Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor: Difference between revisions

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{{video game infobox
{{video game infobox
 
| image = [[File:Shadow of Mordor - Cover art.jpg|250px]]
| image =  
| name = Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
| name = Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
| developer = [[Monolith Productions]]
| developer = [[Monolith Productions]]
| publisher = [[Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment]]
| publisher = [[Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment]]
| platform = PC, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
| platform = PC, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
| releasedate = [[30 September]] [[2014]]
| releasedate = [[wikipedia:North America|NA]]: [[30 September]] [[2014]] <br/> [[wikipedia:Europe|EU]]:[[3 October]] [[2014]]
| genre = [[wikipedia:Action role-playing|Action role-playing]]
| genre = [[wikipedia:Action role-playing|Action role-playing]]
| modes =
| modes =
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| distribution =
| distribution =
}}
}}
'''''Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor''''' is an open world action-adventure video game, published by [[Monolith Productions]]. Released in 2014, the story takes place between ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', acting as a bridge between the two eras. The protagonist's name is Talion, a [[Gondorian]] [[Ranger]] stationed at the [[Black Gate]]. Talion's family is slain the night the Dark Lord [[Sauron]] and his [[Uruk-Hai]] forces return to reclaim [[Mordor]], setting the Ranger on a quest for revenge after he is possessed and sustained from death by a mysterious [[Wraith]].


==Plot Synopsis==
'''''Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor''''' is an open world action-adventure video game developed by [[Monolith Productions]]. Released in 2014, the story takes place between ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', acting as a bridge between the two eras. The protagonist's name is Talion, a [[Gondorian]] [[Ranger]] stationed at the [[Black Gate]]. Talion's family is slain the night the Dark Lord [[Sauron]] and his [[Uruk-Hai]] forces return to reclaim [[Mordor]], setting the Ranger on a quest for revenge after he is possessed and sustained from death by a mysterious [[Wraith]].


The family of Talion, a ranger who guards the black gates into Mordor, is brutally killed by the black hand of Sauron. Talion is also killed but is brought back to life merged with a wraith that gives him inhuman powers. He ventures into Mordor to exact revenge and to help the wraith find his past identity and what brings the two together.  
==Plot synopsis==
The family of [[Talion]], a ranger who guards the black gates into [[Mordor]], is brutally killed by the Black Hand of Sauron. Talion is also killed but is brought back to life merged with a wraith that gives him inhuman powers. He ventures into Mordor to exact revenge and to help the [[Celebrimbor|wraith]] find his past identity and what brings the two together.


== Gameplay ==
==Gameplay==
 
''Shadow of Mordor'' is an open-world action/adventure game that is set entirely within Mordor.<ref>{{webcite|author=Chris Plante|articleurl=http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/1/6881161/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-torture-terrorism|articlename='Shadow of Mordor' is morally repulsive and I can't stop playing it|dated=31-May-2011|website=[http://www.theverge.com The Verge]|accessed=July 29, 2015}}</ref> The overworld is mainly populated by [[Uruk-hai|Uruks]], as well as never-before-seen creatures, such as the cat-like Caragors and troll-like Graugs.
''Shadow of Mordor'' is an open-world action/adventure game that is set entirely within Mordor. The overworld is mainly populated by [[Uruk-hai|Uruks]], as well as never-before-seen creatures, such as the cat-like Caragors and troll-like Graugs.


