The Lord of the Rings franchise did exceptionally well in the movie industry, and while there were popular titles such as LEGO The Lord of the Rings and LEGO The Hobbit the majority of the franchises games left fans wanting more. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor looks like it may be the first Lord of the Rings title that will receive universal critical acclaim based on what weve seen so far.
A Tale of revenge that bridges the gap between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor connects The Lord of the Rings saga and The Hobbit, as players assume the role of Talion. Talion is one of the Rangers of Gondor tasked with guarding Mordors Black Gate. Sauron kills Talion and his Black Captains, but is kept alive by an unknown spirit that transforms him into a half-human, half-wraith that is able to travel through the wraith realm, which is the same realm both Bilbo and Frodo visit when they don the One Ring. Talion then begins his journey of revenge to attempt to kill anyone and everyone responsible for his death.
Talion will make his way through Mordor as he pleases, as the game is said to be a large and open world. Players will be able to not only partake in Shadow of Mordors main story, but theyll also complete additional side quests.
The nemesis system reacts to every decision you make
One of the main selling points for Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is its nemesis system, which gives each player a unique experience each time he or she plays. The nemesis system allows some of the enemies you encounter to survive a battle with Talion, which they will then recall later on in the game as they grow stronger by rising through the ranks of Mordors armies to earn new names, titles and even recruit followers, making future encounters more difficult.
The nemesis system can also shape the physical appearance of enemies depending on previous battles. For example, Talion can throw an enemy into a fire. If that enemy survives, it will feature scars the next time you encounter it, and you better believe this person or creature will hold a grudge.
Unfortunately, the nemesis system Monolith Productions developed for Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor seems next-gen exclusive, and therefore unavailable on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. According to the developer, other features wont make the cut as well, though at this point, these omissions remain unannounced.
Shape Talion into the ultimate ranger
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor allows players to customize Talion to their play style. Players can gain new abilities that will improve Talion as both a Wraith and Ranger through two distinct skill trees. Both skill trees have their advantages. For example, the Ranger skill tree allows Talion to become a stealthy killer, while the Wraith tree helps him gain powers that let him control the minds of his enemies a number of ways. How you improve Talion is completely up to you.
Even though Shadow of Mordor is an action RPG, its gameplay mechanics are a mix between Assassins Creed and the Batman Arkham series. The title will play less like a hack-n-slash (the God of War series), and will feature a more rhythm-based combat system that will have players acting and reacting to their enemys movements. Players who learn to react to an enemys slight cues will fare much better than those who tend to mash random buttons in the hope of something cool happening.
Prepare to cause havoc in Mordor
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor should release October 7th on PC as well as next-generation and current-generation video game platforms. We have a feeling once it debuts, Mordor will never be the same again after Talion gets his revenge. That said, theres a great chance this title will join the short list of quality games set in Middle-Earth. Expect more information in the coming months.