New Line Cinema You’ve probably heard by now that developer Daedalic has teamed up with Middle-earth Enterprises to create The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, a new stealth action/adventure title featuring everyone’s favourite ring stroking reprobate.
More games set in Tolkien’s inimitable fictional universe is always a good thing (provided they don’t screw around with the lore too much). But a game specifically based around one popular LoTR character got me thinking; what other characters could get the same treatment eventually, and what might those games look like?
Below you’ll find my five top picks, and a brief discussion of what kind of game they could star in.
Gandalf
New Line Cinema Everyone’s favourite wizard is a no-brainer if we’re thinking about LoTR characters to star in their own game. Gandalf is an absolute powerhouse, with plenty of interesting skills at his disposal.
The various magical abilities that Gandalf has up his billowing sleeves could make for an interesting story driven action RPG, with a diverse skill tree. We also know he’s no slouch with that staff of his, so melee combat could also factor in.
I can see a Gandalf game taking place during the magic user’s early years. Perhaps we can play through his initial journey to Middle Earth, which would give us a chance to see some of the lands beyond the ones we’re already familiar with?
Legolas
New Line Cinema Give me a traditional Zelda style game with Legolas instead of Link, and I’d be a very happy bunny. His talent for archery and sword play could lead to a combat style somewhere between Breath of the Wild and Horizon Zero Dawn, and his Elf eyes could be used to tackle a number of puzzle-filled dungeons and fearsome bosses that draw on Tolkien lore.
Much in the same way that Aloy could fit her bow and arrow with a number of attachments that had various uses, Legolas could craft and make all manner of cool gadgets and gizmos to keep combat interesting, and if time didn’t slow down as the Elf took aim while in mid-air, then I would immediately demand my money back.
Sauron
New Line Cinema As the big bad of LoTR, we know that Sauron eventually falls. But we also know that at some point Sauron was the most powerful, fearsome figure in all of Middle Earth, and that didn’t happen overnight.
It’d be incredibly cool to get a game somewhere between Overlord and Civilization with Sauron, as the dark lord builds up his ranks, spreads his evil influence, and takes over.
Anyone versed in Tolkien lore will know that Sauron became something of an expect in forging and craftsmanship, so a game that focused on him literally building a world in his image, crafting weapons and armies, and planning out large scale domination could be amazing.
Éowyn
New Line Cinema We always need more awesome video games with female leads, so it’d make sense to have a Lord of the Rings game starring Éowyn, who is perhaps the coolest of all female characters in Middle Earth.
By all accounts, it seems that Éowyn eventually settled down to start a family after the War of the Ring, but screw that. I like the idea of her heading out to seek new adventures and challenges, maybe beyond Middle Earth.
Again, I’d see this as a story driven action adventure, maybe in the same vein as Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War. That Nemesis System is begging to be used again after all, so maybe the title could revolve around Éowyn hunting down and taking out the last of Sauron’s supporters? I’d be into that.
Merry & Pippin
New Line Cinema I have a very clear pitch in mind for this one. The game is called Merry & Pippin: Second Breakfast, and it’s set years after the events of Return of the King. The lovable Hobbit duo have returned to the Shire to start up their own restaurant.
This game would be a mix of Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, and Overcooked. Merry and Pippin need to explore the surrounding area to gather ingredients and materials so that they can upgrade their restaurant and unlock more recipes. They also need to get to know their fellow Hobbits so they can prepare their favourite meals for them.
Multiple ingredients have various uses that can be discovered, of course. Potatoes for example, can be boiled, mashed, and stuck in a stew.
Cooking in the restaurant would be a co-op minigame that played exactly like Overcooked. There’s no real endgame here, other than to make money and cook for your fellow Hobbits. If you try and tell me you wouldn’t play this one, you’re a liar.
What characters from LoTR do you think need to show up in their own games? Have a think and let us know, because it might just happen one day. I mean, probably not, but it’s good to have a dream.
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Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.