Summary
- The Lord of the Rings sets the stage for a compelling horror game due to its dark atmosphere and deep lore.
- The series’ elements like Nazgul and terrifying settings are perfect for a horror game focused on stealth and survival.
- Silent Hill 2 director is interested in a Lord of the Rings horror game, potentially leading to its development.
The Lord of the Rings has always been a story of light versus dark, good versus evil, and hope versus despair. While its themes of friendship and camaraderie are often brought to the forefront, the series also never neglects the darkness that grips Middle-earth. This contrast ultimately makes The Lord of the Rings not just a timeless fantasy epic for book and film, but also establishes it as a potential candidate for the horror genre of video games.
Whether good wins in the end or not, The Lord of the Rings has all the elements required to offer a compelling horror gaming experience. Its atmosphere, themes, and characters all make up the ingredients necessary for such an experience, and it already has a solid foundation to stand on, built by other successful horror titles like Amnesia, Alien: Isolation, and the Silent Hill 2 remake.
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A Lord of the Rings Horror Game Feels Like a Must
Lord of the Rings Is Already Primed for a Themed Horror Game
While The Lord of the Rings explores themes of hope and friendship, there’s no denying the presence of darkness it maintains throughout each book. From the moment Frodo and Sam leave the Shire, the story of The Lord of the Rings only grows darker, as Sauron’s grip on Middle-earth strengthens in his desperate search for the One Ring. In fact, the strongest argument in support of a Lord of the Rings horror game comes down to the story’s foreboding atmosphere, which it so effortlessly maintains until it finally reaches its hope-filled conclusion.
While The Lord of the Rings explores themes of hope and friendship, there’s no denying the presence of darkness it maintains throughout each book.
For a horror game to deliver a truly terrifying experience, it can’t simply rely on jump scares as many horror titles have been known to do in the past. Where the horror genre (in all forms of media, really) ironically shines the brightest is in its ability to create an atmosphere that makes viewers and participants feel uneasy, alone, and helpless against the darkness. As it turns out, this is a core theme of The Lord of the Rings, where the smallest of individuals, hobbits, are tasked with ensuring a prime evil is disarmed, all while navigating Middle-earth beneath the oppressive clouds cast by the dark lord. In other words, a Lord of the Rings horror game wouldn’t have to work very hard to establish an atmosphere worthy of the genre.
The Lord of the Rings doesn’t just have the atmosphere befitting a horror game either, as many of its more intricate elements serve to reinforce that atmosphere. The Nazgul, also known as Ringwraiths, for instance, are iconic figures of fear, and a Lord of the Rings horror game could make them terrifying stalkers, with eerie whispers, spine-tingling sounds, and even jump scares. Another great example of the IP’s horror elements can be found in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, where Frodo and Sam explore Shelob’s Lair in one of the most terrifying sequences of the trilogy.
The Dead Marshes, which Frodo, Sam, and Gollum navigate in The Two Towers, also features otherworldly horror, where spirits haunt the group from beneath the ground.
All in all, The Lord of the Rings already has all the right ingredients for a horror game, especially one that might center around stealth and survival, similar to other horror games like Alien: Isolation. Games like Amnesia and Eternal Darkness that use psychological effects as a gameplay element could also inspire a Lord of the Rings horror game, especially if the One Ring were implemented in any way.
The Director of the Silent Hill 2 Remake Wants a Lord of the Rings Horror Game
Fortunately, it seems that an influential hand in the gaming industry is already on board with making a Lord of the Rings horror game, so it might only be a matter of time before one manifests. The director of the remake of Silent Hill 2, Mateusz Lenart, in an interview with YouTube channel Bonfire Conversations, said that his dream project would be to work on a horror fantasy RPG, going as far to cite J.R.R. Tolkien as one of his inspirations. Apparently, he even pitched his ideas around that, so the concept may very well already be brewing.
Whether a Lord of the Rings horror game eventually happens remains to be seen, but with the reputation the IP has been losing in the gaming space over the last decade, it certainly needs to make a sharp turn at some point. As such, perhaps venturing into the horror genre would be the best thing for it. At the very least, Silent Hill 2 director Mateusz Lenart has already made himself available for one, so it may only be a matter of time.
