Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Previews
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While Monolith's Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor isn't scheduled for release until October, it certainly appears that the frequency of articles for the stealth-focused RPG is already (and steadily) growing.
CVG:
The mission Talion's faced with is pretty long-form - replace or dominate the five orc warchiefs currently in control of Mordor. Each of these is a formidable fighter, with multiple bodyguards, even more battle-hardened captains, and strongholds full of murderous grunts.
We know this because of the game's standout feature, the Nemesis system. Based on an info screen that displays the power structure of the enemy army, it allows you to see (with the right amount of prior intel), every major player in the orc forces, not to mention their strengths, weaknesses and personalities, all of which can play a huge role in how they fight.
Facts as simple as 'hates fire' might seem trivial, but when an eight-foot orc with a cleaver the size of France is bearing down on you, knowing that bursting a flammable barrel of grog nearby will send him panicking like a spaniel on Bonfire Night could be all you need to turn the tide.
If you're wondering what Shadow of Mordor is all about, we've got the answers for you here. It's an open world game set in Mordor, in which players take on the role of Talian, a Ranger of the Black Gate who is intent on getting revenge on those who killed his family.
The developers of the game, Monolith Productions, have come up with a 'Nemesis System', which means that the actions players take throughout the game will effect how characters react to Talion later in the story. However, the Nemesis System may not be as advanced on the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game, Monolith has said.
And Canada:
In Shadow of Mordor, players are tasked with overthrowing a handful of warlords through violent attacks and by manipulating the game's environment. In one situation I shot down a wasp's nest, located conveniently in the middle of the Warlord's camp, with a bow, which caused chaos among nearby Orcs, giving me ample opportunity to take out my heavily guarded target. According to Stephens, the ultimate goal is getting strategic control over a specific Orc in power, allowing the player to strategically destroy their intricate hierarchy from the inside.
(It's the focus for us. We looked at AI in most games it's really faceless and nameless. We wanted our AI to be meaningful. The way to make them meaningful is that any single Orc in the world or character you come across can become your nemesis. They can work their way into Sauron's army, they can fight, back-stab, work their way up. So you build these personal relationships over time and that's what really becomes meaningful it isn't scripted and it'll be different for everybody. Every player will have their own personal nemesis,) said Stephens.
