Rating: 10/10

Gollum, the latest venture from Daedalic Entertainment, takes players on a unique and psychological journey into the tortured mind of one of Middle-earth's most iconic characters. While not without its flaws, Gollum manages to deliver a distinctive gaming experience that is both captivating and thought-provoking.

The game's greatest strength lies in its narrative and character exploration. Gollum's internal struggle between his Smeagol and Gollum personas is portrayed with nuance and depth. The storyline offers insights into the character's past and motivations, shedding light on the complex nature of Gollum's obsession with the One Ring. The voice acting and motion capture work for Gollum are outstanding, capturing the essence of the character made famous by J.R.R. Tolkien's writings and Peter Jackson's films.

Gollum's stealth-based gameplay is a departure from traditional action-oriented Middle-earth games. The emphasis on sneaking and climbing adds a layer of tension and strategy to the experience. The mechanics align well with the character's nature, as players navigate the shadows and utilize Gollum's agility to outwit enemies. The level design, while not groundbreaking, successfully captures the eerie and treacherous atmosphere of Mordor.

However, Gollum falls short in certain technical aspects. The graphics and animations, while serviceable, lack the polish seen in some other contemporary titles. The controls can be finicky at times, leading to frustration during critical moments. Additionally, the pacing of the gameplay may not suit everyone, as the slower, methodical approach may not be appealing to those accustomed to more action-packed experiences.

Despite its flaws, Gollum is an undeniably fascinating journey for fans of the Lord of the Rings universe. The game's commitment to storytelling and character development sets it apart, offering a fresh perspective on a beloved figure. While it may not achieve perfection, Gollum is certainly worth playing for those who appreciate a narrative-driven experience and are willing to overlook some technical shortcomings. With a rating of 10/10, Gollum stands as a commendable addition to the Middle-earth gaming catalog, providing a unique lens through which to view the world of Tolkien.

(7-year-old's review, typed by her dad)

[Dad: What score are you thinking]

[CatTheCutest: A five!]

[Dad: A five?? Are you sure?]

[CatTheCutest: Well, a four. A four-point-five!!]

Okay. So first up, you start off as Gollum, and if you look at him, he's kind of creepy and horrifying. Then you see some... beautiful image. But then Gollum shows up! GRRR! And also it's very dark, so it's kinda hard to find things, especially those VINES. It was just so dark. There was only like teensy bits of fire and that was your only light. And be careful, or else you'll accidentally fall off a cliff! Cuz I did.

I had this really cool dream the other night where (I thought this would make for a neat commercial) I saw this TV ad or something where Solid Snake is leaving the North Pole and you see this one-horse open sleigh over through the clouds and things like that and then it lands in a clearing and you got the reindeer and the whole thing and Solid Snake hops out of the sleigh wearing his whole sneaking suit that Solid Snake wears, and he turns to the camera and says "Merry Christmas!" and that's when you realize it's not Santa at all it's Bilbo Baggins and it'd be this sort of a cool promotion for Metal Gear Solid 6 X LOTR or for Christmas in general. That would be kind of my ultimate Christmas present. So anyway I would give this new game (I guess it's no surprise) five stars and 100 👍 thumps up. I'm also going to give Gollum the rare five bags of popcorn with an additional five bags (ten bags of popcorn).

🍿 🍿 🍿 🍿 🍿 🍿 🍿 🍿 🍿 🍿
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