When one imagines a video game based on The Lord of the Rings, one generally imagines an action-packed epic about battling Sauron's forces and questing all across Middle-earth with the help of mighty characters like Aragorn and Gandalf. While The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will involve some iconic Tolkien characters, as well as a large-scale quest, it won't be anything like most LotR games. Gollum is heavy on stealth, since it's one of the titular character's main skills. That may be disappointing for Lord of the Rings fans hoping for a more action-packed adventure, but it may be a positive sign for The Hobbit in terms of game adaptations.
The Hobbit's protagonist Bilbo Baggins may be surrounded by skilled dwarven warriors for much of the book, but he himself isn't much of a fighter. That isn't the point of his role, of course; Gandalf and Thorin Oakenshield bring him on as a burglar, not as additional muscle. Bilbo's stealth and wit set him apart from many other Lord of the Rings characters, but it also gives him some similarities to Gollum. Thanks to those similarities, the mechanics that Daedalic Entertainment builds into its Gollum game could lay the groundwork for an excellent new adaptation of The Hobbit.
Gollum as a Hobbit Game Blueprint
As one might expect, gameplay trailers indicate that Gollum can't really collect weapons and armor in his upcoming game, setting him apart from most action-adventure protagonists. Instead of battling through hordes of Sauron's orcs through raw force, Gollum players will find themselves using the protagonist's platforming and stealth skills to navigate around dangerous areas. Once they've done so, players are bound to find environmental tools that help Gollum defeat his enemies. Although Gollum will likely fight a few foes head-on out of necessity, Gollum is bound to focus on clever solutions to the player's problems overall.
That happens to be exactly what a new game of The Hobbit ought to look like. Throughout the book, Bilbo Baggins finds ways out of dangerous situations by being smart and stealthy, outwitting enemies to buy time for himself and using the power of the One Ring to avoid danger. Once Gollum sets a precedent for a stealth-driven Lord of the Rings game, a new The Hobbit video game could borrow elements from it, encouraging players to slip past enemies and wield the element of surprise. Daedalic Entertainment could even consider putting its own Gollum expertise to use by pivoting directly into a game about Bilbo.
A New Lord of the Rings Game Generation
Regardless of whether Daedalic makes such a game or some other studio jumps on the idea, The Hobbit deserves to get another adaptation after Gollum comes out. Big-budget adaptations of The Hobbit haven't been commonplace lately, even though it's a literary classic with major influences on modern fantasy. The book deserves to be acknowledged through gameplay that makes the most of Bilbo Baggins' set of skills and greatest achievements. If Gollum can successfully prove that not every Lord of the Rings game needs to be about warfare in Middle-earth, then the door will be open for a stealth-driven Hobbit experience.
Until then, Gollum at least looks like it'll contribute some welcome diversity to Lord of the Rings video games. Aside from its stealth focus, mechanics like the internal battle between Gollum and Smeagol ought to set the game apart in terms of both storytelling and gameplay. Daedalic Entertainment may not be known for adaptations of Tolkien's works yet, but Gollum really looks like it could help establish a new identity for the studio. It'd be great to see any kind of Lord of the Rings game come out of Daedalic after Gollum, but considering the style of game that Gollum is, Daedalic should really consider looking towards The Hobbit.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum releases in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.