Middle-Earth: Shadow of War may be one of the most anticipated games of the year and there is no doubt that it will be full of bloody, violent action. Set some time after Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, players take control of the human ranger Talion who continues his war against Sauron and the evil forces of Mordor. While much of the focus for Shadow of War has been around the updated and refined nemesis system, this is the first time we have really gotten a look into the story.
In this trailer, players get a glimpse at various characters and scenes such as Talion confronting a massive spider that could or could not be Shelob from the Lord of the Rings series. We also learn that the nightmarish Nazguls have been mobilized against Talion, which will more than provide than a challenge if they are in-game enemies. There’s also an interesting shot of an Uruk that is either a necromancer or is back from the dead himself.
It’s clear from this trailer that developer Monolith are focusing on developing and refining their story more than the original title in this series. Given Shadow of Mordor ended on a rather disappointing note, it will be interesting to see where this title picks up and how Talion’s war against Sauron goes. There also appear to be a lot more NPCs and side characters this time around, which is a stark contrast to the three or four you got to speak with in the first title.
Finally, it appears the famous Balrog will be making an appearance, which will no doubt serve as a boss fight. Given this beast doesn’t die until the films, one has to wonder what this monster’s involvement will be beyond just trying to kill Talion.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War is set to release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on October 10.