Fantasy owes a lot to Lord of the Rings as a genre. Middle-Earth was JRR Tolkien's life's work and serves as a tremendous inspiration to works like it to this day. The setting is also full of stories and characters that make fantastic choices to build a game around. Plenty of studios have taken a crack at it before, but now there's a whole new breed of Lord of the Rings game on the way. Nobody really expected a game to tell a story about Frodo and Sam's capricious guide, but The Lord of the Rings: Gollum plans to do exactly that.
Daedalic Entertainment might be subverting expectations with the star of its game, but it's definitely gotten a lot of attention. If the game can follow up on its promises of stealth, action, and moral choices, it might be the first really high-profile Lord of the Rings game in a few years. Even though it's an old and beloved franchises, it hasn't gotten many critically acclaimed games in the past. That all changed when Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor released and was met with much praise. If Gollum can follow up on that success, it might be the catalyst for a new generation of well-loved, AAA Lord of the Rings games.
Shadow of Mordor's Legacy
In a way, Gollum is fortunate that there aren't a lot of acclaimed Lord of the Rings games out there. If it manages to meet expectations, it'll set the bar for games like it and it could serve as an inspiration to other creators. That's what happened when Shadow of Mordor came out in 2014. It wasn't just beloved because it was such a fresh experience in its setting -- it was highly praised as a game. It's remembered fondly particularly for its unique Nemesis system, encouraging Talion and Celebrimbor to get back at enemies that take them down. Shadow of Mordor spawned a sequel and still serves as an inspiration.
Following Gollum's Lead
Frankly, before Shadow of Mordor game along, a lot of the major games in that setting were unimpressive. Games like Guardians of Middle-Earth and Aragorn's Quest were met with lukewarm reviews, meaning one disappointment after another for fans of the franchise. Shadow of Mordor may have been one huge light in the dark for fans, but it's up to Gollum to prove that Lord of the Rings games are changing for the better. It comes down to developing newfound faith in the setting as a strong choice for video games.Once that's accomplished, the possibilities are endless.
Studios might make new attempts at developing games based on the Silmarillion, for instance, plumbing the depths of the series' lore. Alternatively, a retelling of Lord of the Rings itself would always be welcome if it's accomplished in AAA fashion. Monolith, Shadow of Mordor's home studio, does have another game in Middle-Earth in development. Even though it has no hand in Daedalic's work, Gollum will make a natural companion to it. First, though, Gollum has to establish a pattern that Lord of the Rings games are entering a renaissance, and that it isn't just Monolith that can whip up something great. If Gollum can manage that, it'll really be something precious.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum releases on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X in 2021.