The Lords of the Rings: Gollum is in the works for PS5 and Xbox Series X

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum has been announced as one of the first games coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X, and it’s in the works at Daedalic Entertainment. 

Based on the popular film franchise and book series of the same name, The Lords of the Rings: Gollum is currently slated for a 2021 release across next-gen consoles and PC, so it won’t be ready for the platform’s launch later this year. 

First announced back in 2019, more information has now surfaced on the upcoming title thanks to a new interview with the development team in this month’s Edge Magazine. It seems the studio is hoping to put its own stamp on the iconic character previously brought to life by Andy Serkis. 

Tolkien didn’t give a size reference for Gollum to begin with,” explains director Mathias Fischer. “So in the first illustrations, he’s gigantic! He’s like a monster emerging from the swamp.” 

“When it comes to shapes, colors, we definitely try to produce something that is a statement,” Daedalic Entertainment CEO Carsten Fichtelmann. It’s clear the game hopes to define the character in a way that’s never been done before, while also expanding on The Lord of the Rings mythos.

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In terms of gameplay, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will implement a dual personality mechanic, following the antagonist as he struggles to comprehend The One Ring and how much influence it has on him. Spoilers, if you’ve read the books you can probably guess how this ends. 

“It’s not just choosing to be Sméagol or Gollum, because for Gollum as an entity it’s not that easy. Each personality is being attacked by the other; each has to defend himself,” said game designer Martin Wilkes. “You will have maybe two, three or four conflicts per chapter that lead to a final decision point. And at this final decision point, it will be harder to pick Sméagol, for example, if you’ve always fought for the Gollum side before.”

The Lord of the Rings is no stranger to the world of gaming, with countless titles being developed in the past couple of decades. Whether these be the surprisingly excellent hack ‘n’ slash tie-ins based on the films or Monolith’s Shadow of Mordor, there’s plenty across the universe to dig into if you’re a fan. Fingers crossed this new entry from Daedalic is equally as ambitious as what came before it.