It is not hyperbole to say that The Lord of the Rings franchise ranks among the most popular and successful in all of fiction. The books by J.R.R Tolkien were widely beloved by readers all around the globe even before Peter Jackson's now iconic film trilogy became a worldwide phenomenon. This popularity has poured over into other mediums as well, with tie in movie games that were actually good as well as the critically acclaimed Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor.

With the upcoming Lord of the Rings: Gollum title on the horizon, it brings to question what other major players in the expansive Lord of the Rings universe are also awaiting a standalone video game. From fierce warriors to elves and everything in between, there is no shortage of choice in the land of Middle-Earth.

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A principal protagonist of the series and one of the original members of the Fellowship, Aragorn has all the makings to be the perfect star of an action adventure video game. With a well rounded skillset, Aragorn is an excellent swordsman, proficient tracker and cunning battle strategist. His varied abilities would give developers numerous options when developing a potential project, with the end result most likely having gameplay similar to the Assassin's Creed series.

Furthermore, Aragorn's character arc provides plenty of opportunities for subject matter the game's narrative can revolve around. It can very well go for the obvious choice, and chronicle his place in the quest to destroy the One Ring. On the other hand, the game can opt for an original tale set prior to the events of Peter Jackson's film trilogy, showing his time as an outsider, living as a ranger and drifting from place to place. This could be the basis for an open world action game in which the player explores new locations around the world, meeting new characters and unlocking new skills along the way.

Shifting attention to one of the other primary heroes responsible for defeating Sauron, Legolas was easily the most skilled archer in the group thanks to his Elvish lineage and heightened senses. While no slouch when it comes to close quarters sword play, Legolas is far more deadly to an enemy from a distance, with his bow and arrow essentially serving as an extra limb with how natural it comes to him. A potential developer needs to look no further than the bow and arrow in Horizon: Zero Dawn for inspiration on how to best represent the mechanic.

If a Legolas video game were to attempt something completely unexpected, it could mark a first for games based on The Lord of the Rings by presenting the action from a first person view. Seeing the world through Legolas' eyes, as he focuses in on a distant enemy could prove to be an exhilarating experience.  It could function very similarly to the marksman gameplay in the Sniper Elite series, just swap out rifles for arrows.

The man who was tempted by the One Ring and failed to destroy it, resulting in the destructive events in The Lord of the Rings, could serve as a tragic protagonist for a video game adaption. Having previously been featured in Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, in which it was demonstrated how the One Ring was twisting his mind, a solo outing could explore this downfall even further. Isildur is a victim to Sauron's greatest weapon, and a tale depicting the slow deterioration of his mind and soul could be a great basis for a tragic video game storyline.

Similar to the storyline of Heavenly Sword and the weapon which serves as the game's namesake slowly killing Nariko, players can witness first hand the effects of the One Ring on Isildur. As the game progresses, perhaps there are visual tricks similar to Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, in which illusions depict Isildur's further descent into madness. Not a happy narrative by any means, but the trials and tribulations of Isildur would make for an excellent dramatic effort set in The Lord of the Rings mythology.

Being present for both the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies respectively, there are plenty of choices for developers to pluck from the source for a Gandalf video game. Boasting a laundry list of special powers thanks to his experience as a Wizard, Gandalf is also a competent combatant with a sword and extremely knowledgeable of Middle-Earth and its many secrets. Gandalf is one of the few heroes in the main cast able to stand toe to toe with more powerful foes like the Balrog and Saruman, which could additionally allow for more varied enemies as opposed to just Orcs and Goblins.

Regardless of if this adventure would place the player in control of Gandalf the Grey or Gandalf the White (or both), it would be sure to be an exciting and additionally charming journey thanks to the Wizards' subtle sense of humor. Players need only look to Geralt in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for inspiration, and swap him out for Gandalf to get an idea of what a potential game could be like.

Sometimes, playing as the bad guy in games can prove to be a more satisfying and interesting experience. Villains do not have the same sense of morality and decency as heroes, taking the reigns off and giving players more freedom to be as devilishly evil as possible. Sauron is the biggest bad of them all in The Lord of the Rings, with his treachery and malevolence towards the denizens of Middle-Earth reaching beyond just his creation of the One Ring.

Considering his stature as an evil overlord, the gameplay can be an RTS like the StarCraft series, with the player in command of huge armies in an attempt to conquer the entire land. If Lord of the Rings: Gollum is a success, then perhaps it will open the door for a video game based on an even bigger baddie with Sauron.

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will launch in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

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