One defining feature of the game is the Nemesis System, which allows the game to remember Uruks of a certain notability and track their progress as they rise from lowly soldiers to high-ranking captains and even war-chiefs. Most of these Uruks are randomly-generated and can vary in appearance, name, personality, and strengths/weaknesses. the Captains can randomly be found among the anonymous masses, though the war-chiefs can only be encountered by completing certain objectives to draw them out of hiding.
One defining feature of the game is the Nemesis System, which allows the game to remember Uruks of a certain notability and track their progress as they rise from lowly soldiers to high-ranking captains and even war-chiefs. Most of these Uruks are randomly-generated and can vary in appearance, name, personality, and strengths/weaknesses. the Captains can randomly be found among the anonymous masses, though the war-chiefs can only be encountered by completing certain objectives to draw them out of hiding.
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There are a number of tactics and strategies that can be exploited to kill Uruks: In addition to killing them in normal combat, one can also poison a nearby barrel of grog and let Uruk-hai drink from it, grapple them and throw them over the edge of a cliff or platform, set Caragors loose on them by breaking open their cages, launch sneak attacks from above or behind, or "brand" Uruks with the Wraith's powers to brainwash them and pit them against other Orcs.
There are a number of tactics and strategies that can be exploited to kill Uruks: In addition to killing them in normal combat, one can also poison a nearby barrel of grog and let Uruk-hai drink from it, grapple them and throw them over the edge of a cliff or platform, set Caragors loose on them by breaking open their cages, launch sneak attacks from above or behind, or "brand" Uruks with the Wraith's powers to brainwash them and pit them against other Orcs.


== Voice cast ==
==Differences between versions==
{| class="wikitable"
The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game are severely lacking in comparison to their counterparts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One: The PS3/360 versions features a simplified Nemesis system, poor framerate, longer loading times, and Graugs are very rarely encountered outside of missions. As such, the hunting challenges involving the Graugs and their variants are omitted from these versions of the game.
 
==In Depth Summary==
The family of Talion, a ranger of Gondor who guards the Black Gates into Mordor, is brutally killed by the Black Hand of Sauron and his two subordinates, the Hammer of Sauron and the Tower of Sauron, when Sauron's forces move to reoccupy Mordor after the [[Battle of Five Armies]]. Talion is also killed via a cut throat but is brought back to life merged with a elven wraith that gives him inhuman powers. He ventures into Mordor to exact revenge and to help the wraith find his past identity and what brings the two together. Through a series of quests with [[Gollum]], Talion and the wraith find relics that give the wraith his memories back in the form of visions. After completing all three Gollum Quests, the wraith is revealed to be Celebrimbor, the elven blacksmith who was tricked into forging the rings of power by Sauron during the [[Second Age]]. Talion also reunites with a fellow ranger, Hirgon of Tarnost and in a series of missions saves Hirgon's wife, poisons orc grog, and helps the rangers destroy a statue of Sauron in Mordor. Talion and Celebrimbor also meet an orc named Ratbag the Coward. Talion frees Ratbag from his binds and makes a deal; Ratbag will rank up in Sauron's army as long as he helps Talion kill the warchiefs. After three quests, Ratbag becomes a warchief and the deal is ended. After all of the previous missions, Talion attracts the attention of The Hammer of Sauron. The Hammer kills Ratbag, the only remaining warchief, for his incompetence and Talion kills the Hammer.
 
A young warrior-woman, Lithariel, approaches Talion and invites him to come hold audience with her mother, Queen [[Marwen]] of the coast of Nurnen, who wishes to treat with Celebrimbor. The ranger and wraith go to the coast of Nurnen, and the ailing mystic Marwen coaxes Celebrimbor and Talion into the realization that they can control orcs--including captains. Spurred by the idea that controlling the orc command structure can give them an army to challenge the Black Hand, the pair begin taking over orcs and manipulating the orc infighting to elevate their servants to command. Along the way, Talion meets a dwarf named Torvin, who teaches Talion about hunting and helps him retrieve one of Celebrimbor's past possessions, which have uniformly triggered memories and insight in the elf's life. The elderly Marwen's malaise worsens, and Talion helps retrieve medicine for her. It's revealed that her illness isn't age or her own straining efforts at seeing the future, but the malign influence and control of Saruman. Saruman almost succeeds in remotely breaking the bond between Talion and Celebrimbor, which would kill the ranger, when Lithariel breaks the staff her mother got from Saruman and severs the connection between the two. Marwen wishes to leave Nurnen with their tribe. Lithariel, on final raids with her warriors, is captured and Talion rescues her from an uruk stronghold. In gratitude, Marwen uses her influence with the local sailors to arrange passage for Talion and his force of orcs to the stronghold of the Black Captains. There Talion battles the Tower of Sauron, who prefers to torture the mind rather than fight the body. Among other things, the Tower reveals that Celebrimbor deliberately chose Talion's body as a host, and that Celebrimbor uses Talion to exact his revenge on Sauron. Celebrimbor also helped Sauron refine the Ring. Talion slays the Tower, and the ranger and wraith quarrel briefly but resolve to continue their partnership at least until the Black Hand, last of Sauron's captains, is defeated.
 
