The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

39%
Game Brain Score Based on 575 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum Game Cover
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In "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum," play as the complex and twisted character, Gollum, on his perilous journey to reclaim his Precious. This action-adventure game, based on J.R.R. Tolkien's literary works, unfolds an untold story parallel to "The Fellowship of the Ring," challenging you to outwit powerful adversaries in Middle-earth. Navigate Gollum's split personality and his deadly quest, unveiling the details that have never been told before.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Epic Games
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

39%
Audience ScoreBased on 575 reviews
story83 positive mentions
graphics43 negative mentions
  • The game offers an interesting perspective on Gollum's character and story, appealing to fans of the Lord of the Rings lore.
  • Some players found the stealth and platforming mechanics enjoyable, reminiscent of classic games.
  • The voice acting, particularly for Gollum/Smeagol, received praise for its quality and immersion.
  • The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including constant frame rate drops, bugs, and crashes, making it frustrating to play.
  • Graphics are outdated and inconsistent, often resembling games from previous console generations, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • Gameplay is repetitive and lacks depth, with many players finding the platforming mechanics clunky and unresponsive.
  • story246 mentions

    The story of "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its potential and connection to the lore, while others criticize it for being disjointed, lacking depth, and failing to engage. Many found the narrative to be tedious and poorly executed, with choices that feel inconsequential, leading to a frustrating experience overall. Despite some positive remarks about character development and voice acting, the game's technical issues and repetitive gameplay detract from the storytelling experience.

    • “More than anything, this game is a delivery method for a well-constructed story about one of the most interesting and troubled characters we've ever seen.”
    • “This game has a wonderful deep story, excellent attention to detail, atmospheric immersive sound and character voice acting, and many references to the lore of the universe.”
    • “I love the game, the storyline is great and being able to make decisions myself is awesome.”
    • “Combine constant frame rate issues and overall abysmal performance on even the most high-end PCs, bland and repetitive level design, mission objectives that are nothing but escort missions and pointless busy-work, and a story that fails to provide anything that fleshes out or explores the title character in a compelling way, and what you get is a game that feels both absolutely depressing to play and completely unaware of who it was made for or what it's trying to accomplish.”
    • “The story feels like a feverish dream, while the choices you make prove inconsequential.”
    • “The story was very lackluster, the gameplay could use some work, and it was overall very boring.”
  • graphics174 mentions

    The graphics of the game have been widely criticized, with many reviewers describing them as outdated, reminiscent of early console generations like the PS1 or Xbox 360. Players report numerous visual glitches, poor optimization, and a lack of polish that detracts from the overall experience, despite some appreciation for the art direction in cutscenes. Overall, the visuals are considered subpar for a 2023 release, leading to a disappointing impression among gamers.

    • “The storyline is exceptional, the graphics are at a high level, the game is optimized (I don't understand how anyone can complain, invest in hardware instead of whining).”
    • “Overall art design - it's not the most graphically impressive game, but the art direction is solid and does a good job immersing you in the world.”
    • “With ray tracing mode, the graphics become even more spectacular.”
    • “Extremely poor quality for a release in 2023, graphics look like they're from PS1 days, gameplay doesn't really exist, tasks are repetitive and mind-numbing.”
    • “The graphics are very bad, especially for a game in 2023, but most of the issues fall within character creation.”
    • “Graphically, it's abysmal.”
  • gameplay154 mentions

    The gameplay in "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum" has been widely criticized for its clunky mechanics, repetitive tasks, and outdated visuals, often feeling more akin to early 3D games than a modern release. Players report frustrating platforming and stealth elements, compounded by numerous bugs and inconsistent AI, leading to frequent cheap deaths. While some appreciate the story and character integration, the overall experience is marred by a lack of depth and polish, making it difficult for many to enjoy.

    • “I enjoyed every second with lots of very challenging puzzles, cool stealth and parkour mechanics, and an interesting story.”
    • “The game keeps introducing new types of puzzles and mechanics throughout the game, which keeps it interesting.”
    • “The gameplay is enjoyable, and I think it's fitting with the style.”
    • “The gameplay is shallow and extremely repetitive.”
    • “Extremely poor quality for a release in 2023, graphics look like they're from PS1 days, gameplay doesn't really exist, tasks are repetitive and mind-numbing.”
    • “Frustrating platforming coupled with boring gameplay and cheap ways to die make any experience hard to play.”
  • optimization92 mentions

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many players experiencing significant stuttering, frame rate drops, and overall poor performance, even on high-end PCs. While some users reported smoother gameplay after initial patches, the persistent issues overshadow the game's strengths, leading to a mixed reception regarding its technical execution. Overall, the optimization problems detract from an otherwise enjoyable experience, prompting recommendations to purchase the game at a discount.

    • “With the exception of the optimization, I loved it.”
    • “Optimization is fixed in recent patch and a lot of fixes.”
    • “The storyline is exceptional, the graphics are at a high level, the game is optimized (I don't understand how anyone can complain, invest in hardware instead of whining).”
    • “Combine constant frame rate issues and overall abysmal performance on even the most high-end PCs, bland and repetitive level design, mission objectives that are nothing but escort missions and pointless busy-work, and a story that fails to provide anything that fleshes out or explores the title character in a compelling way, and what you get is a game that feels both absolutely depressing to play and completely unaware of who it was made for or what it's trying to accomplish.”
    • “This game would have been rated much higher if it wasn't optimized as badly as it was.”
    • “Stuttering mess, 30 fps cutscenes (which aren't the worst part) and can't even play this game without dropping frames every 5 seconds.”
  • stability37 mentions

    The stability of "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum" has been widely criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and game-breaking issues that significantly hinder gameplay. While some users noted that many glitches have been addressed, the game remains plagued by persistent technical problems, including camera issues and unresponsive mechanics. Overall, the game's stability is considered poor, making it feel unfinished and frustrating for many players.

