Here’s the first teaser for Gollum, with a side of gameplay details

We all know and love that raw fish-munching corrupted Hobbit. Darryn’s a pretty okay guy after all. On the topic of Gollum, whether it’s Andy Serkis in his funny little green suit or that weird abomination in Ralph Bakshi’s animated version of Lord of the Rings, he’s arguably the most iconic part of most modern Tolkien adaptions. It makes sense then that he’d eventually feature in his own game, a stealth-action experience about traversing and surviving the horrors of Modor that’s being developed by Daedalic Entertainment. There’s been a few screenshots and interviews since the game was announced last year but with the release of the latest teaser trailer, we now have a better idea of the game’s…tone?

It’s a cinematic trailer, so no actual gameplay to sink those mouldy, rotten teeth into yet. All it really does is show off Gollum’s lack of eyebrows, Mount Doom and presumably the Eye of Sauron in the distance. Alongside the teaser, the developers of Gollum got out there and started sharing some more details on the game. Martin Wilkes, lead game designer, told IGN, “If you want a reference you might think of it as similar to Prince of Persia,” which I have to assume relates to the game’s vertical movement and platforming as in the same breath he says, “It is mostly a non-combat game, but Gollum will be able to stealthily take out enemies.” The Prince of Persia I know as a close friend would never have a combat system quite like that.

Beyond the gameplay, narrative designer Tilman Schanen confirmed the game’s branching storyline:

The decisions you make affect the way the game feels… you always either play as Sméagol or as Gollum as the ‘dominant’ persona and that can influence animations, soundscapes, certain gameplay situations, and in-game dialogue.

Gollum is set for a 2021 release date and will feature a mixture of linear missions and more open-ended hub environments to explore. The game will be launching on PS5, Xbox Series X and PC.

Last Updated: August 25, 2020