Upon their return to Nurn, they find Queen Marwen's stronghold has been attacked by orcs, and the Queen and her followers are nowhere to be found. The orcs came chasing a relic of Celebrimbor's, which was kept hidden by Gollum, who's kept trailing Talion and Celebrimbor in the hopes they'll lead him to the One Ring. Talion touches the relic and relives the near-end of Celebrimbor's memories--that Celebrimbor had stolen the One Ring from Sauron, and used it against Sauron for a time, commanding his own army of dominated orcs. The pair decide to go confront the Black Hand--who has made his base at the Black Gate. After a pitched battle with the Hand's own personal band of orc war-chieftains, the pair reach him. The Hand, surprisingly, doesn't resort to a physical confrontation. He reveals the failure of Celebrimbor's campaign--Sauron was almost bested, but as the maker and true master of his Ring, he was able to magically pull it from Celebrimbor's finger to his own, and then overwhelm the elf-lord. The vision over, the Black Hand cuts his own throat to make himself a vessel for Celebrimbor, using his magic to steal the wraith from Talion.  Then, with Celebrimbor's spirit in him, the Black Hand channels Sauron and becomes his master's giant armored form. A dying Talion manages to avoid "Sauron's" attacks, and then the resisting Celebrimbor freezes the Hand to give Talion time to strike him down.
 
The weakened Talion's vision clears in the unseen world of the wraith, and he stands over the slain Black Hand. Celebrimbor wearily believes they can't beat Sauron and he's willing to move on with Talion and let the ranger reunite with his family in the beyond. Talion, though, questions if Celebrimbor could really rest in peace if he did nothing further to fight Sauron. Celebrimbor is swayed by the ranger's argument, and bonds with him once more. Alive and strong again, Talion stands on the Black Gate and looks towards the newly-erupting Mount Doom, and declares it is time for a New Ring.
 
==Voice cast==
{| class="wikitable"=
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! Role !! Actor
! Role !! Actor
Line 35: Line 46:
| [[Celebrimbor|The Wraith]] || [[Alister Duncan]]
| [[Celebrimbor|The Wraith]] || [[Alister Duncan]]
|-
|-
| [[Black Hand]] || [[Nolan North]]
| Hirgon of Tarnost || Travis Willingham
|-
| The Black Hand || [[Nolan North]]
|-
| The Hammer of Sauron || John DiMaggio
|-
|-
| [[Sauron]] || [[Steve Blum]]   
| [[Sauron]] || [[Steve Blum]]   
|-
|-
| Torvin || [[Adam Croasdell]] 
| Torvin || Adam Croasdell
|-
|-
| Ioreth || [[Laura Bailey]]
| Ioreth || Laura Bailey
|-
|-
| [[Gollum]] || [[Liam O'Brien]]
| [[Gollum]] || [[Liam O'Brien]]
Line 47: Line 62:
| [[Galadriel]] || [[Jennifer Hale]]
| [[Galadriel]] || [[Jennifer Hale]]
|-
|-
| Queen Marwen || [[Claudia Black]]
| Ratbag the Coward || Phil Lamarr
|-
| Queen [[Marwen]] || Claudia Black
|-
| Dirhael || Jack Quaid
|-
|-
| [[Saruman]] || [[Roger Jackson]]
| [[Saruman]] || [[Roger Jackson]]
Line 53: Line 72:
| Ship Captain || [[Jason Connery ]]  
| Ship Captain || [[Jason Connery ]]  
|-
|-
| Additional voices || [[JB Blanc]]  
|Additional voices ||[[Yuri Lowenthal]]      
|-
|-
|Additional voices || [[Chris Cox]] 
|Additional voices || JB Blanc
|-
|Additional voices || Chris Cox
|}
|}


