The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum 2
Over the years, many games set within J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy universe have been released but none have given us full control of Gollum, the fallen Hobbit, until now.
This new title, from German studio Daedalic Entertainment, puts players in the shoes of the titular character (does he actually wear shoes?) in a game that takes place several years before the events of the first movie in Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings trilogy.
During the game, you will experience Gollum’s story from his time as a slave in the dungeons beneath Barad-dûr to his stay with the Elves of Mirkwood, and make decisions that have a direct effect on Gollum’s two-sided personality. Will you be a nice Hobbit? Or will you lean into Gollum’s dark side as you seek your precious? The choice is yours!
Lord Of The Rings: Gollum was released at the end of May 2023 to a less than positive critical reception. To misquote Gandalf, the game DID NOT PASS the quality standards that critics expect, with many slating the title for its outdated graphics, unresponsive controls, and game-breaking glitches.
If you have played the game, you probably agree that it isn’t the game to rule over all other LOTR titles. Still, if you gained some enjoyment from it or simply want to play another game set within Middle Earth, it might be that you’re interested in a sequel.
But will there be a Lord Of The Rings: Gollum 2? Here’s what we know:
What is Lord Of The Rings: Gollum about?
The game takes place in the year 3012, several years before Frodo left his home in the Shire to embark on his quest to Mordor.
After a brief prologue, in which Aragorn captures Gollum and hands him over to Gandalf, the game’s narrative rewinds into the past when the sniveling Hobbit retells the events of the past five years to the bearded wizard. During this time, he was captured by the forces of Sauron and imprisoned in the dungeons beneath Barad-dûr. This is where the first few chapters of the game take place before Gollum escapes and makes his way to the Elven Lands of Mirkwood and other areas within Middle Earth.
During the game, you will scale the dungeon walls where Gollum has been held captive, sneak through the shadows to avoid your captors, and come face-to-face with various creatures, including Shelob, the giant Spider.
Exciting, right? Not really. The game is tedious, frustrating, unpolished, and far from the grand adventure that many hoped it would be. A sequel could right the game’s wrong but given the negative response given to Gollum, can we really expect a follow-up game? Hmmm…
Will there be a Lord Of The Rings: Gollum 2?
Daedalic Entertainment, the studio behind the critically slated The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum, did have another LOTR game in development that, according to the official announcement page, was set to “transport the player into a lush world full of mythical creatures and magic.”
“It tells a story from the perspective of a character which hasn’t been told before,” the description reads, which would infer that the game title would not be about Gollum.
We don’t know much more about the planned game than that, but here’s what we do know: this game will never get a release! Why? Because after the disastrous release of The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum, Daedalic Entertainment are closing down its in-house studio responsible for developing video games. The company will still focus on the publishing side of their business, but The Lord of the Rings game they had in development has now been cancelled.
As such, we will not get to see a sequel to The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum. And no further games set in Tolkein’s universe will be developed by the studio. However, the studio is still working on another patch for Gollum, so if you intend to play (or replay) the game, there may be fewer game-breaking bugs and crashes in the updated title.
Is Lord Of The Rings: Gollum really that bad?
The game isn’t completely bad. The people in charge of the motion capture and voicework for Gollum did a fine job and the character model for the corrupted Hobbit is fairly impressive.
Unfortunately, that’s it for positives. It’s far from being the best-looking game you will ever see, though that wouldn’t matter if the gameplay was good. Sadly, the game is a chore to play through due to boring platforming and stealth sections, so a fun time is not guaranteed!
Check out our review of the game below to learn more about this less-than-precious title.
Read More: Lord Of The Rings: Gollum review
Did you enjoy Lord Of The Rings: Gollum? Would you be interested in a sequel? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!