When The Lord of the Rings: Gollum was first announced, many fans of the classic fantasy series reacted with confusion. Of all the series' characters, Gollum is far from the first most would think fit to star in his own video game, but that is exactly why The Lord of the Rings: Gollum has so much potential.

The world of The Lord of the Rings is vast, but, so far, fans have only seen a small part of it on screen. What has been shown in movies and video games has typically been about Men, Elves, Dwarves, and plenty of Orcs. Centering a game on Gollum provides the opportunity to see Middle-earth in a completely new light.

One of the problems with The Lord of the Rings' most recent video game series, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, is that the main character was completely new and couldn't have much impact on The Lord of the Rings' wider canon (if LOTR video games were considered canon, that is). Gollum, on the other hand, could not be more important, playing vital role in both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. At the same time, there is plenty more to learn about him.

Unlike Aragorn or Legolas, Gollum is not so beloved that developer Daedalic Entertainment can’t get creative with fleshing out his story, yet his established character is simple enough that it likely won't be too difficult to recreate. Rather than making a carbon copy of an existing character with a new name or risking an unconvincing interpretation of an established personality, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum can tell an interesting side story about a familiar face.

Why The Lord Of The Rings' Gollum Deserves His Own Game

Giving Gollum his own game also changes up the usual Lord of the Rings video game formula, wherein an action hero protagonist fights for the "good" side. The Lord of the Rings: Gollum has the opportunity to make something completely different, putting players in control of a weak character who will have to rely on stealth and exploration to survive. Gollum likely won't have any allies to rely on, either. Instead, players will have to overcome challenges with cunning, just like Gollum does in the books.

In both a literal and figurative sense, Gollum sees Middle-earth from a very different lens than fans are used to, as well. He is quite a bit smaller than most characters and will likely need to take his time exploring, rather than traversing large areas quickly on horseback. While he doesn’t necessarily fight for evil, Gollum is not a good guy; he fights for himself. It will be quite the change for the series to follow a character like this. The central conflict of The Lord of the Rings is the battle between good and evil, and it’s been made clear time and again that Gollum just doesn’t care about any of that. Unlike other heroes, he won’t be up against the armies of Mordor for any moral reason.

While giving Gollum his own game has its risks, simply because of its unusual LOTR protagonist, he is actually a character with a lot of promise. The change of pace brought by The Lord of the Rings: Gollum could be off-putting, but it has potential to be something truly interesting.

Next: Lord Of The Rings: Gollum's Characters (So Far) Compared To The Books

Pokémon's Mewtwo Isn't One Of A Kind