The Lord of the Rings: Gollum teaser trailer is full of dead fish and fire

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum has dropped its first teaser trailer, and it's certainly an appropriate look at the complicated character. Check it out embedded above.

It's clear that Daedalic is really leaning into the grossness of Gollum, with an opening shot that shows off his interior decorating, erm, skills. There's a bevy of dead fish in various stages of being eaten, dripping stalactites, and cave paintings (it seems like Smeagol is getting his Bob Ross on). Then, of course, we get shots of Gollum scampering about the rocks of his cave in his tiny little loincloth, before the trailer takes us to Mt. Doom, with Saruman's Crebain flying across Mordor. You know where this story goes.

While the Gollum of The Lord of the Rings: Gollum certainly has a voice similar to Andy Serkis' take on the character, the game version looks fairly different (and definitely shorter, right?). This Gollum kind of has a cute baby energy to him, with a big-ol head and eyes that are somehow a bit more welcoming than the movie version. We'll see just how warm and cuddly this Gollum is, however.

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According to IGN, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will "mix Prince of Persia-like stealth action" and "feature a branching narrative." There will be stealth mixed with "vertical climbing parkour" that will allow Gollum to sneakily take out enemies, even though the game is mostly non-combat. Since Gollum is more cunning than openly combative, "you'll be relying on scavenge items, environmental hazards, and even newfound friends for help." And yes, there will be familiar characters popping up in this game.

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is set to launch for PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC in 2021.

Add it to the list of best upcoming games of 2020 and beyond.

Alyssa Mercante used to be a features writer at GamesRadar+ and is now a freelance writer and editor. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.