- There have been plenty of video game adaptations ofThe Lord of the Rings over the years.
- Many of these video game adaptations have been pretty high quality, but they usually manage to trample over certain elements of JRR Tolkien’s canon.
There probably should not be any more video game adaptations of Tolkien for a while.
The Lord of the Ringsis a definitive piece of fiction. Since it was released in (************************************, it has swept the world . We’ve had several adaptations, from movies to games to movie-based games. In general, people seem to love a goodLord of the Ringsadaptation.
While patient fanswait for Amazon’s TV series to hit our screens
, we’ve got tons of otherLord of the Ringsmedia to pass the time. In fact, Daedalus Entertainment has got a new game coming out for the next-gen console in a few years. As much as I am excited by that specific title, it should probably be our last LOTR game for a while.(There is Only OneLord of the Rings
One of the things that makes LOTR so interesting is how well constructed it is. J.R.R. Tolkien spent most of his life tweaking and working on Middle-Earth. In fact, he spent so long working on it, that he died before it could be completed. Obviously, that work isn’t in the books ofThe Lord of the Rings, but it certainly relates.
This is why it’s often very difficult to make a game based on Middle-Earth that satisfies everyone. Sure, games can be good in their own right. Even as someone who considers themselves a Tolkien-purist, I managed to squeeze a fair amount of enjoyment out of Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. And that game is filled with ideas and concepts that completely go against Tolkien’s style and prose.
It’s sort of the height of arrogance to assume that anything you can come up with will be as good as the work of a man considered the father of modern fantasy. It’s really, really important to many of his fans that Tolkien’s work is treated with respect. So far even thegoodLord of the Rings games have had elements that made me want to retch.
Shelob is not a dark version of Galadriel. Celebrimbor did not forge the One Ring. Legolas is not a Ninja. Most of what happened in the movie versions of The Hobbit didn’t happen, or at least not in that order. In general, there’s a certain feeling that most of the adaptations ofThe Lord of the Ringswould probably turn Tolkien’s stomach.
It certainly feels like LOTR is at that point where it’s just a cash cow. It’s been hooked up to the milking machine by anyone who can get their hands on the license. Suremaybethe crew behind Shadow of War really felt they had something to add to the universe. But, more than likely WB Games just wanted to make as much money off of it as possible.
This is all very much the gripes of a cynical Tolkien fan. Maybe The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will come out and be amazing. Maybe it’ll treat the sauce material with reverence and respect, and I won’t have to ignore a little voice in my head as I play through it. Realistically I think it’s just time that we stop rehashing Tolkien’s work over and over again. It’s already great. Adding cockney orcs and an elf / dwarf love triangle is just sickeningly unnecessary.
This article was edited by (Gerelyn Terzo)
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