The Big 10
STORIES EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
011The Big 10
STORIES EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
navigate Superman’s hometown
sandbox. In the teaser target
footage we see how Deadshot
zips about on a jetpack, Captain
Boomerang can teleport, King Shark
bounds like a sharp-toothed Hulk, and
Harley Quinn has a Bat-like grapple.
Likewise each character has
bespoke weapons, from dual-wielded
blades to hand-cannons.
“Each has more things you can
do and more skill required to master
them than you even had with
Batman,” says Hill, who explains
how each character has unique
traversal attacks to perform, such
as Deadshot’s fuel dump that will set
enemies on fire. “It’s about creating
a whole spectrum of possibilities for
the player to use and letting them
loose and enjoying them.”We’ve a while to wait, as this should
arrive in 2022. Can you bear it?Gollum picks up some parkour from the Prince
Gollum scales new
heights on PS
Using vertical spaces
ensures Gollum can
showcase Mordor’s
epic fantasy vistas.03
It’s like Prince Of
Persia – really? We
never imagined
we’d be comparing
Gollum, the
foul-mouthed
hermit from JRR Tolkien’s fantasy
novels, with Ubisoft’s parkour prince,
but there’s a touch of his magic to
this PlayStation 5 adventure.
Developer
Daedalic has a
track record of
making good
adventure games,
and is using some
of that know-how
to ensure Gollum’s
stealth feels both
unique and
in-character.
The world is a vertical space in
which Gollum can clamber and climb
to get the drop on his enemies. Yet
he’s no fighter. Gollum’s strength is
in cunning, not combat. You won’t
take on enemies directly; instead
you’ll use items to distract guards,
activate environmental hazards to
crush foes, or coerce enemies to
turn on one another.Gollum is a survivor and can use
his cunning to sneak past the orcs
and creatures of Mordor, or rely on
his gift of the gab to persuade his
adversaries to do as he wishes. This
latter skill plays on the character’s
split personality, as Sméagol and
Gollum internally struggle for
control. Which side you choose to
follow will affect how the adventure
opens up, and
the overall story.FISHY TALE
The game is set
prior to the events
of The Lord Of The
Rings. Gollum is
searching Mordor
for Bilbo Baggins
and the Ring, but Sauron’s servants
capture him and his own quest for
survival takes over. Daedalic teases
how the Sméagol-side of the
character throws a figurative rotten
fish into the works and opens up
new, conflicting goals. We can’t wait
to discover what these are.GOLLUM’S
NO FIGHTER.
HIS STRENGTH IS
IN CUNNING, NOT
COMBAT.Gollum releases in 2021 on PS5. Will
you embrace Sméagol or Gollum?PERSONA APPEAL
Siding with either personality
will create a ‘dominant’ persona.
This will influence animations,
music, and audio, and some
gameplay situations, as well
as in-game dialogue.011The Big 10
STORIES EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
navigate Superman’s hometown
sandbox. In the teaser target
footage we see how Deadshot
zips about on a jetpack, Captain
Boomerang can teleport, King Shark
bounds like a sharp-toothed Hulk, and
Harley Quinn has a Bat-like grapple.
Likewise each character has
bespoke weapons, from dual-wielded
blades to hand-cannons.
“Each has more things you can
do and more skill required to master
them than you even had with
Batman,” says Hill, who explains
how each character has unique
traversal attacks to perform, such
as Deadshot’s fuel dump that will set
enemies on fire. “It’s about creating
a whole spectrum of possibilities for
the player to use and letting them
looseandenjoyingthem.”
We’ve a while to wait, as this should
arrive in 2022. Can you bear it?Gollum picksupsome parkourfrom thePrince
Gollum scales new
heights on PS
Using vertical spaces
ensures Gollum can
showcase Mordor’s
epic fantasy vistas.03
It’s like Prince Of
Persia – really? We
never imagined
we’d be comparing
Gollum, the
foul-mouthed
hermit from JRR Tolkien’s fantasy
novels, with Ubisoft’s parkour prince,
but there’s a touch of his magic to
this PlayStation 5 adventure.
Developer
Daedalic has a
track record of
making good
adventure games,
and is using some
of that know-how
to ensure Gollum’s
stealth feels both
unique and
in-character.
The world is a vertical space in
which Gollum can clamber and climb
to get the drop on his enemies. Yet
he’s no fighter. Gollum’s strength is
in cunning, not combat. You won’t
take on enemies directly; instead
you’ll use items to distract guards,
activate environmental hazards to
crush foes, or coerce enemies to
turn on one another.Gollum is a survivor and can use
his cunning to sneak past the orcs
and creatures of Mordor, or rely on
his gift of the gab to persuade his
adversaries to do as he wishes. This
latter skill plays on the character’s
split personality, as Sméagol and
Gollum internally struggle for
control. Which side you choose to
followwillaffecthow the adventure
opens up, and
the overall story.FISHY TALE
The game is set
prior to the events
of The Lord Of The
Rings. Gollum is
searching Mordor
for Bilbo Baggins
andtheRing,butSauron’s servants
capture him and his own quest for
survival takes over. Daedalic teases
how the Sméagol-side of the
character throws a figurative rotten
fish into the works and opens up
new, conflicting goals. We can’t wait
todiscoverwhattheseare.GOLLUM’S
NO FIGHTER.
HIS STRENGTH IS
IN CUNNING, NOT
COMBAT.Gollum releases in 2021 on PS5. Will
you embrace Sméagol or Gollum?PERSONA APPEAL
Siding with either personality
will create a ‘dominant’ persona.
This will influence animations,
music, and audio, and some
gameplay situations, as well
as in-game dialogue.