The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is being billed as a prequel that puts players into the role of the titular character. Player choices - especially between the Sméagol and Gollum personalities - are touted as one of the key gameplay mechanics. However, if Lord of the Rings: Gollum stays true to the canon laid out in J.R.R. Tolkien's written works, then these choices won't really matter at all. Instead, it would be better if the new Gollum game avoided Tolkien's canon altogether.
The most recent trailer for Lord of the Rings: Gollum showcased the character's inner struggles, and the dichotomy of Sméagol/Gollum is one of the most iconic aspects of the books and Peter Jackson films. Players will be given options to give in to Gollum's more violent tendencies or attempt to hold on to a part of Sméagol's true self. However, these kinds of choices won't ultimately matter - since fans know how Gollum's story eventually plays out.
Prequels are always a tricky business since narratives can ruin suspense - especially if fans already know how something ends. Like many prequels, Lord of the Rings: Gollum's timeline placement can hurt it. This means a lot of people already know the character's fate and how his obsession with the One Ring plays out. Even the films explored some of Gollum's past by showing Sméagol murdering Déagol, stealing the Ring, and then succumbing to its darkness and hiding out in the Misty Mountains before his iconic confrontation with Bilbo Baggins.
Lord Of The Rings: Gollum Timeline May Interfere With Its Story
Because Lord of the Rings fans have already seen many of Gollum's most famous moments - from his discovering of the One Ring to his fall into Mount Doom - there isn't a lot that a Gollum video game can show if it's too preoccupied with Tolkien's canon. There's mention of Gollum encountering Gandalf during this time - and Gandalf is indeed confirmed as one of the classic characters in Lord of the Rings: Gollum. There's Gollum's journey into Mordor, meeting Shelob for the first time, and his corruption by the One Ring.
Outside of these key moments, however, there isn't a lot that a Gollum video game could show players that hasn't already been shown in the movies or books. Even Gollum's whereabouts were tracked fairly well in the Appendices at the end of the Lord of the Rings, with yearly dates given to most of the important events. Tolkien's attention to detail means that there isn't much left up to the imagination, and Lord of the Rings: Gollum will ultimately be negatively impacted by it - if the developers attempt to stay close to canon.
Thus far, it looks as if Lord of the Rings: Gollum is trying to distance itself from the movies. This could be a smart move, but those films have become famous in their own right, and if Gollum's characters look too different from the films' portrayals, then it may risk alienating some players who know the movies better than the books. The same attempts have not been done at distancing itself from Tolkien's written works, however, and this is really where Gollum's biggest problem lies.
Lord Of The Rings: Gollum Should Have Player Choices That Really Matter
Player choices need to matter in games, and because Gollum's fate is already known, nothing that the players do will ultimately affect those outcomes. Trying to stick to Sméagol's "nicer" options won't really matter, since Gollum eventually tries to take the One Ring from Frodo before falling into Mount Doom. Even sticking to "meaner" options that Gollum will provide won't really change much if the game stays with Tolkien's canon.
Gandalf appears in Lord of the Rings: Gollum, so what would happen if players decide to attack him in his sleep? There's not a lot that can really change here. Most people know Gandalf is still around in Lord of the Rings, so there's no suspense or possibility that Gollum will kill him. There's no real threat, which can really hurt narrative tension. The best course of action, then, is to have the game take place entirely in its own universe. Middle-earth and Lord of the Rings can still serve as inspiration, but Gollum (and players) can explore new and non-canonical paths.
Lord Of The Rings: Gollum Could Learn From Previous Middle-Earth Games
Several recent video games have found success by taking place in Middle-earth and not being a part of Tolkien's canon. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its 2017 follow-up, Shadow of War, took place outside of canon but were both critically and commercially successful. Even the LEGO video games for The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings stuck closely to their source material but deviated from canon in fun and often silly ways. All of these LotR games have found success by (and perhaps because of) not trying to stick to any official canon.
Lord of the Rings: Gollum ittedly has an uphill battle. It's a strange choice for a lead protagonist in a video game, and Gollum is difficult to sympathize with at times. Andy Serkis' portrayal in the Peter Jackson films is still easily quotable and often imitated in pop culture, even 20 years later. It's become so iconic that Serkis' performance has become synonymous with the character. It's even difficult to read the books now without hearing Serkis' voice. It would be best for the game's future success if it strayed away from the movies and books entirely.
Gollum is one of the more interesting characters in Tolkien's works. Allowing players to choose between Sméagol's and Gollum's options could make for some exciting narrative beats. However, if Lord of the Rings: Gollum attempts to stay with Tolkien's books, then none of these choices will really matter. It's a shame, really, because one of the best parts of Gollum is his unpredictability. It would be great if a video game based on his character could have a story that's equally unpredictable.
