The developer behind The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum issued an apology for the game’s “disappointing experience” following its May 25 release which was met with widespread criticism over unrevised graphics and performance issues.
Daedalic Entertainment’s statement posted on Friday read: Twitter. “Please accept our sincere apologies for any disappointment this may have caused.”
The game, which fills the gap in Gollum’s story between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, is already on its way to being one of the most reviewed games of 2023. Having hit PC, Xbox and PlayStation (a version Nintendo Switch in), Gollum is currently holding a 41 score on Metacritic. Our The Lord of the Rings Gollum review called it “an unwelcome throwback to the days when licensed games were synonymous with low quality” and “as fun as walking barefoot across the fiery plains of Mordor”. It could be in the running for one of the worst PS5 games ever.
Players and critics alike deplored its muddy and dated graphics, with side-by-side comparisons of the game’s trailers versus the visuals at launch, resulting in a noticeable drop in quality. You don’t have to search far on the internet to find memes that make fun of everything from the elaborate user interface to the frequent crashes and font choice. The game will feel more at home on PS2 than on PS5.
“Crafting a story with Middle-earth as our playground has been the greatest honor – and the greatest challenge we have yet faced,” the Daedalic letter continues. “We really value your feedback and actively listen to your voices, read your comments, and analyze the constructive criticism and suggestions you have provided.”
The studio adds that it is working on bug fixes and performance issues that players are experiencing, and says it will keep users updated on its progress. Future corrections are all uncertain. While it’s far from fixing a few performance issues, it’s hard to say how much of the rest of the game is fixable.
Daedalic built a name for itself during the late 2000s and early 2000s as one of the last game makers in the world still working on quality adventure games. Its previous titles such as Deponia and The Whispered World were well reviewed, with fans particularly praising the sharp writing and stylish visuals. It’s not clear exactly what went wrong to make Gollum’s release such a disaster, but we have a hunch that might be the cause.
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