Daedalic Entertainment has also made what we call an apology.jpg.

It’s a particularly pathetic reflection on the gaming industry when a game (or port) is released in lousy form. Then a day or two later, the studio posts an apology on Twitter in the form of a picture. Fallout 76, Battlefield 2042, Cyberpunk 2077, Halo Infinite, Forspoken, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Redfall… and now The Lord of the Rings: Gollum. Look at this list for those who don’t believe us. It’s a trend. And a ridiculous one at that. Now here is the new act of apology.jpg:

” Dear players. We sincerely apologize for the underwhelming experience many of you have had with The Lord of the Rings: Gollum upon its release. We acknowledge and deeply regret that the game did not meet the expectations we set for ourselves or our dedicated community. Please accept our sincere apologies for any disappointment this may have caused. Our goal as a studio and as passionate The Lord of the Rings fans has always been to tell a compelling and immersive story-driven adventure. Crafting a story with Middle-earth as our playground has been a tremendous honor – and the biggest challenge we have faced.

At Daedalic, we understand that a game’s success relies on the enjoyment and satisfaction of its players. We genuinely value your feedback and have been actively listening to your voices, reading your comments, and analyzing the constructive criticism and suggestions you have provided. Our development team has been working diligently to address the bugs and technical issues many of you experienced. We are committed to delivering patches allowing you to enjoy the game to its fullest potential. Once again, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused, and we appreciate your understanding during this time. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress and provide transparent communication regarding the upcoming patches and improvements. Your passion and dedication as players have been the driving force behind our determination to make things right. Thank you for your support,” wrote Daedalic, who could have stuck with what they are good at (the German studio is solid at point-and-click games).

On OpenCritic, the game’s average score is 40 out of 100, and with this result, Daedalic has produced one of the worst games of the year, despite SEVERAL delays. But that’s not all: the German government is giving over €2 million to the studio’s next Lord of the Rings project, currently called It’s Magic. Here’s a brief description: “Daedalic is working on a new project to transport the player into a lush world full of mythical creatures and magic. It tells a story from a character’s perspective that has never been told before. The player discovers new regions and influences the events of the world within the scope of his role and abilities. In his way, he tries to influence the course of things and change the world’s fate. This project aims at avid fans of fantasy stories and 3D action-adventure genres worldwide.”

It sounds a bit Gandalfian in its definition, though who knows? The description doesn’t mention Tolkien’s work, but the image is a giant Lord of the Rings banner on the German government site. The project runs until August 31, 2024, so it might be released next year… if Daedalic doesn’t cancel it due to the massive flop of The Lord of the Rings: Gollum.

It wouldn’t surprise us if Embracer Group, the parent company of Middle-Earth Enterprises, which owns the Lord of the Rings rights, were to take the rights away from Daedalic…

Source: WCCFTech