The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is a great opportunity for its titular character. Gollum doesn't always get the spotlight, but in The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, he'll finally be the defining influence on a story about Middle-earth. Famous places and events are bound to look different through Gollum's eyes, meaning Gollum will undoubtedly be a refreshing experience for LotR fans. Of course, the same goes for characters. Gollum is famously a hermit with limited connections to Middle-earth, but as he sets off on his own adventure, he'll have encounters with Daedalic Entertainment's takes on various famous Lord of the Rings characters, including Gandalf the Grey.

Gollum will undoubtedly have very different character concepts from other adaptations of Tolkien's works, including Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Gollum's Gandalf may therefore surprise fans in a variety of ways. However, while some innovation from Daedalic Entertainment would be valuable, there are also core tenets of Gandalf's character that need to be preserved. Above all, Gandalf is a source of wisdom and kindness, which are two traits that ought to shine in Gollum, even if his relationship with Gollum is complicated. What's more, the two characters' relationship should be defined by their mutual interest in the One Ring.

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Gandalf's Role as a Guide

Gandalf advises Theoden

In Lord of the Rings mythos, Gandalf and his fellow wizards were sent to Middle-earth to serve as guides to mortals. While they're not meant to take control of mortal civilizations, they can use their knowledge to lead the people of Middle-earth in certain directions. Their vast knowledge about Middle-earth's secrets and history makes them highly wise, valuable allies. Since Gandalf will appear in Gollum, odds are good that he'll serve a similar role. He may not be traveling with a great many heroes at the moment, but he may end up serving as an important guide to Gollum.

While Gandalf certainly won't tell Gollum where he thinks the One Ring may be, he may know things about Gollum's past that inform the titular protagonist's journey. For instance, he may encourage Gollum to revisit parts of his past, whether that involves his days before having the One Ring or the ring's own history. In this way, Gandalf's knowledge could trigger lots of important player choices between Gollum and Smeagol, who are bound to react differently to Gandalf's recommendations and instructions. The paranoid, selfish Gollum is bound to see Gandalf as an enemy, but the gentler Smeagol may be interested in what Gandalf has to say.

Gandalf's Kindness Towards Gollum

Lord of the Rings Gandalf and Frodo

Gandalf should also be empathetic towards Gollum in Daedalic's game. Although he is a crucial part of Middle-earth's wars, Gandalf is kind at heart, and often sees great potential in other people. Gollum is historically an object of Gandalf's pity, and although that relationship doesn't get a ton of time in the books or films, Gandalf makes it clear that he empathizes with the difficult life Gollum has led when he encourages Frodo to take pity on Gollum in The Fellowship of the Ring. That empathy needs to be a crucial part of Gandalf's character in The Lord of the Rings: Gollum.

There's a certain temptation to make Gandalf see Gollum as a threat, since he wants to claim the One Ring for himself, but that line of thinking isn't Gandalf's style. He has far more faith in people than power-obsessed characters like Saruman. Gollum's story needs to frame Gandalf as one of the few people who can see the best in Gollum, rather than one of the many people who would cast Gollum aside or kill him. Ideally, Gollum's use of Gandalf will involve the wizard protecting Gollum from danger and cooperating with Gollum, rather than treating him as an enemy or a nuisance.

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The Hunt for the One Ring

Gollum with the ring

Gandalf's presence and Gollum's time in Mordor suggests that Gollum takes place in a time when both of them are trying to understand the One Ring better. Gandalf is trying to verify that Frodo's ring is truly the One Ring, while Gollum is seeking out the One Ring so that he can covet it for himself again. These conflicting goals need to inform their relationship throughout Gollum, especially if Gandalf is a recurring character in the game. Gollum may discover that Gandalf knows where to find the One Ring, but Gandalf would likely never tell him where exactly it is, resulting in some tension between them even as they cooperate.

Ultimately, the importance of the One Ring ought to define Gandalf's wishes for Gollum. Over the course of Gollum, Gandalf may try to convince Gollum to fight the temptation of the One Ring and even encourage him to help destroy it. Gollum may not have alternate endings as drastic as Gollum joining the Fellowship, it would at least be interesting to see Gandalf try to convince Gollum to see aspects of life outside the One Ring again, much like how Frodo bonds with Smeagol over the course of The Two Towers. Gollum's interactions with Gandalf simply can't avoid the topic of the One Ring, so Daedalic ought to lean into the topic instead.

Gandalf's Presence in Gollum

lord of the rings gollum gameplay

It'll be refreshing to see Daedalic try to write new narratives involving Gandalf. Lord of the Rings adaptations usually try to stick close to the source material, and LotR games that tell original stories like Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor don't usually spotlight the main characters of the franchise. In contrast, Gollum is a unique combination of old characters in new situations. Daedalic has good reason to experiment with Gandalf's character a little as he travels Middle-earth on his own and interacts with characters whom he usually doesn't see much in the books.

Still, it's important that Gandalf is grounded in Lord of the Rings convention in Gollum, or else he won't feel much like the famous wizard at all. Daedalic may have the power to put Gandalf in new situations, but it shouldn't rewrite his personality or ignore his motivations in order to shape Gollum's story. Gandalf is one of the most beloved Lord of the Rings characters, so a less-than-faithful depiction of him would certainly be a disappointment to fans of the franchise, rather than a pleasant surprise. As long as Daedalic strikes a good balance between Gandalf's core concept and Gollum's new stories, though, it has a world of opportunity ahead of it.

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum releases in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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