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The Lord of the Rings: Gollum (EDGE #341, next gen)
- Thread starter EatChildren
- Start date
It's an interesting premise, but I remain skeptical.
First post of the year (which isn't saying much yet seeing as we're in week 1 of 2020, but hey).
First post of the year (which isn't saying much yet seeing as we're in week 1 of 2020, but hey).
They retain the rights to their respective film trilogies, but going forward it seems unlikely that they'll retain the right to produce further films. WB Games still have the game licence. Amazon have the rights to Second Age material for their TV show, but First Age and Third Age material is off limits for the show.
Sooo does the article go into what's so stunning about it? Any gameplay overview? I'm down for a non traditional protag experience but it'd be nice to get more info on how this will play and especially what's next gen about it.
Gollum is one of the more interesting characters in Middle Earth though (at least of the ones which the average person would be somewhat familiar with).
Article Details
Finished the article earlier. I'm excited for the team and the game sounds cool but a few aspects gave me pause.
NB: The article is still 100% worth checking out, there's tons of awesome concept art and lots of cool tidbits. It's an 8-page spread, I believe.
Nothing in this post is 100% accurate.
General info:
Sort of would have preferred it if it was Legacy of Kain: Gollum (I mean it doesn't sound a million miles away from that).
NB: The article is still 100% worth checking out, there's tons of awesome concept art and lots of cool tidbits. It's an 8-page spread, I believe.
Nothing in this post is 100% accurate.
General info:
- it's a stealth action adventure. Sounds like Uncharted's mobility and platforming mixed with TLOU's stealth
- implied there's no active combat but there is stealth, stealth kills etc. Wouldn't be surprised if this is mixed up somehow
- no RPG elements. Gollum/Smeagol have been around for three hundred years, the team felt his skillset/abilities are pretty well locked in
- targeting AAA animation quality. Gollum alone has hundreds of animations (might have been "over a hundred")
- seemingly has multiple paths through levels
- very narrative driven. Not an open world thing or a big sandbox thing - it's more a tight, nuanced journey through a world
- we will be able to engage with characters (from randos trying to escape the prison, to side characters from the novels and some series classics - unsure if we can engage with the latter)
- takes place in Sauron's massive underground prison fortress, opens with Gollum trying to escape it. I forget all the names
- you have to escape and survive, possibly with the help of other prisoners you encounter
- Gollum's character is very important - more importantly the friction between Gollum and Smeagol, who are like two entities in the one body. They will both be talking simultaneously, arguing - and the gameplay, choices and story will reflect how the two of them are in conflict but also symbiotically supporting each other
- the game has many "branching points" in the middle of gameplay where there are two options (e.g. ambush an unsuspecting orc or go past him and make a run for it) and the game has some kind of strange QTE minigame where you try to follow either what Gollum would do (predatory/animalistic) or Smeagol would do (cowardly but more human(e)). It's something akin to "drawing a card from a deck, the cards being slid around a table in front of you". This one I'm not sure about.
- seems to be split into multiple chapters/acts, each with several big conflicts/tension points
- The article says the game will release on "all relevant systems", according to the devs. In 2021 I believe but I might be misremembering that part. I'd imagine it's current gen as well as next gen, but they speak a bit about next gen impacting the design in some ways, so can't be sure. I'd rather it be next gen exclusive personally.
- the Middle Earth IP owners were impressed that the team came to them not with An Orc Slaying Game but with A Cool Story Bro, and this fact alone got their foot in the door. But negotiations still took years
- it's a bit of a departure for Daedelic but they've brought a bunch of new staff on board. The article is mostly an interview - they seem very self-assured about the game and their process
- visually, it's a new stylistic interpretation of the universe and characters. Not based on the films or cartoons - trying to break free of the film's shackles. It's based on the literature and early post-novel illustrations, combined with modern fantasy art/styl sensibilities
- tons of concept art in the article - literally no screens except very rough renders.
- They aren't showing off Gollum yet, but say he's not too like the movie and is more recognisably human. Talk about how bizarre he was in the early illustrations because there was no size reference in the books - he could technically be a giant
- in terms of next-gen elements, they say it's most exciting in terms of allowing the level designers to keep environments visually open and vertical - no need to funnel players into tiny spaces/roadblocks to load the next area from the HDD
Gandalf will apparently show up, as will Legolas's father (forget the name, tree-like dude).
Apparently this story is just before Fellowship of the Ring and will lead almost directly into that.
