Everything We Learned About Shadow of War From its Gameplay Reveal

A Larger World and War

Shadow of Morder certainly wasn’t a small game, and it had multiple environments that players roamed around and conquered. Shadow of War, however, looks much bigger than before. The gameplay demo we saw today, which you can see here if you haven’t watched it, started by showing us a world map with various cities, locations, forts, and more. Famous locations from the series like Osgiliath, Minas Morgul, and Cirith Ungol are all marked on the map, making it look like Shadow of War will be much more varied in locations than its predecessor.

The scope of the game has also increased, with Talion leading an entire army to conquer a fort in the demo. It seems like the new game is truly trying to harness the feeling of a war spanning all of Mordor and parts of Middle Earth. Each area is going to be a distinct environment that contains different Overlords, Warchiefs, Captains, Forts, and Strongholds. This means more to manage, conquer, and destroy for Talion and Celebrimbor. 

A More Comprehensive Nemesis System

The biggest thing Shadow of War’s reveal showed us is just how much the Nemesis system has been expanded upon. The basics of the system still remain with different Orc captains and leaders randomly generated in the world, allowing Talion to defeat and even recruit them. In addition to the memorable rivalries like in the first game, the Nemesis system in Shadow of War will also play into the Orcs you recruit for your army. The demo states that “in Shadow of War, your followers can create entirely new stories of loyalty, betrayal, rivalry, and even friendship.”

At multiple points in the demo, we saw two Orc leaders help Talion out at different points. One named Deadeye saved him from an enemy Orc rival, and another named Ragdug step in to help during a boss battle. On top of this, the enemy Orc Overlords you fight are going to be unique to each player’s game, and randomly generated. This means that every player’s experience with Shadow of War is going to be quite different. The Nemesis system already worked wonders in Shadow of Mordor, so it’ll be exciting to see the lengths it can go to with refinement of the systems. 

There’s a Big Emphasis on Capturing and Using Forts and Strongholds

From the footage we saw, it seems like one of the main objectives in Shadow of War is going to focus on capturing different Forts and Strongholds from the forces of Mordor. Talion has to build his forces up by capturing areas and taking the fight to Sauron’s forces. In the demo, we see Talion and his army attack and conquer the snowy fort in the valley of Seregost. This is multi-step battle that has you going up against different fort defenses and enemy leaders, while simultaneously using the special abilities of your own Orc captains.

After breaking through the main gate and taking out an enemy Orc captain, Talion and his forces battle through the Fort until finally taking over everything but the Overlord’s throne room. The ranger enters to engage the Overlord and is aided by allies. After taking out all of the Fort’s leaders, Talion captures it and can choose a Warchief to assign to the area, thereby gaining some kind of boost. One Warchief surrounds the Fort in a dark aura confusing any enemies that attack, while another is a beastmaster that can recruit wild beasts to Talion’s army. The Warchief chosen in the demo, however, is a marauder that can loot and pillage the surrounding area, bringing in supplies for your army. Capturing areas and building your forces is going to be key in Shadow of War, eventually having you build up an army strong enough to overtake that of the Dark Lord. It certainly seems like there’s going to be plenty of content and choices to make. 

Expanded RPG Systems

Although we don’t see much in the way of RPG systems in the demo, it does state that Shadow of War has greatly expanded them. After taking down an enemy Warchief, Talion obtains a new set of Rohan armor. It provides a pretty significant stat boost for him, as well as a brand new look. Different equipment and armor seem like it’ll play a much larger role in the new game than it did in Shadow of Mordor. 

Talion Has a Few New Moves

It should come as no surprise that Talion will have a few new moves and powers in the sequel, and we’re sure to see more later on. Traversal and climbing seems much faster than before, and Talion even has a power that lets him zip right up the side of a wall almost instantly.

Like in the previous game, he has the ability of using his wraith powers to instantly warp to, and kill, an enemy, However, at one point in the demo he also uses his powers to pull the enemy to him for an execution. There’s also a point where the ranger jumps off of a wall and pulls out his bow, slowing time down and letting him get a few headshots in. He also uses the power of Celebrimbor to slam down on a campfire and create a massive explosion that hits surrounding enemies. Talion looks like he’s faster and deadlier than ever before, and it’ll be exciting to see what other tricks you’ll be able to have up your sleeve.

You Can Ride Dragons

There were beasts that you could ride in Shadow of Mordor like Wargs and Trolls, but Shadow of War takes it to a whole new level. Near the end of the demo, Talion blows up an enemy ram that had a dragon trapped inside breathing fire. You’ll have the ability of using enemies’ defenses against them, which in this case entails hopping aboard the dragon and using it to wreak havoc. Talion uses its fire to destroy hordes of enemies and some other defenses placed around the fort. Just thinking about what other great beasts you might be able to use in your sieges is exciting.