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[Draugoth]

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is now the worst-rated game of 2023, according to review aggregation sites Metacritic and OpenCritic.

Following several delays, co-publishers Nacon and Daedalic Entertainment released the game today for PC, PlayStation and Xbox consoles, with a Nintendo Switch version scheduled to follow later this year.

Metacritic’s best games of 2023 rankings include 296 titles released so far this year.

The PC version of The Lord of the Rings: Gollum currently sits at No.295 with a Metascore of 43, one place behind Clive ‘N’ Wrench, which has a Metascore of 50. However, the PS5 version of Gollum has been even less well received, placing last on the list at No.296 with a Metascore of 38. Other versions of the game aren’t included in Maetacritic’s rankings, which exclude titles with fewer than seven critic reviews. Gollum also ranks bottom of OpenCritic’s list of eligible games released this year, at No.213 with a score of 40.

 

[Sethbacca]

To the surprise of nobody paying attention when this thing was unveiled a couple years back.....

 

[MiguelItUp]

It's so odd. It was delayed, they had little "behind the scene" segments, and this is the quality on release? So bizarre to me. Maybe the LOTR holders will be a little bit more cautious with the IP from now on, lol.

 

[Revolutionary]

Reviews be like

 

[CortexVortex]

It's so odd. It was delayed, they had little "behind the scene" segments, and this is the quality on release? So bizarre to me. Maybe the LOTR holders will be a little bit more cautious with the IP from now on, lol.

Well… There will be at least one more LotR game from Daedalic. Maybe that will turn out to be better, who knows.

 

[BrutalTruth_]

I'll play it when it comes to gamepass or goes on sale for 2.99

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Well… There will be at least one more LotR game from Daedalic. Maybe that will turn out to be better, who knows.

Which one is that? Return to Moria?

 

[Captain Toad]

Congratulations Arkane.

 

[CortexVortex]

Which one is that? Return to Moria?

Nah it’s a different one. Working title is „Its Magic“ but it’s still in very early development I guess.

 

[Yoboman]

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Nah it’s a different one. Working title is „Its Magic“ but it’s still in very early development I guess.

"Early development"

I'm pretty sure after this debacle, it's now canceled whatever it is.

 

[Gambit2483]

Meanwhile @ Bethesda Arkane

 

[FrankWza]

Meanwhile @ Bethesda Arkane

Xbox era getting a case of champagne sent over

 

[mckmas8808]

WTF is happening to game development these days?

 

[Darkmakaimura]

WTF is happening to game development these days?

Covid.

I'm guessing that's the main excuse. It could be diversity hires also trying to fill a check mark quota and getting people that know very little about actual game development.

 

[Captain Toad]

WTF is happening to game development these days?

Go look at any PS1, PS2, SNES, or any other generation. There has never been a shortage of terrible "AAA" games.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

 

[Schmendrick]

Undeserved. Redfail was definitely worse.

 

[kiphalfton]

Guess all those people who were never going to play this game, but were hoping it would fail, can find 5 minutes of joy from this news.

 

[Maddux4164]

Undeserved. Redfail was definitely worse.

Redfall isn’t very good. But I’d play that over a walking simulator that this is. Least I can shoot vampires and it’s free lol

 

[nemiroff]

Undeserved. Redfail was definitely worse.

I don't think you've seen the walkthrough and the reviews then.. It's horrendous, way worse than Redfall.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

Day one and already breaking records

ONE GAME TO RULE THEM ALL

 

[Mr Hyde]

I saw Skill Ups review. It was pretty funny. Judging from that, even an MC at 38 is too much. He completely ripped it apart, rightly so.

 

[Mozzarella]

Great news for Redfall developers.

 

[SplunkyMunkey]

Just as exciting as big rigs that's on pc

 

[Dr. Claus]

It's so odd. It was delayed, they had little "behind the scene" segments, and this is the quality on release? So bizarre to me. Maybe the LOTR holders will be a little bit more cautious with the IP from now on, lol.

