- Severe technical issues and bugs
- Outdated, poor graphics
- Clunky, repetitive gameplay
- Weak, uninspired story
- Overpriced and disappointing
- Surprisingly enjoyable for some
Emotions
Players expressed disappointment due to the game's overall poor quality, including outdated graphics, numerous bugs, and unpolished mechanics. This led to unfulfilled expectations, a sense of wasted potential, and a feeling of low value for the price, especially given the game's association with a well-known franchise.
Frustration stemmed primarily from the game's technical issues, such as frequent bugs, crashes, and poor optimization, which often hindered progress or made the game unplayable. Additionally, clunky controls, repetitive gameplay, and poor level design contributed significantly to player annoyance.
Satisfaction was found by players who managed to enjoy certain aspects of the game despite its flaws, often when purchased at a reduced price. Positive elements included the story, character interactions, atmosphere, and the overall experience of overcoming difficult sections or appreciating specific lore details.
Anger arose from the game's perceived poor quality and value for money, leading to feelings of being cheated or robbed. Game-breaking bugs, an unfinished state, high price, and perceived developer incompetence or exploitative DLC practices further fueled this emotion.
Boredom was a common sentiment due to the game's repetitive and uninspired gameplay loop, monotonous level design, and a lack of engaging content. Players found the core mechanics, such as climbing and throwing, to be tedious and the narrative often failed to hold their interest.
Verdict
Mostly negative
Summary
Positive 26% · Negative 74%. Score: 74 / 100
Positives:
- Many players found the game surprisingly enjoyable, often exceeding their low expectations. They highlighted its entertainment value, especially considering its price point, and appreciated its unique aspects despite perceived flaws.
- The portrayal of Gollum and his internal struggle with Sméagol was a major highlight. Players praised the voice acting, animations, and the unique gameplay perspective of playing as Gollum, finding his character development and dual personality compelling.
- The game's narrative was consistently praised for being well-written, engaging, and captivating. Players found the plot interesting, the characters well-developed, and appreciated how choices impacted the story's evolution.
- Players generally enjoyed the core gameplay loop, particularly the stealth and platforming mechanics. They found these elements to be surprisingly precise and fitting for the character, offering a fresh and engaging experience.
- Despite some technical limitations, many reviewers found the game's visual style and art direction appealing. They noted beautiful environments, detailed backgrounds, and an overall aesthetically pleasing design, especially on higher settings.
Negatives:
- The game is plagued by an overwhelming number of technical issues, including frequent crashes, severe performance problems like low frame rates and stuttering, and numerous game-breaking bugs that prevent progression. Players reported issues with controls, camera, and general unresponsiveness, making the game frustrating and often unplayable.
- The game's visual quality is consistently criticized for being outdated, resembling PlayStation 2 or early 2000s graphics despite being a 2023 release. Character models, especially Gollum, are described as ugly, poorly animated, and lacking detail, contributing to a generally unpolished and unappealing aesthetic.
- Gameplay is widely described as clunky, repetitive, and boring, particularly the platforming and stealth mechanics. Players found these core elements to be poorly implemented, frustrating, and lacking depth, leading to monotony and a general lack of enjoyment.
- The narrative is consistently criticized for being poorly written, nonsensical, and unengaging. Players felt the story lacked depth, memorable moments, and failed to do justice to the rich Lord of the Rings lore, often feeling like bad fanfiction.
- Many players felt the game was overpriced for its quality, with its high price tag being unjustified given the numerous flaws. There's a strong sentiment that the game is a 'cash grab' that fails to honor the Lord of the Rings franchise, leading to disappointment among fans.
Gameplay:
- The core gameplay primarily consists of platforming, climbing, and stealth mechanics. Players spend most of their time navigating environments, hiding from enemies, and solving simple environmental puzzles, with a strong emphasis on parkour-like movement.
- The game centers on Gollum's journey between 'The Hobbit' and 'The Fellowship of the Ring', exploring his time as a prisoner in Barad-dûr and Mirkwood. A key mechanic involves Gollum's internal conflict, where players make choices by convincing either the Sméagol or Gollum personality.
- Gollum is portrayed as a weak, non-combatant character whose abilities are limited to climbing, sneaking, distracting enemies with thrown objects, and performing stealth takedowns. His movement and stamina are often described as restrictive.
- The game offers multiple endings and collectibles, encouraging replayability for achievements. Some achievements require specific challenges like no-death runs, and the overall playtime is estimated to be around 10-15 hours.
- The stealth mechanics are inconsistent and often basic, relying on simple line-of-sight and dark areas. Players report issues with AI, making stealth feel either pointless or buggy, sometimes requiring level restarts.
Performance:
- Many players report severe and frequent performance issues, including constant stuttering, significant FPS drops (even on high-end hardware), and game freezes or crashes. These issues occur across various game sections, including cinematics and critical gameplay moments, making the game unplayable for some.
- Players report a variety of bugs, ranging from minor graphical glitches and collision issues to game-breaking problems like infinite death loops, corrupted saves, and improper level loading. While some players experienced few issues, others found them frequent and disruptive.
- The game is criticized for its high system requirements, particularly VRAM, which are deemed excessive given its mediocre and outdated graphics. Players note issues like texture pop-in, low draw distance, and general visual quality that doesn't justify the performance demands.
Recommendations:
- The overwhelming sentiment is that the game is not worth its full price and should only be considered at a significant discount, if at all. Many players requested refunds or advised against purchasing due to its poor quality and numerous issues.
- Many players strongly advise against buying or playing the game, citing it as a waste of time and money. Some even suggest playing other games or engaging in alternative activities like reading the books or watching movies instead.
- Despite the negative reception, some players found enjoyment in the game, particularly those who appreciate stealth mechanics or are interested in Gollum's story. There's a desire for potential future improvements or even a sequel.
- The game is primarily recommended for die-hard Lord of the Rings fans who are willing to overlook significant flaws for the sake of experiencing a new story within the universe. Even for these fans, a deep discount is advised.
- Some players suggest using external resources like cheat engines or watching cinematics on YouTube as alternatives to playing the game directly, indicating a desire to experience the story without enduring the gameplay.
Miscellaneous:
- Many players feel the game was released unfinished and rushed, likely due to publisher pressure and limited resources. This led to a perception of it being a 'half-baked' project that could have been much better with more development time. There's a strong sentiment that the game was abandoned post-launch.
- Players were highly critical of the decision to lock lore elements and the Sindarin (Elvish) voice acting behind paid DLC, especially on day one. This was widely seen as a 'scummy' and hypocritical practice for a Lord of the Rings game.
- Player reception varied based on their familiarity and expectations from the Lord of the Rings franchise. Some hardcore fans were open to reinterpretations, while others, including newcomers, had no specific preconceptions.
- The game's length was generally reported to be around 10-14 hours, with some players spending significantly more time to achieve platinum trophies, indicating a commitment despite the game's flaws.
- Despite numerous criticisms, some players acknowledged positive aspects of the game's environment, noting good scenic locations, detailed environments, and a successful conveyance of atmosphere.
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