CHENNAI: Lord of the Rings — the epicest of all fantasy, the greatest of all fictional alternate universes, the movies we slept through, and the books we never truly read. And now, we have the RPG that we can never finish. And like the several supplementary books that Tolkien left us with, there’s almost as many games incorporating the entirety of the universe.
Middle Earth: Shadow of War, is the sequel of Shadow of Mordor. The game was in the news this week because the release has been delayed by two months, but there are several more reasons why this open-world third-person RPG should be discussed.
Another Ring, for a new Middle Earth!: A new ring of power is used, which can build an army from within Mordor, and then conquer it! The goal is to conquer each of the unique (and difficult to pronounce) areas across Middle Earth.
The Nemesis System: Large strategic RPGs normally consider all enemies as one huge homogeneous entity. Except chess — in chess, you’re forced to look at each piece or face your imminent destruction. Likewise, the Nemesis System in SoW alters this homogeneity by adding an additional layer of strategy to the game. You can view and understand the characteristics of your enemy, their history, and the nature of their allegiance to the Dark lord.
Breach the gates, charge!!: The trailer for Need For Speed: Payback released this week. The in-game soundtracks are good and all, very conducive to car driving. But Middle Earth doesn’t waste its time on this new-age pop. Although there are strings playing way in the background, all you hear are the deep, throaty yells of the Uruk-hai, the breaking of walls, and the clang of weapons clashing.
SoW doesn’t compromise on the ambience — we see Mordor for what it is, in its black and burning embers. There is room for carefully calculated, stealth-based battle strategy — and if you like to face the enemy head-on, the one-on-one combat is unpredictable and thrilling to watch, with all the different weaponry, character options to choose from.
This October, the middle-sequel will be out of the shadows, unleashing elven wrath on Sauron’s Ringwraiths.