When Peter Jackson‘s “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” was released in 2001, the universe of J.R. Tolkien exploded into the mainstream in a whole new way. The novels saw renewed interest, and even though the franchise had video games developed in the past, the new ones were actually quite good. Since then, we’ve seen games that have ranged from “Shadow of Mordor” to “The Lord of the Rings: Gollum.” It’s not too surprising then that more games have been in development, but it was still a shock to read one has quietly been brewing.
Embracer Group, a large-scale holding company, bought up things left and right, including Dark Horse Comics, Gearbox Studios, and the IP rights to “The Lord of the Rings” video games. This new game will aim to “compete with Hogwarts Legacy,” (a third-person, action role playing game from Warner Bros. was a massive hit for the company, and a reminder that offline, single-player experiences are still in demand).
No details have been given on what studios are working on the game, and what the actual thrust will be. But if it’s aiming to be like “Hogwarts Legacy,” then it’ll probably be in the action roleplaying vein. Several of the most successful games for the franchise have been like this, including EA’s tie-ins to “The Two Towers” and “The Return of the King” back in the early 2000s.
It’s completely fair to say “Gollum” did not do the franchise any favors in terms of consumer good will. Then there was the frequently delayed “Tales of the Shire,” that landed with a thud in July. As we’ve seen, a bad game for good IP can do some serious damage to future releases. The massive failure of “Marvel’s The Avengers” had serious repercussions on other titles, despite being legitimately good. The “Guardians of the Galaxy” title as well as “Midnight Suns” both saw lackluster sales despite strong critical reviews.
We look forward to updating you more on this story as it develops, as well as hoping that this turns out to be a game that’s actually worth looking forward to!