==History and development==
{{references}}
Development of ''Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor'', which took about three years, began in late 2011.<ref>{{cite web|title = Shadow of Mordor Dev Made "Some Pretty Big And Painful Cuts"|url = http://www.gamespot.com/articles/shadow-of-mordor-dev-made-some-pretty-big-and-pain/1100-6424827/|first=Eddie|last=Makuch|work=[[GameSpot]]|date=January 22, 2015|accessdate=July 30, 2015}}</ref> The game's lead developer was [[Monolith Productions]], who had experience on a Middle-earth game with ''[[Guardians of Middle-earth]]''. According to design director Michael de Plater, ''Shadow of Mordor'' was developed in parallel with ''Guardians of Middle-earth'' but handled by a separate team. It was published by [[Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment]].<ref name = "IGNInfo">{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/11/12/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-announced |title=Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Announced |publisher=IGN |date=November 12, 2013 |accessdate=November 20, 2013}}</ref><ref name="IGNWHY">{{cite web|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2014/02/20/why-lord-of-the-rings-fans-should-be-excited-for-shadow-of-mordor|title=Why Lord of the Rings Fans Should Be Excited for Shadow of Mordor|date=February 20, 2014|accessdate=July 25, 2015}}</ref> The game was designed by de Plater.<ref name="GI Feature 2">{{cite web|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2013/11/18/freedom-in-mordor-middle-earth-39-s-next-level-sandbox.aspx|title=Freedom In Mordor: Middle-earth's Next-Level Sandbox|first=Ben|last=Hanson|work=[[Game Informer]]|date=November 18, 2013|accessdate=July 25, 2015}}</ref>


