Despite the very idea of Gollum as a protagonist being widely unpopular and often mocked online, I firmly believe that he can be used as a vehicle to tell a very, very compelling story. In the right hands, the tale of a pathetic character that's slowly losing their mind while stumbling from one terrible situation to another can be both an emotionally touching and narratively gripping experience.

Unfortunately, while The Lord of the Rings: Gollum does have some of those elements, none of that really matters when the simple act of playing the game is enough to drive one insane. After all, it's a bit hard to enjoy the interesting story beats when you're constantly being interrupted by numerous technical issues, a plethora of bugs and mostly janky gameplay. It's a shame Gollum ended up this way, though hardly surprising if you've seen any of the trailers leading up to this point.

Speaking of which, allow me to share with you the launch trailer. It should give you a pretty good idea of what The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is trying to do, as well as how unfinished some of it feels:

If you're looking for advice, I think it should come as little shock to hear that I would not recommend The Lord of the Rings: Gollum. Even if you're a massive Tolkien fan like me and you actually like the idea of Gollum as a protagonist, the game is simply not worth your time, money or effort in its current state. After a few dozen patches, and ideally a serious discount, then you could consider taking it for a spin. Until such a time comes, however, stay far, far away.

You can learn more about The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, as well as keep track of any updates and fixes, over at Steam.