Over the years, The Lord of the Rings has seen some truly spectacular video game adaptations. From movie-inspired takes like The Return of the King to the introduction of the Nemesis system in Shadow of Mordor, Tolkien’s novels have spawned some of the best RPGs out there. But in recent years, games based on The Lord of the Rings have been a bit more hit or miss. Attempts to branch out into niche genres like survival crafting and farming sims have offered mixed results, and that’s before we even talk about The Lord of the Rings: Gollum. Yet another game is reportedly in the works, with the aim to be the Hogwarts Legacy of The Lord of the Rings.
As a pitch, the rumored game sounds pretty good. Hogwarts Legacy is a great example of adapting source material that keeps fans happy, while also crafting a robust game that stands up on its own right. But if the next Lord of the Rings game is going to be successful, it needs to learn from recent mistakes. Here’s what the next game should do to deliver a great Lord of the Rings experience like we’ve had in the past.
Release delays are becoming more common with games in general, and the most recent Lord of the Rings game was no exception. Tales of the Shire saw not one, but two, delays during its development process. The delays are disappointing for fans, but more than that, I suspect that continuously working towards a deadline that’s far too soon can’t be great for developers, either. Even after getting pushed back, games with multiple delays often wind up still feeling rushed, which isn’t fun for anyone.
Rather than announce the next Lord of the Rings game too early and with an aggressive timeline, the developers really need to let this one cook without the extra pressure of trying to deliver too soon. Much as I enjoyed Tales of the Shire, and even with two delays, it still felt a bit like it needed more time to iron out some bugs and glitches. The next LOTR game, whatever it ends up being, needs to make like Gandalf and arrive precisely when it means to.
One of the things that actually works well in Tales of the Shire is getting to make our own character. Even if we craft our own custom Hobbit, there are some familiar faces in the Shire to still make it feel like we’re stepping into Tolkien’s world. By contrast, trying to find new protagonists from within the existing lore has been a bit disastrous. Just look at Lord of the Rings: Gollum. Yes, straightforward film adaptation games have worked, but we’ve also learned that a game doesn’t need a protagonist from the text to work well.
Some of the best Lord of the Rings games have featured new protagonists. You don’t make a custom character in the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor game, but we aren’t playing a recognizable Tolkien character either. Personally, I’d rather get the option to personalize my character fully like more recent installments, but regardless, we don’t need The Lord of the Rings: Boromir or anything weird like that for it to feel like a solid game in Middle-earth. There’s plenty of lore to pull from to make it feel authentic without making the protagonist a minor character from the trilogy.
The movie tie-in games were great, but we’ve been there, done that. I don’t think we need modern remakes or remasters of those games, though, of course, some fans would probably like to see them. Instead, I think there’s plenty of lore in Middle-earth to offer a new, original story that lets us step into the world without retreading familiar ground. But that story needs to be satisfying, and not too short.
In Tales of the Shire, the main story is Hobbit-sized. The small scale of the conflict isn’t the issue, but the length of the story is. It’s over far too soon, leaving you with a sense that further exploration of the Shire isn’t that rewarding. Meanwhile, Gollum tried to share an old story in a new way, and did it badly. What we need is something like Shadow of Mordor, that tells a new story players can sink into, while still immersing us in the world of Middle-earth.
Listen, I was as excited by “cozy Lord of the Rings game” as the next person. But the reception of Tales of the Shire, and the survival crafting Return to Moria before it, prove that niche genres might not be the move for LOTR. The Tolkien fandom is vast, and there are certainly cozy gamers and survival crafting lovers within it. But those games just didn’t quite land with the majority of the fanbase, leaving them with a mixed reception from fans and critics alike. Where a Lord of the Rings video game shines is in letting us experience a Middle-earth RPG.
When you look at the most well-loved Lord of the Rings games over time, they’re RPGs. I’m not saying we should never get a more niche genre again, but I think fans are a bit nervous about them after the most recent entries got such mixed reviews. What we need from the next game is a return to form, an RPG that lets us battle our way through an epic story in Middle-earth. And from the sounds of it, that’s hopefully what we’re going to get from this rumored Hogwarts Legacy-style game.
Both Return to Moria and Tales of the Shire had smaller scopes when it comes to the world exploration. The survival crafting game is, of course, set primarily in the Mines of Moria. Meanwhile, Tales of the Shire takes you to Bywater. It’s fun to get immersed in specific regions, but I think many fans want that epic journey feeling like we see in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Part of what made Shadow of War and Shadow of Mordor so good was that expansive exploration feeling.
Again, I don’t think we can never have a smaller-scale map in a Lord of the Rings game again. But after recent stumbles with crafting more intimate maps, many of us are ready to roam the vast expanse of Middle-earth once again. In this next game, let us simply walk across familiar territory on an epic, RPG quest.
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