''Shadow of Mordor'' bridges the gap between ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', with the team wanting to show iconic elements of the universe in an original way.<ref name="IGNWHY"/> The team had to draw notes on Tolkien's notes and appendices to ensure that their vision for the game would not change the franchise's timeline.<ref name="E3Time"/> Although the game's environment is inspired by the books and films, several places (such as Udûn and the Sea of Nurnen) were re-imagined. Art director Phil Straub considered consistency with the lore and presenting "something visually new" and realistic the most important elements of creating the game, and the team did not incorporate many fantasy elements in its world.<ref name="fantasy GameSpot"/> To create some parts of the game environment, they studied photos of Iceland and New Zealand and yellow stone found worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/shadow-of-mordor-interview/|title=Shadow of Mordor interview: lore, exploration and keeping up appearances|first=Shaun |last=Prescott|date=September 19, 2015|accessdate=July 25, 2015|work=[[PC Gamer]]}}</ref> Since ''Shadow of Mordor'' is set before ''The Lord of the Rings'', its landscape is less post-apocalyptic; environments also vary by weather, lighting and atmosphere.<ref name="gi feature1"/>
==See also==
Early in development the team consulted [[Peter Jackson]], director of ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' and ''[[The Hobbit (film series)|The Hobbit]]'' trilogies, who advised them against a film tie-in.<ref name="IGNWHY"/> According to Roberts, the story is designed for accessibility by all players, regardless of their familiarity with the franchise by creating natural interactions and believable relationships among the characters.<ref name="VentureStory"/> Its protagonist is Talion, a half-human, half-wraith inspired by [[Boromir]].<ref name="fantasy GameSpot">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/shadow-of-mordor-has-only-scratched-the-surface-of/1100-6424332/|title=Shadow of Mordor Has 'Only Scratched the Surface' of Monolith's Middle-earth|first=Alexa|last=Ray Corriea|work=[[GameSpot]]|date=December 20, 2014|accessdate=July 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2014/10/real-human-beings-shadow-of-mordor-watch-dogs-and.html|title=Real Human Beings: Shadow of Mordor, Watch Dogs|first=Austin|last=Walker|work=[[Paste Magazine]]|date=October 10, 2014|accessdate=July 25, 2015}}</ref> In the game, the mysterious wraith is later revealed as [[Celebrimbor]], creator of the [[Rings of Power]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vg247.com/2014/07/26/talions-wraith-in-middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-is-none-other-than-celebrimbor/|title=Talion’s wraith in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is none other than Celebrimbor|first=Stephany |last=Nunneley|work=[[VG247]]|date=July 26, 2014|accessdate=July 25, 2015}}</ref> The development team picked Celebrimbor because they considered his backstory sufficiently interesting to expand the canon's authenticity, allowing the team to write a story around power (a major theme of the game).<ref name="RingForger">{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2014/7/25/5937095/shadow-of-mordors-wraith-is-the-ring-forger-himself-celebrimbor|title=Shadow of Mordor's Wraith is the ring forger himself, Celebrimbor|first=Tracey|last=Lien|work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|date=July 25, 2014|accessdate=July 25, 2015}}</ref> In Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor's tone, the team created a dark atmosphere with humor, reflected in dialogue and voice acting. This was handled by [[Dan Abnett]]. The team hired [[David Salo]], a linguist who worked on the Tolkien's languages for the ''Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, to develop the Orcs' Black Speech.<ref name="VentureStory"/>
* [[:Category:Images from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor|Images from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor]]
To prevent inaccuracies, Monolith consulted several Tolkien scholars from [[Warner Bros.]] and collaborated with [[Weta Workshop]] on the game's special effects and scenery.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/lord-of-the-rings-prequel-shadow-of-mordor-is-not-a-movie-game/1100-6417287/|title=Lord of the Rings prequel Shadow of Mordor is "not a movie game"|first=Eddie|last=Makuch|work=[[GameSpot]]|date=January 23, 2014|accessdate=August 1, 2015}}</ref> To depict well-known characters the company partnered with [[Middle-earth Enterprises]], the franchise-rights holder, to prevent misuse and contradiction between the game's story and [[Tolkien]]'s.<ref name="VentureStory">{{cite web|url=http://venturebeat.com/2014/09/19/how-middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-stays-true-to-tolkiens-fantasy-universe/|title=How Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor stays true to Tolkien’s fantasy universe|first=Giancarlo|last=Valdes|work=[[VentureBeat]]|date=September 19, 2014|accessdate=July 25, 2015}}</ref>
The music for ''Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor'' was composed by [[Garry Schyman]] and Nathan Grigg, and a soundtrack album was released digitally by WaterTower Music on September 30, 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.watertower-music.com/releases_spotlight.php?search=WTM39612_shadow |title=Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor – Official Video Game Score |publisher=WaterTower Music |accessdate=September 30, 2014}}</ref>
 
