Although Boromir claimed with much fervor and dread that ‘one does not simply walk into Mordor’, Monolith’s open world epic, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor will task you with doing just that. Set in the interim years between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings,Shadow of Mordor delves deeply into the appendices of established Tolkien lore without retreading any of the stories we’ve seen. Shadow of Mordor is an entirely original story set within the overarching plot of the One Ring that largely avoids leveraging on its cinematic popularity.

Tolkien had expertly crafted a thorough multi-layered world with just enough mysteries to make Middle-earth feel real and interesting for Shadow of Mordor to take full advantage of. Gone too are the cookie cutter archetypes of Tolkien fantasy.

In Shadow of Mordor, Monolith seemed to be bringing a character that would appear more at home with a Robert E. Howard story into Middle-earth. Enter Talion, a Gondor ranger stationed at the Black Gates of Mordor before Sauron’s return turned the lands into a seething pit of death and decay where, ‘even the very air you breath is a poisonous fume.’

During Sauron’s absence, people had settled into Mordor and began cultivating the land. When the orcs roared in to retake their territory, most humans were slaughtered, others imprisoned. For Talion’s family stationed with him at the mouth of the Black Gates, their fate was written in stone.

Unfortunately for the ranger, his fate was to be different and arguably more distressing. Through mysterious circumstances, Talion is resurrected and possessed by a powerful Wraith that, aside from making him a unique human/wraith hybrid, ‘gifts’ him with supernatural abilities such as ‘Dominate’ which allows him to mind control an orc and turn it into a spy, assassin or a herald for the doom that Talion is bringing.

One Game to rule them all

Even though Talion’s situation is a departure from tropes expected from a Lord of  the Rings game, it is a necessary step for the narrative and longevity of this  potential franchise. Talion’s powers work in concert with the ‘Nemesis system’; a  web-like view of orc hierarchy that describes their individual strengths,  weaknesses and relationships with one another.

Players are to use this system to plan their moves and decide whom to attack  and how best to do so. For example, one orc may have a fear of fire while another  is terrified of wargs. This system importantly integrates a strategic element to an  otherwise combat-driven game, providing it with much needed depth. Utilizing it is  also the preferred route.

As Monolith was quick to point out, going in sword swinging is possible, but it will be extremely difficult and you’re likely to die a lot. And since Talion is tasked with installing war chiefs loyal to him – orcs that are some of the toughest opponents in the game – using his ranger skills of subterfuge and stealth in an unfriendly land is the more logical choice. Time continues even when Talion dies which means that the orc that performed the deed may be granted new titles or status in celebration of his victory.

When you encounter him again, he will be more powerful and command more followers.

Thus, planning your attack and using the ‘Dominate’’ ability will change the rules of the game radically. With the Nemesis system, you could find a lieutenant or a captain close to the war chief and work your way up the ranks.

Hunting down specific targets and turning them against their leader would shake up the power struggle and is a hell lot of fun to manipulate. Alternatively, you could send some orcs off with the order to spread word of your deeds, thus raising your legend in Mordor and turning Talion into something even orcs would fear.

Forward unto Mordor

This gameplay element ties intrinsically with the narrative. As the director of design, Michael de Plater said in an interview with Polygon,“we want to let players create their own stories.”

So far, Shadow of Mordor looks to be going in the right direction. Even, “when you’re hunting and fighting and killing these guys, you’re developing rivalries. You think you’ve killed someone, he comes back scarred, he’s hunting you”, de Plater iterated. When you finally corner one of these individuals that rose to prominence -either from killing you or rising through the ranks from a power vacuum you created -, you can dominate his mind and send him back to the war chief as an assassin.

Tracking this orc to its headquarters will lead you to the head honcho. A full weather system is implemented and players are told that they can expect to use heavy thunderstorms as cover when sneaking into a fortress.

These mind controlled assassins would also prove an edge in battle since they  can be deployed to attack the war chief when you are in position. Their surprise  attack will reduce your target’s health considerably, putting the advantage in your  favor.

In addition, de Plater pointed out that “whoever you dominate, they will bring their  underlings with them”. Basically, this means that all the troops loyal to your patsy  are indirectly under your control, helping you to improve your odds significantly.

Much of this stems from the need for good and purposeful gameplay. Marrying the  abilities of a battle seasoned ranger with the supernatural ones of a powerful  wraith gives Talion just enough of an edge and more importantly, credibility as a  warrior capable of infiltrating Mordor and striking fear in the black hearts of the orcs therein.

Thus, when an enemy wants you dead, it’s because of something you did to them and not just a binary response programmed into the AI to follow. The players therefore, develops villains that are a result of their actions. “We really like the idea of players creating their own villains within Mordor,” de Plater drives homes, “we wanted a constant escalation of scale.”

After all, a hero is only as good as his villain and Shadow of Mordor is putting this proverb to the test. In many ways, Talion is like the Batman of Middle-earth as he inadvertently builds his own rogues gallery.

The sights and sounds of the Black Land

In terms of exploration, you’re not relegated to just Mordor though. While the game does center there, the surrounding countryside and towns also presents opportunity for exploration and leveling up. Graphically, the game already looks stunning and is merely a taste of what next-gen consoles can offer. When the wind blows, Talion’s tattered cape billows in the breeze and his gait while walking is purposeful and full of stride.

No doubt there are similarities with Assassin’s Creed, but Talion’s animations, even in an alpha build look to imbue him with far more character than any of the assassin’s in Ubisoft’s titular franchise. Many of course have drawn parallels between Shadow of Mordor and Assassin’s Creed but there are fundamental differences that sets them apart.

Game play similarities are actually not as important as people think. It is the narrative and delivery of the overall product that will ultimately establish the game as its own thing.

With a combat system that is reminiscent of Batman and Dishonored, a parkour system as engaging as Assassin’s Creed and an open-world where even wild animals like Caragors are yours to dominate and ride into battle, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor might truly be the quintessential Lord of the Rings experience fans have been waiting for.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is expected to be released on October 7th 2014 on PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. [signoff icon=”icon-attention”]Disclaimer: This game is still in alpha. All opinions are based on what has been shown. Actual gameplay may change by the time the game is released.[/signoff]