E3 2017: Middle-earth: Shadow of War –Â 5 Things We Loved
When Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor arrived on the scene back in 2014, it didn’t exactly redefine the open-world action combat game genre. In fact, it was a bit repetitive and I didn’t find the storyline all that memorable. Despite this, I loved the game! The nemesis system, varied enemies, level progression, brutal combat and all that yummy Lord of the Rings lore just sucked me right in. I could not get enough of it. So when Middle-earth: Shadow of War was announced back in February, my ears perked up and I found myself hitting the web gobbling up any ounce of information I could get. While at E3 this year, I was lucky enough to get my hands on an extended demo of the game which gave us a nice look at Shadow of War’s open world setting. Additionally, we played a fortress assault mission, a side quest and tinkered with some of the new weaponry and gear. Overall, there is plenty to be excited about but we decided to identify 5 things that have us really ramped up for the game.
Fortress Assaults Are Challenging and Satisfying
Throughout the game, players will encounter fortress assaults which are action packed sieges of enemy-controlled castles that dominate each of the game’s main regions. We don’t know how many of these castles you’ll encounter in the game but needless to say, the one we played at E3 (which is set early in the game) was difficult, unforgiving but completely satisfying when you take down that final war chief. There is no rushing into these sieges either. You have to plan your attack, bring along suitable allies and even scout what kind of enemies you are about to encounter. If you go in unprepared or recklessly you will die, quickly. It is organized chaos at its best and is easily one of my most anticipated aspects of the game.
The Nemesis System Has Vastly Improved
Shadow of Mordor’s nemesis system is easily one the most interesting and unique aspects of the game. Developer Monolith Productions have doubled down on the system with Shadow of War making it deeper with more choices and more variation. Gaining allies seems more important than ever. Every Orc you dominate and gain by your side can be used in sieges and other battles. They can also be assigned as your personal bodyguards. If you find yourself in trouble one of your allied Orc chiefs could come to your aid so building your army will become a critical component to the game. Bottom line, this Nemesis system is crazy deep, has personality and looks incredible.