The latest screenshots for Monolith Productions' Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, fresh out of Gamescom, show Gollum in action, a strange and lowly creature familiar to fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
In J.R.R. Tolkien's literature, Gollum was once a Hobbit named Sméagol who found the One Ring of Power. Over countless dozens of years the Ring corrupted him, drawing out his lifespan and shriveling him into the bent-backed, wide-eyed creature you now see.
In Shadow of Mordor, Gollum and his ties to the Ring — which he has lost and is now looking for — bring him in the path of Talion and the Wraith of Celebrimbor. According to Monolith, Gollum will play an integral part in Talion's story and gameplay. A trailer released last month also shows Gollum swearing fealty to Celebrimbor. Read up on what Monolith's use of Tolkien's lore means for the game.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor will launch on Sept. 30 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, and on Oct. 2 for Windows PC and Steam. The game will have exclusive content on PS4.
