In case you weren’t aware, Warner Bros’ take on Tolkien’s ridiculously popular Middle-Earth universe is out this week (today in North America, Friday in Europe) on PC, Xbox One and PS4 (the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions will hit later next month, on November 18 in NA, 21 in Europe).
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor is an open-world adventure set somewhere between the timelines of The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. Players take the role of Talion, a Ranger guarding the Black Gate on the border of Mordor, who is resurrected after he and his family are slaughtered by Orcs. Posessed by the spirit of Celebrimbor, the Elf who crafted the Rings of Power for the Dark Lord Sauron (still following?), it’s your job to avenge your family and ultimately destroy Sauron once and for all. You won’t, of course - otherwise The Lord of the Rings would never have happened - but developer Monolith says that there’s a reason Sauron begins Tolkien’s magnum opus as a “paranoid, twitching eye” and not the sword-wielding maniac seen glimpsed in flashbacks.
Shadow of Mordor‘s big selling point is its Nemesis system. The Nemesis system sees enemies acting within a fluid hierarchy and gaining experience in combat. Defeat someone higher up the chain, and one of their subordinates fills the gap. Enemies who survive an encounter with you not only remember the battle, but grow in strength and experience. You can also take control of captains and warchiefs during the game, building an army for yourselves.
Oh, and for all you fellow cat-lovers out there, you can ride a giant cat throughout the fields of Mordor. Which is cool.
A season pass has been announced for the game, which will see additional story missions, challenge modes and runes added to the game post-release, and costs $24.99/ £19.99. The Season Pass includes:
New Story Missions, including:
- ‘Guardians of the Flaming Eye’ Orc Warband Mission - Face Sauron’s elite Defenders before the Black Gate and earn the Rising Flame rune
- ‘Lord of the Hunt’ Story Mission - Players will gain new skills and earn unique epic runes as they hunt and tame legendary monsters of Mordor
- ‘The Bright Lord’ Story Mission - Play as Celebrimbor, the great Elven king of the Second Age, and face Sauron and the might of his forces
Early access to the Trials of War, including:
- Test of Speed Challenge Mode - You can demonstrate your efficiency in battle and earn high scores for Talion’s speed in defeating your foes
- Test of Wisdom Challenge Mode - You can prove your strategic abilities, through earning points for skill, speed and efficiency
- Endless Challenge Mode - This mode will continually spawn new legions of enemies. The Runes that you will earn will provide powerful upgrades
Access to future content - Including runes, skins and additional add-on content.
There’s also an app you can download for iOS devices. The app syncs with the game and provides additional assets and behind-the-scenes information, creating a “seamless second-screen experience.”
Of course, the games industry being what it is, Warner Bros. has released a launch trailer for you to feast your eyes on. The trailer outlines some of the story points in the game and also features croaky-throated loincloth lover Gollum, who has what is said to be a prominent role in the game’s storyline - though no other details have been given about just how prominent that role is, or whether he acts as friend or foe. Our review of Shadow of Mordor should be published sometime early next week. In the meantime, you can see both the season pass trailer and the launch trailer below.
Dale Morgan
@spamdangled
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