Nothing but excitement surrounds this title and rightfully so. Monolith Productions and Warner bros. Interactive Entertainment have taken the world of J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of The Rings that we all know and love and have produced this amazing action RPG. Shadow of Mordor’s timeline is based before the events of Fellowship of the ring and after The Hobbit, which will make it’s third and final appearance in theaters December 12th so fans can piece together the makeshift sequel nicely. A lot of things make me excited for this title, not just the fact that I can be apart of this amazing universe, but the careful detail that has been filtered into it is astonishing. Collaborative work with Peter Jackson and Middle-earth enterprises has ensured that Shadow of mordor gets the full look and feel of the famous franchise.
The game is set to be a brutal story of mystery, slaughter and revenge as you take on the face of an ordinary man Talion, a ranger of Gondor responsible of guarding the black gates of mordor. Upon the return of Saruman a battle between your men and the forces of Saurons armies break out and you lose everything, your family and even your mortal life. Now possessed by an immensely powerful wraith you rise from the grave with one thought in your mind. Revenge.
The game play is completely open-world and has various features of an RPG, such as gaining experience points and skills. Some skills such as your unique wraith abilities will give you the edge on the battlefield, you are able to immerse yourself in and out of the wraith world and by doing so you can slow down time, teleport over some distance and see your targets from afar. By gaining experience and skill points you can strengthen each ability to your desire and also unlock some more powerful abilities. Throughout the game you will have your main objectives and of course how you complete these are up to you, for example you have a high profile target such as an Uruk, you can choose to take out his minions first then go for the big kill or by using your domination ability you can turn those minions into your own sleeping allies and pit them against him, the choice is yours. Along with the main story objectives there are many side quests and random events you can complete to earn more skill points and experience.
The combat system was inspired by the Batman Arkham series which was very smooth and if you got into a rhythm you could potentially take out 10-20 men within a matter of seconds, a system that’s perfect for the battles of Mordor. For your action filled journey you’ll be equipped with three weapons your sword, dagger and bow. With each kill you’ll be writing the story of your achievements and essentially carving the legend of your name with each weapon.
What makes Shadow of Mordor a complete experience is the nemesis system, your story is yours alone. Nothing is the same as your choices in game will mark your path to Mordor. You’ll be in a world that reacts and adapts to your actions and choices, so tread wisely. October 7th is the official release date, be sure to pre order and get the dark ranger skin and test of power challenge mode. Still unsure? check out the official trailer below before you march forth and make your mark on Mordor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leaYw-7Fgxg