    • “The game is way too buggy to even be on the market.”
    • “The lord of the rings: Gollum is a buggy mess, even disregarding the constant crashes.”
    • “I'm on chapter seven currently and I've come by hundreds of bugs and glitches, from an orc soldier clipping through a cart, to an entire side of a bridge not having a wall and you can just see through it.”
  • music21 mentions

    The music in the game has received high praise for its quality and ability to enhance the immersive experience, with many players noting it as a standout feature. While some sound effects were criticized, the overall soundtrack was described as fantastic, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere and lore. However, there were complaints about repetitive music loops during certain gameplay segments, which detracted from the overall enjoyment.

    • “The music is fantastic; I listened to the soundtrack and it almost made me take back my refund request.”
    • “The actual music, though, was great and really drew me into the environment.”
    • “Whilst the background visuals were good, the music is definitely good enough for the franchise.”
    • “A mid-game chase sequence with a large monster is implemented as a bottom-of-the-barrel quality Banjo-Kazooie segment that goes on for way too long and features a maddeningly short music sample on loop - and then, after a short platforming section, you go through the exact same ordeal again.”
    • “However, the platforming mechanics prove to be a significant letdown, and the low-quality graphics and inconsistent music further detract from the overall experience.”
  • humor16 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of unintentional hilarity and janky charm, particularly in the early hours where the absurdity of the gameplay and character designs, like Gollum and the old king, elicits laughter. Players noted amusing bugs and quirky voice acting, though the humor tends to fade as the game progresses, leading to a general consensus that while it starts off "funny bad," it ultimately falls flat. Overall, the humor is seen as a redeeming quality amidst a poorly received game.

    • “The old king you meet in the first half of the game has a beard with more movement and emotion than the rest of the NPCs and makes for some accidentally hilarious cutscenes.”
    • “I also encountered quite a number of bugs like getting stuck on terrain, not willing to grab ledges, and most hilarious and frustrating of all, a wheel that I was supposed to jump on totally defying the laws of physics and just disappearing into the wall.”
    • “The voice actors also grew on me, and I found the closed captioning pretty funny at times with things like 'angry Gollum cursing noises'.”
  • atmosphere10 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is praised for its immersive sound design, attention to detail, and deep storytelling, effectively capturing the bleak experience of playing as Gollum in a hostile world. However, some players feel that the intense atmosphere can lead to overly long sequences that may detract from enjoyment. Overall, it is recommended for those who appreciate atmospheric stealth games, despite its darker themes.

    • “This game has a wonderful deep story, excellent attention to detail, atmospheric immersive sound and character voice acting, and many references to the lore of the universe.”
    • “Comfy and atmospheric game with somewhat indie/old-school RPG feel, it really feels like playing as Gollum, a small creature who can't really help itself in a horrible world where everyone wants to hurt him or steal his stuff.”
    • “Millions of people will probably disagree with me, but I personally love the story, I think the atmosphere is 10/10 and I thoroughly enjoy playing as Gollum.”
  • grinding8 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often leading to repeated deaths due to minor mistakes and a lack of checkpoints. This results in long stretches of unengaging gameplay that detracts from the overall experience, despite some appreciation for the story potential and artistic elements. Overall, the grinding is seen as a significant drawback, making the game feel like a slow slog.

    • “I am nearly halfway through the game, I think, and so far the game has been tedious at least once every 30 minutes. It is way too easy to miss a jump or make a small mistake and then die repeatedly, which creates a frustrating experience. While the story has the potential to be interesting, I was bored the entire time, except when I was frustrated.”
    • “The artwork in the stationary cutscenes is beautiful and I like the voice acting, but the actual gameplay gets frustrating and tedious very quickly.”
    • “With dated design, 'LotR: Gollum' is a slow and tedious slog through Middle-earth that even the staunchest 'LotR' fans will struggle to enjoy.”
  • character development8 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally well-received, with fans appreciating the respect shown to the source material and the engaging story. However, criticisms arise regarding character design, which some players find lacking, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these design issues, the character development itself is considered a strong point of the game.

    • “As a huge fan of LOTR/The Hobbit movies and a gamer, you have to trust me when I tell you that I wouldn't call this game bad at all. I think that the devs have done a good job with this game since it's fun, the story is fantastic, they've respected the movies, and character development was done pretty well.”
    • “The character development was done pretty well, but again the only problem with this game was its poor optimization.”
    • “I think that the devs have done a good job with this game since it's fun, the story is fantastic, and character development was done pretty well.”
    • “The character design is a joke.”
    • “They aren't great, but the worst offense is the character design.”
    • “The graphics are fine, though I'm aware others have issues with the character designs.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    Overall, players feel that the game currently lacks replayability, despite ongoing bug fixes improving its playability. The initial hype and high expectations have contributed to disappointment regarding its long-term engagement potential.

    • “No replay value.”
    • “The bug fixes that are coming out are making it more playable, but this game has had the same thing happen to it as even the most expensive AAA games have: too much hype from a small dev and a community that expected it to be perfect from day one.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game resonates even with casual fans of the Lord of the Rings franchise, as it effectively evokes feelings of nostalgia and connection to the story, regardless of one's depth of knowledge about the source material.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

37% average critic score

Buy The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

Play time

14hMedian play time
12hAverage play time
2-19hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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