Warner Brothers has released a new trailer for upcoming Tolkien-fest Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, showcasing one of the game’s unlikely allies.
In Shadow of Mordor, most Uruks (that’s Orcs, to you and me) are dynamically generated throughout the Nemesis System, however Ratbag is a unique Uruk who plays an essential role in the story as Talion ventures out to destroy Sauron’s army and avenge his murdered family. Ratbag, seeing an opportunity to finally get his own back for years of bullying by his fellow Uruks, teams up with Talion to assist him in his goal.
In development by Monolith, Shadows of Mordor takes place during the events of The Lord of the Rings, but features a whole new story and characters far removed from the adventures of the Fellowship. After he and his family are brutally murdered by Sauron’s Uruk hordes, Talion is resurrected with new shadowy powers enabling him to seek vengeance. It’s basically The Crow, Tolkien-style, with dynamically-generated random events in a large open world. You have the freedom to roam around as you please, picking up side-quests and developing Talion’s abilities across two distinct skill trees. Gollum is set to feature heavily in the game, and the overall tone is a lot darker and grittier than what many players will be used to seeing in a game based on Tolkien’s fantasy universe. We’re a long way from Lego: The Hobbit, folks.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor will launch on September 30 on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 whilst the PC version is set to be released over a week after on October 2, 2014.