They made Rings of Power and the MTG Cards.

Any care about the franchise went out the window and was shat on by birds.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I'm no LOTR expert. I just watched the 3 main movies, and caught one of those Hobbit movies on TV.

But I'm pretty sure most people want to play the heroes. Even perhaps some people wanting to play as the evil Orc side for a change.

But I dont think there's one person on Earth who'd want to play as Gollum.

 

[mckmas8808]

Covid.

I'm guessing that's the main excuse. It could be diversity hires also trying to fill a check mark quota and getting people that know very little about actual game development.

Can yall PLEASE stop blaming hiring women, people of color, or gays as the reason game development is suffering. Jesus Christ man!

 

[Mossybrew]

This game seems so bad it would be a total waste of time to play even if it was free.

 

[Dr. Claus]

Can yall PLEASE stop blaming hiring women, people of color, or gays as the reason game development is suffering. Jesus Christ man!

No one is blaming them, just stating it is a possible issue. When you hire for quotas, you aren't hiring the best. That is just an objective fact.

 

[Fake]

That EDGE magazine cover is like the high clown parade of all generation after this game release.

 

[Sleepwalker]

Go look at any PS1, PS2, SNES, or any other generation. There has never been a shortage of terrible "AAA" games.

specially shitty movie tie in games. (Im aware lotr is just not the movies, but it applies)

 

[mckmas8808]

No one is blaming them, just stating it is a possible issue. When you hire for quotas, you aren't hiring the best. That is just an objective fact.

The bolded is true. But who's to say they aren't hiring the best? We have no idea that they aren't. Just because they have a 30-second video on Twitter about supporting their LGBTQ employees, doesn't mean those people didn't deserve to be hired.

I feel like we are letting execs off the hook by trying to blaming diverse hires on crappy games as if we've seen those people's resumes.

 

[Danjin44]

Meanwhile @ Bethesda Arkane

Meanwhile @ Nintendo....

 

[Dr. Claus]

The bolded is true. But who's to say they aren't hiring the best? We have no idea that they aren't. Just because they have a 30-second video on Twitter about supporting their LGBTQ employees, doesn't mean those people didn't deserve to be hired.

I feel like we are letting execs off the hook by trying to blaming diverse hires on crappy games as if we've seen those people's resumes.

Again, its just one possibility of why the game is in a poor state. No one, aside from your accusation, is suggesting that it is the *sole* reason.

 

[Danjin44]

WTF is happening to game development these days?

Nothing, we have good games and we have bad games, just like any year in video games.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

The bolded is true. But who's to say they aren't hiring the best? We have no idea that they aren't. Just because they have a 30-second video on Twitter about supporting their LGBTQ employees, doesn't mean those people didn't deserve to be hired.

I feel like we are letting execs off the hook by trying to blaming diverse hires on crappy games as if we've seen those people's resumes.

I am on a different PC and not sure if my main PC has the receipts to prove this or not but I know we discussed this several times over Discord with my main group of friends but here goes.

I know one camp in particular starting hiring for quotas and actually had a sort of point system worked out and certain areas not related to job performance scored points.

As this guy told me one of the main reasons leaving his old job was because "if you are a lesbian black woman you hit the trifecta because you instantly were 3 points ahead of other applicants"

Even said it was getting to the point where straight white males need not apply

 

[Captain Toad]

Nothing, we have good games and we have bad games, just like any year in video games.

It's surprising, since the Internet usually focuses on the bad stuff, but it's like they only remember the good parts of each generation.

There's been so many trash games from the NES to today. If anything, the percentage of terrible AAA games has gone down, as consumers have become more savvy about a game's quality before purchasing.

 

[Dr. Claus]

I am on a different PC and not sure if my main PC has the receipts to prove this or not but I know we discussed this several times over Discord with my main group of friends but here goes.

