There are also a couple of setpiece moments, such as an instance where Gollum has to run away from a giant spider, or perch on top of a moving carriage as it barrels down a treacherous road. At best, there’s one late-game head-scratcher that’s a little more engaging, but the rest fall flat.
Forget the creativity provided by the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom, as there’s none of that here. For example, one has Gollum raising water levels to get to a switch in order to progress. Gollum’s journey is mixed up further with puzzles that are functional but mostly unexciting. You constantly railroaded down a predetermined route, robbing you of the freedom to explore. But traversal lacks any challenge, apart from when you’re forced to grapple with the atrocious camera. Gollum has all the basic moves you’d expect, you can jump, climb, swing and even wall-run. When you’re not sneaking past enemies, you’ll be making use of Gollum’s climbing skills in platforming sections that are similarly tedious. Forget the dynamic gameplay found in the likes of Dishonored, in Lord of the Rings: Gollum there is only one way to progress and you will be punished with a game over screen if you don’t follow the clearly guided route to the letter. Making matters worse are the highly restrictive linear levels. Gollum doesn’t unlock any new moves or abilities as you progress through the 12-hour main story. There is little scope for creativity, if the game wants you to sneak past a guard you must do so, if it wants you to commit murder then murder you must. There’s no traditional combat - Gollum can’t wield a sword or any other weapons - but in forced situations, Gollum can use a very simple stealth takedown on a small and specific group of enemies those that aren’t lucky enough to have a helmet. It never evolves beyond these basic stealth fundamentals, and within the first hour, I’d seen everything the game has to offer. The problem is that this, and moving from one dark corner to another, is all there is to the core loop of Gollum. In order to avoid enemies, Gollum must stick to the shadows, only being able to distract foes by throwing a rock in the opposite direction to lure a guard away from the desired path or a doorway. (Image credit: Daedalic Entertainment/Nacon)
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