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The best thing about Lord Of The Rings: Gollum's story trailer is still its wonderful headgear

There's some good in this world

Gandalf and an Elf in very fine hats in The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum.

The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum has been on a long road, which I suppose is fitting given the source material. It now has a story trailer, as of this evening's Nacon Connect, but the third-person stealth 'em up once again impresses mostly in terms of its headgear.

Here's the video:

Watch on YouTube

Gandalf's hat is a large, drooping pyramid; a gaunt elf wears a head of branches; the dark lord's emissary wears a head of unlit sparklers; and even his goons seem to be wearing upturned vases. No one, anywhere, is wearing a normal hat - and I'm thrilled.

To my eyes, the rest of the trailer remains as unconvincing as anything else we've seen of Daedalic's action-adventure since it was announced three years ago. Sure, it looks like it exists now, which is an improvement, but also like Styx: Master Of Shadows with airs. That it's got Gandalf in it doesn't immediately make the adventures of Young Gollum compelling.

Ed got a hands-off look at Gollum last year, and left "feeling a bit underwhelmed":

Perhaps I'm being harsh, especially as I've only seen a small glimpse of an early build. I'm confident The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum will be a treat for LOTR loreheads with its weaving of new, exciting tales, and it's clear the devs want the game to grip existing fans and newcomers alike. But it could very well lose sight of the opportunity it's been given. Yes, they've placed Gollum at your fingertips, and he may scrabble about on all fours and eat beetles, but he doesn't seem all that fun to play. And that's what worries me.

Still, those are some cool hats. The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum is aiming to release sometime in 2023.

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Graham Smith avatar
Graham Smith: Rock Paper Shotgun's editorial leader, corporate dad, and breezy evening news writer.
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The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

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