On December 16, 2014, the downloadable content (DLC) ''Lord of the Hunt'' was released. Its storyline revolved around Torvin, and it included new runes, skins and bosses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/shadow-of-mordor-lord-of-the-hunt-dlc-pack-adds-new-warchiefs-and-mounts/|title=Shadow of Mordor 'Lord of the Hunt' DLC pack adds new warchiefs and mounts|author=Shaun Prescott|work=[[PC Gamer]]|date=December 17, 2014|accessdate=January 13, 2015}}</ref> ''Lord of the Hunt'' received mixed reviews from critics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor---lord-of-the-hunt|title=Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor – Lord of the Hunt for PC reviews|work=[[Metacritic]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|date=January 13, 2015}}</ref>
The final DLC for ''Shadow of Mordor'' (''The Bright Lord'') is set 3,000 years before the main campaign and allows players to control Talion's companion, Celebrimbor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/19/fight-the-dark-lord-sauron-in-middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-the-bright-lord-dlc|title=Fight the Dark Lord Sauron in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor The Bright Lord DLC|author=Cassidee Moser|work=[[IGN]]|date=February 19, 2015|accessdate=February 20, 2015}}</ref> It adds a chapter to ''Shadow of Mordor'' in which players can complete ten more missions and fight [[Sauron]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shadowofmordor.nl/news/The-Bright-Lord-DLC:-Finally-able-to-fight-sauron3895|title=The Bright Lord DLC: Finally able to fight sauron|author=Webmaster|work=Shadow of Mordor Fansite|date=March 26, 2015|accessdate=March 28, 2015}}</ref> The content was released on February 24, 2015 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2015/02/24/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-bright-lord-dlc-available-today-for-current-gen-pc.aspx|title=Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor Bright Lord DLC Available Today For Current-Gen, PC|author=Mike Futter |work=[[Game Informer]]|date=February 24, 2015|accessdate=February 24, 2015}}</ref>
A Game of the Year edition with DLC was announced on April 29, 2015 and released on May 5 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamezone.com/news/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-game-of-the-year-edition-announced-3416010|title=Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition announced|first=Matt|last=Liebi|work=[[GameZone]]|date=April 29, 2015|accessdate=July 28, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2015/05/05/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-game-of-the-year-edition-available-now/147241/|title=Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition Available Now|first=Kevin|last=Dunsmore|date=May 5, 2015|accessdate=July 28, 2015|work=[[Hardcore Gamer]]}}</ref> A special edition, with in-game items and a steelbook, was introduced on August 1.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.videogamer.com/ps4/middleearth_shadow_of_mordor/news/middle-earth_shadow_of_mordor_special_edition_revealed.html|title=Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Special Edition revealed|first=David|last=Scammell|date=August 1, 2015|accessdate=July 28, 2015|work=[[VideoGamer.com]]}}</ref>
{{references}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
* '''[http://www.shadowofmordor.com/agegate/ Official website]'''
* '''[http://www.shadowofmordor.com/agegate/ Official website]'''
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Revision as of 21:19, 14 January 2022

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Shadow of Mordor - Cover art.jpg
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Video game
DeveloperMonolith Productions
PublisherWarner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
PlatformPC, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Release dateNA: 30 September 2014
EU:3 October 2014
GenreAction role-playing

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is an open world action-adventure video game developed by Monolith Productions. Released in 2014, the story takes place between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, acting as a bridge between the two eras. The protagonist's name is Talion, a Gondorian Ranger stationed at the Black Gate. Talion's family is slain the night the Dark Lord Sauron and his Uruk-Hai forces return to reclaim Mordor, setting the Ranger on a quest for revenge after he is possessed and sustained from death by a mysterious Wraith.

Plot synopsis

The family of Talion, a ranger who guards the black gates into Mordor, is brutally killed by the Black Hand of Sauron. Talion is also killed but is brought back to life merged with a wraith that gives him inhuman powers. He ventures into Mordor to exact revenge and to help the wraith find his past identity and what brings the two together.

Gameplay

Shadow of Mordor is an open-world action/adventure game that is set entirely within Mordor.[1] The overworld is mainly populated by Uruks, as well as never-before-seen creatures, such as the cat-like Caragors and troll-like Graugs.

One defining feature of the game is the Nemesis System, which allows the game to remember Uruks of a certain notability and track their progress as they rise from lowly soldiers to high-ranking captains and even war-chiefs. Most of these Uruks are randomly-generated and can vary in appearance, name, personality, and strengths/weaknesses. the Captains can randomly be found among the anonymous masses, though the war-chiefs can only be encountered by completing certain objectives to draw them out of hiding.

There are a number of tactics and strategies that can be exploited to kill Uruks: In addition to killing them in normal combat, one can also poison a nearby barrel of grog and let Uruk-hai drink from it, grapple them and throw them over the edge of a cliff or platform, set Caragors loose on them by breaking open their cages, launch sneak attacks from above or behind, or "brand" Uruks with the Wraith's powers to brainwash them and pit them against other Orcs.

