Comes Much Later

Gollum looks at a volcano

Any sympathy that Gollum receives in the original text comes from the fact that he was so hideously warped by the influence of the Ring. Much of this sympathy only works narratively when the same process is mirrored in Frodo's struggle to bring the Ring to Mount Doom. Frodo needs to believe he won't end up like Gollum so he appeals to Sméagol, still somewhere inside the pitiful creature. Frodo won't be in LOTR: Gollum, though, so the main crux behind Gollum potentially finding redemption is entirely absent from the game. Early trailers for LOTR: Gollum show him struggling with his dual personality, which is the game's best hope at making a sympathetic protagonist, but it seems a bit premature given the established Gollum/Sméagol character arc.

Prior to meeting Frodo, Gollum has spent centuries being corrupted by the Ring, to the point where he barely even recognizes the name Sméagol. Before Frodo tries to help him, Gollum is singularly obsessed with the Ring, acting as its dedicated keeper until the Ring has the opportunity to come into Bilbo's possession prior to Sauron's power resurfacing. It is important to remember that Gollum is technically the one who destroys the One Ring - albeit accidentally - so he does complete his sympathetic character arc and find a bit of redemption, but said arc only begins long after the events of LOTR: Gollum have taken place. A Tolkien-inspired stealth game is a compelling concept, but Gollum struggling with his personality in the game indicates that The Lord of the Rings: Gollum may be clumsily inserted into the novel's narrative framework, attempting to make its protagonist a sympathetic character at a time he's not supposed to be.

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