‘Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor’: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know (Interview With Michael de Plater From Monolith Productions)

6. What inspirations went into the development of the game’s combat system?

MDP: Certainly Arkham was a key inspiration, but also the visceral sword combat in The Lord of the Rings. The combination of the core controls with the intensity of the weapons creates a unique experience.

7. What famous locales can players look forward to venturing into while exploring Middle-Earth?

MDP: What we loved about exploring Mordor was the combination of iconic locations like the Black Gates with the mystery of previously unseen areas such as the Sea of Nurn deep into Mordor.

8. At what time period of time does this game take place within the Lord of the Rings mythology?

MDP: It takes place immediately after the end of the Battle of Five Armies at the conclusion of The Hobbit and about 80 years before The Lord of the Rings and Frodo, Sam and Gollum’s journey into Mordor.

9. Can longtime LOTR/The Hobbit fans look forward to encountering some familiar characters from the books and films?

MDP: Certainly, Gollum has a very key role in our story as he’s drawn into Mordor searching for the One Ring, for his Precious, and there are some other characters drawn here as well. Perhaps the one we are most excited about is Sauron himself, getting to explore his back story and motivations as more than just “the bad guy” –seeing the epic history of the Second Age when he was working with Celebrimbor and forging the Rings of Power.

10. The Current-Gen Versions Will Release Before the Last-Gen Versions

For those looking to play the Xbox and PS4 versions of this game, you can look forward to playing it on September 30, 2014. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions will officially be launching on November 18, 2014. The special pre-order bonus for the game comes compiled in the downloadable “Dark Ranger” and exclsuive “Deadly Archer Rune.” This set of bonuses will gift pre-orders with the “Test of Power” challenge mode and an extra powerful skill-set for Talion. The game’s Season Pass is also up for digital pre-order as well.

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