The new Lord of the Rings: Gollum video game was released today, and the reviews could not have been more harsh.
Retailing at €59.99 on Steam, the gameplay footage shows a product that looks more suited to the PS3 or Xbox 360, rather than any of the next gen consoles.
The voice acting for the main character comes off as strange when we are so used to Andy Serkis' definitive version from the films, while he looks incredibly cartoonish and poorly drawn.
Lord Of The Rings: Gollum Is Lambasted By Reviewers
Critics, at least, have been enjoying themselves, with reviews such as this from Game Spot:
The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum Review - We Don't Wants It, We Don't Needs It.
Daedalic's long-delayed Tolkienian adventure is just as unlikeable and tragic as its namesake protagonist.
The Guardian were equally savage, writing that the game is "a derivative, uninteresting and fundamentally broken stealth action adventure that fails to capture anything interesting about Tolkien’s fiction."
IGN, one of the premier gaming review sites were also stinging in their criticism:
Why would one trade the solid action of prior games in this universe for busywork, uninspired and frustrating platforming, and bad stealth? It’s not clear who this is for, or what it was intended to achieve.
What is clear is that it’s not fun to play, and not something to recommend to any but the most curious and dedicated Lord of the Rings fan.
Needless to say, gamers were not too kind either when they took to social media to share their thoughts.
New Lord Of The Rings Gollum Game Gets Trashed Online
Glad the people writing the Gollum review headlines are having fun, at least pic.twitter.com/4ZmmKqlhst
— Jennifer/Aster Unkle (@jbu3) May 25, 2023
Morning. Gollum is one of the worst games I've played in a while.
If you can't be bothered to read the full review, the difference between this promotional screenshot and the actual game gives you a decent summation of why.https://t.co/RW0556ov2v pic.twitter.com/3g2Cf9nR9L— Alex Avard (@alexavard95) May 25, 2023
I’m watching SkillUps review on Lord of The Rings Gollum and bro WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS GAME 😭😭😂🤣😂 #LordoftheRingsGollum pic.twitter.com/2s6m3PW861
— Gritty Gaming (GG) (@GrittyGamingGG) May 25, 2023
i understand why gollum had no marketing this game looks like BUNS LMFAOOO pic.twitter.com/JUWCwiVVkZ
— Kam 🐒 (@Icy_Rapture) May 25, 2023
A game where Gollum is in a prison for half the game and has to do chores and other terrible tasks.
This really is a game you'd get as a gift on PS1 or GBA and its the worst possible thing your parents could have chosen.— ※KZ🗝️ (@KZXcellent) May 25, 2023
READ HERE: Tony Cascarino Was A Complete BEAST In FIFA 98
Mathias Fischer, the art director of the game developers Daedalic, spoke about the game during the build-up to its release, with his comments aging like sour milk.
"Clean, ray-traced shadows allow for maximum effect in player guidance in building stealth passages while dynamic and moving light sources bring in the extra challenge when Gollum is roaming through the darkness.
"All these things, of course, have the nice side-effect of making the game feel vast, and such free roaming environments we are creating look as spectacular as Middle-earth deserves."
SEE ALSO: The 7 Cringiest Moments During Ryan Tubridy's Time As Host Of The Late Late Show
