Gollum manages to be worse than a game with Vanilla Ice.
Screenshot from The Lord of the Rings: Gollum.

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum was released today and I'm willing to bet that this won't be the last time you hear about this game. No, I suspect that you'll hear a bit more about this game when it comes time for some outlets to talk about the worst games released in 2023.

Thus far, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is sitting at just a 43% critic average on OpenCritic with only 5% of all critics actually recommending the title. The game isn't fairing any better on Metacritic, where the PC version of the game has a 43% average and the PlayStation 5 version of the game has a 40% average.

According to Metacritic's list of games released in 2023, this places The Lord of the Rings: Gollum at the absolute bottom of the pile. It somehow managed to be a worse game than Crime Boss: Rockay City, a game so bad you probably forgot all about it minutes after it was released in late March. For reference, Crime Boss: Rockay City is sitting at a 52% critical average on Metacritic right now.

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum starts at $49.99 (USD) with a $59.99 "Precious Edition" that comes with DLC like an emote pack, Sindarin voiceover work, and a lore compendium. You can also buy these weird DLCs separately at prices starting at $2.99 for the emotes pack and voiceover pack or $4.99 for the lore compendium.


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The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is a story-driven action adventure set in the world of the novels. Embark on a perilous journey as Gollum, chasing the only thing that is precious to him. Climb, leap, and sneak your way past dangers or into advantageous spots. Gollum is skillful and sly, and torn by a split personality. It is up to you to decide whether to yield to the darker side of Gollum or trust the kinder gentler hint of Sméagol. Travel from the depths of Mordor to the beautiful realm of the wood elves and meet compelling characters both familiar and new in a story steeped deep in the lore of Middle-earth.