The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is a stealth-action adventure game that is hoping to be the next big title for the acclaimed and beloved franchise, however, it seems to be facing some issues with its development, as it has just been confirmed that the game could release even later than most people expected.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum was first revealed in 2019, with its first purported release window being 2021. The game was delayed to 2022 and given a September window, but was then delayed again with the vague statement that the development team would need “a few months.” It’s clear now that “a few” was an understatement, as it’s now been confirmed via an earnings report from the game’s publisher, Nacon, that the game is currently slated to launch “in the first half of FY 2023-24.”
That refers to the Nacon’s fiscal year, which runs from March to February on an annual basis. Therefore, it means that The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, if no further delays occur, will launch between April and September 2023. The game is being developed by Daedalic Entertainment, a team best known for developing point-and-click adventure games. Back in July 2022, fans got their first look at the title’s gameplay in the trailer above, and the reaction online was not positive. Many heavily criticized the title’s visuals and animations, comparing them to what you would see in much older console generations.
Besides this gameplay trailer, and the story’s general premise, little else has been revealed to the public. In May 2022, IGN got to see an uninterrupted 20-minute gameplay showcase that better showed off what the game would entail. The gameplay is described as being split between two main mechanics, stealth and climbing. Sometimes the player will be able to decide between the two, getting the option to sneak past a camp of enemies, or climb to an area through which they can walk above them, unseen.
The game will also feature a sort of morality system, in which the player will have to choose between the protagonist’s two opposing personalities, Gollum and Smeagol, who will often argue over what they want to do. The example provided to IGN was an argument about killing a beetle. According to the developers, these choices will affect how others see Gollum and can even dictate the fate of certain characters.