I know one camp in particular starting hiring for quotas and actually had a sort of point system worked out and certain areas not related to job performance scored points.

As this guy told me one of the main reasons leaving his old job was because "if you are a lesbian black woman you hit the trifecta because you instantly were 3 points ahead of other applicants"

Even said it was getting to the point where straight white males need not apply

I have seen the same thing firsthand when sitting in for applications in Chemical research jobs. People far more intelligent, with strong backgrounds in our research area, and had proven track records were turned down because we would get kickbacks for hiring for DIE instead. Always being poor fits for the company as well.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

I have seen the same thing firsthand when sitting in for applications in Chemical research jobs. People far more intelligent, with strong backgrounds in our research area, and had proven track records were turned down because we would get kickbacks for hiring for DIE instead. Always being poor fits for the company as well.

My son is a big shot for Coke and when promoting plant managers its exactly the same

 

[Stuart360]

It's surprising, since the Internet usually focuses on the bad stuff, but it's like they only remember the good parts of each generation.

There's been so many trash games from the NES to today. If anything, the percentage of terrible AAA games has gone down, as consumers have become more savvy about a game's quality before purchasing.

That is true for sure but we def get less really bad games like this one, than we used to.
Although we get less games in general than we used to so maybe thats part of it lol.

 

[Marvel14]

I'll play it when it comes to gamepass or goes on sale for 2.99

Sounds expensive

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Sounds expensive

Actually good value.

At $2.99, that's 1 penny per ledge or rock to climb and hide behind.

 

[Kacho]

It's surprising, since the Internet usually focuses on the bad stuff, but it's like they only remember the good parts of each generation.

There's been so many trash games from the NES to today. If anything, the percentage of terrible AAA games has gone down, as consumers have become more savvy about a game's quality before purchasing.

You think the first three years of this generation will be remembered fondly? It’s been a barren wasteland full of duds and cross gen games.

 

[Captain Toad]

You think the first three years of this generation will be remembered fondly? It’s been a barren wasteland full of duds and cross gen games.

I've had tons of great games to play. I could care less if some had a last-gen version or not.

 

[bitbydeath]

The bolded is true. But who's to say they aren't hiring the best? We have no idea that they aren't. Just because they have a 30-second video on Twitter about supporting their LGBTQ employees, doesn't mean those people didn't deserve to be hired.

I feel like we are letting execs off the hook by trying to blaming diverse hires on crappy games as if we've seen those people's resumes.

Diversity hires is all about hiring people for who they are, and not what they can do.

It’s possible they have talent but that’s not at all the goal of hiring for diversity.

Everyone’s diverse in some way, imagine you got hired because you are really good at cracking your knuckles, but you nothing about writing code, that’s a diversity hire.

 

[CherryFalls]

 

[Kacho]

I've had tons of great games to play. I could care less if some had a last-gen version or not.

Right. But I’m asking if you think the first three years will be remembered fondly by people in general. It was a rhetorical question btw. We both know the answer.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Companies like this prefer to just hum along in their fairy tale corporate culture. That's not to say they will go bankrupt. Focusing on woke and diversity first can keep any company alive.

But it will never bring out the best product they can make. Despite what people saying in an unsubstantiated claim, I have never seen a research study stating real numbers showing if you purposely gun for diversity it makes the product and company do better beyond just hiring the best people you can afford.

To put it in easy to understand terms, if you want a great restaurant or great sports team, you hire the best you can with the budget you got to fill out the roles. And if all things go well, the group is better as a team than adding up the individual parts. You dont hire to discriminatory quotas to check off boxes on the HR manager's clipboard.

Just imagine if your favourite restaurant or sports team just said fuck it. We'll just fill our team using demographic splits instead of just staying true to traditional hiring practices which is hiring good people we can afford regardless of what they look like.

 

[Buggy Loop]

WTF happened

(Not that graphics would save this)