Differences between versions

The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game are severely lacking in comparison to their counterparts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One: The PS3/360 versions features a simplified Nemesis system, poor framerate, longer loading times, and Graugs are very rarely encountered outside of missions. As such, the hunting challenges involving the Graugs and their variants are omitted from these versions of the game.

In Depth Summary

The family of Talion, a ranger of Gondor who guards the Black Gates into Mordor, is brutally killed by the Black Hand of Sauron and his two subordinates, the Hammer of Sauron and the Tower of Sauron, when Sauron's forces move to reoccupy Mordor after the Battle of Five Armies. Talion is also killed via a cut throat but is brought back to life merged with a elven wraith that gives him inhuman powers. He ventures into Mordor to exact revenge and to help the wraith find his past identity and what brings the two together. Through a series of quests with Gollum, Talion and the wraith find relics that give the wraith his memories back in the form of visions. After completing all three Gollum Quests, the wraith is revealed to be Celebrimbor, the elven blacksmith who was tricked into forging the rings of power by Sauron during the Second Age. Talion also reunites with a fellow ranger, Hirgon of Tarnost and in a series of missions saves Hirgon's wife, poisons orc grog, and helps the rangers destroy a statue of Sauron in Mordor. Talion and Celebrimbor also meet an orc named Ratbag the Coward. Talion frees Ratbag from his binds and makes a deal; Ratbag will rank up in Sauron's army as long as he helps Talion kill the warchiefs. After three quests, Ratbag becomes a warchief and the deal is ended. After all of the previous missions, Talion attracts the attention of The Hammer of Sauron. The Hammer kills Ratbag, the only remaining warchief, for his incompetence and Talion kills the Hammer.

A young warrior-woman, Lithariel, approaches Talion and invites him to come hold audience with her mother, Queen Marwen of the coast of Nurnen, who wishes to treat with Celebrimbor. The ranger and wraith go to the coast of Nurnen, and the ailing mystic Marwen coaxes Celebrimbor and Talion into the realization that they can control orcs--including captains. Spurred by the idea that controlling the orc command structure can give them an army to challenge the Black Hand, the pair begin taking over orcs and manipulating the orc infighting to elevate their servants to command. Along the way, Talion meets a dwarf named Torvin, who teaches Talion about hunting and helps him retrieve one of Celebrimbor's past possessions, which have uniformly triggered memories and insight in the elf's life. The elderly Marwen's malaise worsens, and Talion helps retrieve medicine for her. It's revealed that her illness isn't age or her own straining efforts at seeing the future, but the malign influence and control of Saruman. Saruman almost succeeds in remotely breaking the bond between Talion and Celebrimbor, which would kill the ranger, when Lithariel breaks the staff her mother got from Saruman and severs the connection between the two. Marwen wishes to leave Nurnen with their tribe. Lithariel, on final raids with her warriors, is captured and Talion rescues her from an uruk stronghold. In gratitude, Marwen uses her influence with the local sailors to arrange passage for Talion and his force of orcs to the stronghold of the Black Captains. There Talion battles the Tower of Sauron, who prefers to torture the mind rather than fight the body. Among other things, the Tower reveals that Celebrimbor deliberately chose Talion's body as a host, and that Celebrimbor uses Talion to exact his revenge on Sauron. Celebrimbor also helped Sauron refine the Ring. Talion slays the Tower, and the ranger and wraith quarrel briefly but resolve to continue their partnership at least until the Black Hand, last of Sauron's captains, is defeated.

