The Lord of the Rings - Gollum
A game nobody should play
Time spent with the game: around 3 hours
Who is it for:
Absolutely nobody
Who should avoid this game:
Every gamer who values their time
Prepare for a brief and straightforward review because there's just not much to say about this game other than the fact that it's really, really bad. In its current state, this game should never have been released, especially at the price of a triple-A title. In my opinion, it's an absolute cash grab and not worth anyone's time.
Now, I must admit that spending only 3 hours with a game isn't enough to fully review it. However, I simply can't bring myself to invest any more time into this mess.
As a huge Lord of the Rings fan, I was initially excited when I heard about a game dedicated to such an iconic character. Of course, I didn't expect it to come close to the incredible performance of Andy Serkis as Gollum, but I hoped for something at least remotely enjoyable.
From the moment I started the game, it became painfully clear how terrible it looked. It's not an artistic choice or a unique style; it's just outdated and visually unappealing.
Unfortunately, the problems go beyond the visuals. The controls, gameplay, and storytelling all fall flat. I don't think I've ever encountered such a ridiculously dumb AI in a game. It's not uncommon to stand right next to an enemy without them even noticing you.
The beginning of any form of media is crucial in capturing the audience's attention and interest. Regrettably, this game missed the mark entirely. Instead of diving into the fascinating origins and motivations of Gollum, we're left running around a dark mine, performing mundane tasks that nobody cares about and don't align with the essence of the main character.
For instance, there's a quest where Gollum is tasked with raising and feeding a bird. It's a task that completely contradicts Gollum's nature, as he's the type of creature who would devour the bird as soon as it hatches. Such inconsistencies further add to the disappointment.
As if the game's flaws weren't enough, the developers had the audacity to charge extra for the so-called "precious edition," which includes content that should have been included in the game from the start:
Art Exhibition (behind-the-scenes content)
Lore Compendium (additional information about the game's characters)
Original Soundtrack
Sindarin VO (lore-accurate voice-over for the elves)
Except for perhaps the Original Soundtrack, all of this should have been part of the base game.
What to expect:
The Lord of the Rings - Gollum aims to be a third-person action-adventure game with a focus on puzzles and stealth. However, it fails miserably in all those aspects. The overall gameplay feels horrendous, Gollum's controls are clunky and unsatisfying, and climbing rarely works as intended. The puzzles are mind-numbingly easy and lack coherence, while the stealth mechanics are an absolute disaster.
The good:
There's literally nothing positive to mention about this game.
The bad:
Controls are abysmal, gameplay feels rigid, and controlling Gollum is never enjoyable
Performance issues, including constant frame drops and stutters
Laughably stupid AI during stealth sections
Boring story that fails to engage
Terrible facial animations
The ugly:
The game's visuals are extremely outdated
Microtransactions in a single-player game that should have been included in the base game (emotes, the lore compendium, and other lore-accurate content)