The Lord of the Ringshas a wealth of compelling characters, whether they are Men, elves, dwarves, or hobbits.The Lord of the Rings’ geopolitical high-fantasy focuses heavily on both haunting creatures and the dwindling of hope amidst war.The Lord of the Rings: Gollum’s eponymous protagonist may not be as exciting of a character as Legolas, Gandalf, Galadriel, or Aragorn, butGollum’s conflicted dualityis an interesting perspective.The Lord of the Rings: Gollumneeds to fully portray that when it comes to the brutal and kindhearted halves of his psyche.
Not much has been shown fromThe Lord of the Rings: Gollum, but it is clear that it will be a stealth-adventure game withinteresting places in Middle-earth. This iconic, environmental backdrop may be enough to compel fans, but one feature inThe Lord of the Rings: Gollumseems to have the most meaningful impact on narrative and gameplay. Certain events will task players with selecting a lighter, Smeagol-inspired choice, or a darker, Gollum-inspired choice. In order for this to be satisfying,The Lord of the Rings: Gollumneeds to adequately represent both sides of Gollum’s morality.
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Gollum’s Choices Should Be Cruel in The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
The Lord of the Rings: Gollumwas revealed to have an inner conflict dialogue system. This is apparentlya mini-game where Smeagol and Gollum’s thoughts contend with one another, bouncing around on-screen with players attempting to select one. Daedalic Entertainment seems to intend that selecting the dialogue option fans want is not easy, which may result in dialogue choices the player is unhappy with, but may also result in a more interesting path that players must follow. Either way, both halves need to be represented with meaningful consequences for the player’s actions.
If players choose a Gollum dialogue option, for instance, the player’s actions should be decidedly ruthless. Gollum should be willing to throttle any creature in his path, cause calamity to gain the upper hand, or lure an NPC to a giant spider behind a corner. It has yet to be seen how much graphic violenceThe Lord of the Rings: Gollumwill have, but Gollum’s actions should reflect that brutality in its animations and cutscenes. Smeagol typically surrenders to the hateful whims of Gollum, and that should create lasting impacts on the player’s experiences withThe Lord of the Rings: Gollum’s inner conflict dialogue system.
Smeagol’s Choices Should Be Nonthreatening in The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
On the other hand, there may be many scenarios where players do not wish to overindulge in violence to make their way through Middle-earth.The Lord of the Rings: Gollumwill hopefully present many opportunities for players to demonstrate their kindness and altruism in interesting ways.
For example, if a lowly NPC encounters the player and simply needs directions, Smeagol could be willing to help guide them to safety. However,Gollum should always be pestering Smeagol to lead NPCs to their doom, and perhaps poison Smeagol into thinking that particular NPCs have their precious ring.
Then, in situations where the faster, more violent choice would offer a greater convenience, fans could be more inclined to heed Gollum’s thoughts rather than Smeagol’s. Whether Gollum or Smeagol has the correct choice should never be completely binary. If designed well, players will have to weigh each inner conflict dialogue option and decide what may be their best course of action for that particular circumstance.
In gameplay, that could mean choosing a Smeagol option in an attempt to be quieter or kinder, though it results in the player being punished for it later. Whatever form Daedalic’s mechanic takes, Smeagol and Gollum need to have appropriately weighted dialogue options that depict their dichotomy well.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollumis in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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