Upon their return to Nurn, they find Queen Marwen's stronghold has been attacked by orcs, and the Queen and her followers are nowhere to be found. The orcs came chasing a relic of Celebrimbor's, which was kept hidden by Gollum, who's kept trailing Talion and Celebrimbor in the hopes they'll lead him to the One Ring. Talion touches the relic and relives the near-end of Celebrimbor's memories--that Celebrimbor had stolen the One Ring from Sauron, and used it against Sauron for a time, commanding his own army of dominated orcs. The pair decide to go confront the Black Hand--who has made his base at the Black Gate. After a pitched battle with the Hand's own personal band of orc war-chieftains, the pair reach him. The Hand, surprisingly, doesn't resort to a physical confrontation. He reveals the failure of Celebrimbor's campaign--Sauron was almost bested, but as the maker and true master of his Ring, he was able to magically pull it from Celebrimbor's finger to his own, and then overwhelm the elf-lord. The vision over, the Black Hand cuts his own throat to make himself a vessel for Celebrimbor, using his magic to steal the wraith from Talion. Then, with Celebrimbor's spirit in him, the Black Hand channels Sauron and becomes his master's giant armored form. A dying Talion manages to avoid "Sauron's" attacks, and then the resisting Celebrimbor freezes the Hand to give Talion time to strike him down.

The weakened Talion's vision clears in the unseen world of the wraith, and he stands over the slain Black Hand. Celebrimbor wearily believes they can't beat Sauron and he's willing to move on with Talion and let the ranger reunite with his family in the beyond. Talion, though, questions if Celebrimbor could really rest in peace if he did nothing further to fight Sauron. Celebrimbor is swayed by the ranger's argument, and bonds with him once more. Alive and strong again, Talion stands on the Black Gate and looks towards the newly-erupting Mount Doom, and declares it is time for a New Ring.

Voice cast

Role Actor
Talion Troy Baker
The Wraith Alister Duncan
Hirgon of Tarnost Travis Willingham
The Black Hand Nolan North
The Hammer of Sauron John DiMaggio
Sauron Steve Blum
Torvin Adam Croasdell
Ioreth Laura Bailey
Gollum Liam O'Brien
Galadriel Jennifer Hale
Ratbag the Coward Phil Lamarr
Queen Marwen Claudia Black
Dirhael Jack Quaid
Saruman Roger Jackson
Ship Captain Jason Connery
Additional voices Yuri Lowenthal
Additional voices JB Blanc
Additional voices Chris Cox

References

  1. ↑ Chris Plante, "'Shadow of Mordor' is morally repulsive and I can't stop playing it" dated 31 May 2011, The Verge (accessed 29 July 2015)

See also

External links

Licensed video games set in Middle-earth
 Melbourne House: The Hobbit (1982) · Lord of the Rings: Game One (1985) · Shadows of Mordor (1988) · War in Middle Earth (1988) · Crack of Doom Software Adventure (1989) · Riders of Rohan (1990)
 Interplay Productions: The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I (PC) (1990) · The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers (1993) · The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I (SNES) (1994)
 Vivendi Universal: The Fellowship of the Ring (2002) · The Hobbit (2003) · War of the Ring (2003)
 Electronic Arts: The Two Towers (2002) · The Return of the King (2003) · The Third Age (2004) · The Battle for Middle-earth (2004) · Tactics (2005) · The Battle for Middle-earth II (2006) (The Rise of the Witch-king (2006)) · Conquest (2009) · Heroes of Middle-earth (2023)
 Turbine/Standing Stone Games: The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (2007-) (Mines of Moria (2008) · Siege of Mirkwood (2009) · Rise of Isengard (2011) · Riders of Rohan (2012) · Helm's Deep (2013) · Mordor (2017) · Minas Morgul (2019)) · War of Three Peaks (2020) · Fate of Gundabad (2021) · Before the Shadow (2022)
 Warner Bros: Aragorn's Quest (2010) · War in the North (2011) · Guardians of Middle-earth (2012) · Kingdoms of Middle-earth (2012)· Armies of The Third Age (2013) · Shadow of Mordor (2014) · Shadow of War (2017) · Rise to War (2021)
 Glu Games: Middle-Earth Defense (2010)
 Traveller's Tales: Lego The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game (2012) · Lego The Hobbit (2014)
 Daedalic Entertainment: The Lord of the Rings: Gollum (2023)
 North Beach Games: The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria (2023)
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