Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Middle-earth: Shadow of War is the sequel to the third-person action-slasher Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Talion returns once again as the main character. You will have to fight against the Dark Lord Sauron and his Ringwraiths. The heroes have forged a new Ring of Power and will attempt to use it to stop the villain. You can expect an improved Nemesis system, which will feature an expanded simulation of traitors and followers with full consideration of loyalty. One of the main features is the new fortresses, each of which requires its own approach to capture.

An action game with slasher mechanics and RPG elements in an open world Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a sequel to Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, based on the "Lord of the Rings" saga and continues the story of the ranger Talion and the elf Celebrimbor, whose relationship the player became familiar with in the first part.

From a graphics standpoint, Shadow of War is not much different from Shadow of Mordor, with minor improvements such as more detailed models of the main characters and high-quality textures. The sequel will also delight with high-quality models of trees and leaves, lush grass, and other decorative elements in new locations.

The action of Shadow of War still takes place in the fantasy Middle-earth, but now the player will visit more locations in Mordor and will have to capture such key places as Minas Morgul, the Black Gate, Seregost, Barad-dûr, Nurn, Mount Doom, and others. Some of these well-known fan spots may be located in one location, while others, due to their size, occupy one location.

The size of the game world in Shadow of War is four times larger than the original, with growth achieved through the addition of new regions as well as the expansion and better development of old ones. The game world is not seamless but consists of 8 regions.

Each region has its own set of quests and opponents, as well as landscape, climate, and weather conditions — from the warm and green shores of Nurn, the player moves to the lifeless void of the Black Gate, suffers under the heat of the lava flows of Mount Doom, or freezes from the cold in Seregost.

Shadow of War tells the story of two different characters who find themselves in one body:

The number of secondary characters in Shadow of War has increased, featuring both familiar faces from the first game and new ones. For example, in contrast to the canon, the spider Shelob plays an important role and serves as the narrator of the plot. She changes her appearance at will and appears as a beautiful woman. Being the antithesis of Galadriel, she nevertheless helps the protagonist during his misadventures.

In the game expansions, a new main character is introduced — Baranor — with alternative gameplay and a skill set. Lacking the power of the Ring, he relies on his skills and the help of the dwarf Torvin.

The story of Shadow of War begins after the ending of Shadow of Mordor, but it is much more developed, and the plot is shown on a grand scale, with large battles, betrayals, and unexpected twists. The relationship between Talion and Celebrimbor is repeatedly tested, and almost all secondary characters are ambiguous, committing both evil and good deeds.

The protagonist's goal has not changed since the first part — the destruction of orcs and weakening of Sauron, for which the heroes forge a new Ring of Power, but this leads to unexpected and terrible consequences that also have to be dealt with.

Formally, the events of Shadow of War take place in the time period between "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" and "The Lord of the Rings," but the writers freely handle Tolkien's game universe, periodically ignoring its book part. For example, the fall of the fortress Minas Ithil and its transformation into Minas Morgul happened thousands of years before the events of the game.

The core gameplay has changed little — the player engages in skirmishes with orcs, trolls, and other enemies, brands them, captures captains, and raids fortresses to subdue commanders and bosses. After occupying the entire map, the player can challenge the antagonist.

The combat system still offers spectacular and complex fights using bows and arrows, swords, fists, and abilities. It is made diverse by numerous stances and positions, the player's speed and spatial positioning, as well as series of strikes and several types of counterattacks. Moreover, different enemies have various strengths and weaknesses, and bosses require a unique approach.

The "Nemesis" system is responsible for interaction with the game world — enemies remember the main character and resurrect to take revenge on him. Or the hero, after resurrection, finds his offender and hears several humiliating jokes addressed to him.

Gameplay changes are typical for sequels — more content and more possibilities. The protagonist has new abilities, there are more enemies, weapons, equipment, and combat combinations from different positions than before, and branded enemies now gather into an army that can be controlled and used to subdue or destroy the remaining orcs of Sauron.