The new LOTR Gullum game is tailored specifically for Gollum, taking his size and agility into account. Level design is key in any stealth game, and here they’ve made sure there’s verticality, letting you scout from tree tops or jump big gaps that no orc could. In a recently released video, the devs at Daedalic talk us through their thought process behind the development and level design of the game.
Tailored around Gollum
Gollum’s small size allows him to squeeze through tight spaces, providing a sense of control to the player, as Gollum can reach places others can’t. You have the choice of multiple routes through the game – you can opt for the high ground, sneaking past guard orcs, or stick to the ground and use the environment to your advantage.
The level design starts with some buzzwords like ‘narrow space‘ and ‘disorientation‘. The designers aimed to create an uncomfortable feeling, testing to see if it’s fun and properly scaling the difficulty throughout the game. They worked on different parts of the game, bringing freshness into the levels, considering how nature would be integrated into places like forests or caves. One cool thing they did was creating a vertical labyrinth inside a tree!
Levels in the game range from small, story-focused stages to large ones emphasizing parkour. The game doesn’t want you to go full aggro on enemies; instead, you’re meant to avoid conflicts and solve things like puzzles. You’ll encounter everything from calm environmental puzzles to stressful boss-like challenges, and you’ll need to use all your abilities to escape from some famous characters from the LOTR universe.