Apparently this story is just before Fellowship of the Ring and will lead almost directly into that.
Sort of would have preferred it if it was Legacy of Kain: Gollum (I mean it doesn't sound a million miles away from that).
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Wait.
So the Tolkein Estate is okay with video games again? I thought they were extremely down on them, hence the LEGO games' delisting.
If they have the game license still why did they delist the LEGO games? It couldn't be an expiration thing, since both games came out at completely different times.
So the Tolkein Estate is okay with video games again? I thought they were extremely down on them, hence the LEGO games' delisting.
If they have the game license still why did they delist the LEGO games? It couldn't be an expiration thing, since both games came out at completely different times.
Didn't we get like two pretty much AAA MIddle Earth action games in the last 5 years?
As the article says, the IP holders were specifically happy with how this game was a story-concept first, not an action-concept.
I'll buy it but I don't know that I'm looking forward to it. New visual interpretation sounds great though but overall it doesn't sound like it's going to live up to that baller cover
... Pretty much? Except Styx's levels were pretty damn open and it had abilities/upgrades, which this game won't (maybe?). This thing sounds a bit more laser-focus and narrative driven.
The article says "all relevant systems", according to the devs. For release in 2021 I believe but I might be misremembering that part
I'd imagine it's current gen too, but they speak a bit about next gen impacting the design in some ways, so can't be sure. I'd rather it be next gen exclusive personally.
Well those were before 2018 no? The delisting happened Jan ...uh 5th? 2019. Or maybe Jan 1.
Although yeah they didn't delist middle earth. But that's what's weird. It can't be some problem with Traveler's Tales. Warner brothers owns them.
Like I said, both LEGO games, Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit. Traveler's Tales is the developer who makes them, and they are owned by warner brothers. They were delisted without warning at the beginning of 2019. Most speculation I saw was due to licenses related to LOTR games having complications given how the Tolkien estate isn't very happy with how LOTR is being used in media like video games, especially Tolkien's son.
Very interesting.
It could imply that they weren't THAT happy with these previous games, so allowed their listings/licenses to lapse - but that moving forward they decided to have a more careful/discerning eye over what is done with the IP.
As such we might only see the more serious, grimdark and "epic" titles moving forward. Ones which dovetail with the lore in more productive ways (as insane as Shadow of Mordor/War is...)
Yeah could be. I just kinda expected an expiration. I guess we'll see how it pans out.
Still annoying to delist without warning though. Hard to say whose fault it is, although given how poorly WB seems to care about their games, it's probably just them being lazy.
So does he not actually have the One Ring in this? It sounds like it's set between the Hobbit & FotR.
Well. Not sure if this is the same team but Deadelic weren't as "big" back then, I guess...I don't know if the same people work on Gollum but it would make sense that some of them are still there.
Edit: They are a publisher as well and I don't know if the studio itself is working on Gollum or if they are just producing it.
Edit 2: Yep, same studio and they are developing it themselves! They mentioned expanding their catalogue with some big titles a few months ago. This is a big step up for a little German devolper, ha!
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Sounds pretty awesome actually. The Gollum/Smeagol QTE sounds kind of wonky though
It is. I spoilered that in case people were... "precious" about spoilers.
Bah. So much Mordor love lately. When I think "Middle Earth" I think forests, mountains, and the plains of Rohan. I don't think underground mega-dungeon. Maybe for the best if it isn't next-gen only though.
Good luck to them! Nice to see story taking centre stage =)
Eh... Deponia series was sure pretty to look at and definitely reminded at times of the spirit of old Monkey Island, but that series (especially as it progresses) is anything but charming. When you have a puzzle where you sell a black woman to be an organ grinding monkey (fez included), while someone says "dance monkey, dance"... I wouldn't call that charming
Even though it's not based on the movies' version of the world or characters, it'll feel really weird to play this if Andy Serkis isn't voicing at least the Gollum part.
Deponia is like the farthest thing from charming, i'll pass on this one then
This game appears to be the literal opposite style from Deponia, so I wouldn't worry about that. (I haven't played Deponia.)
Holy what
Okay I retract the first part of my post
Great info, thank you. Though I'm not really on board yet, any concept for a game can be made to be fun, if done right. Therefore, I'm reserving my opinion until we know more.
Agreed.
For something which must be a Straight-A game at least, it's really interesting to hear it be a stealth-focused narrative adventure. Not many of those kicking about.