Warner Bros. and Monolith Productions announced Middle-earth: Shadow of War on Monday with a surprise trailer. The game will come out on August 22 in North America and August 25 in Europe for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
The announcement follows a leak over the weekend courtesy of Target’s early listing online system. The mass retailer revealed ahead of time the artwork, release date, editions, and platforms available for the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor sequel.
Developers said the title would feature an enhanced version of its unique Nemesis system, which randomly generates foes for players to face. Shadow of War will also be available for the PS4 Pro and Microsoft’s Project Scorpio once it comes out.
Talion is back for full-scale revenge on Shadow of War
Just like in the first time over fighting against the rising forces of Sauron and his army of creatures, Middle-earth: Shadow of War will feature the ranger-turned-hero with a new Ring of Power to help him in his cause.
Forged in the depths of Mount Doom, the Ring will give Talion, even more, power to face Sauron and his Nazgul this time, as he also tries to turn enemies into allies to defeat the impending threat.
The Nemesis System will get some enhancements
Fans of the series will remember the critically acclaimed Nemesis System from the first game, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. In that title, the system randomly generated foes with unique traits and gave them a ‘memory’ of their encounters with the player.
In Middle-earth: Shadow of War, Monolith is taking this to the next level by adding the environment itself to the mix. Talion will influence how scenarios react to his presence in the upcoming game.
Moreover, the system will now feature Nemesis Fortresses which you can take over and Followers with whom you can create bonds, recruit or betray. Your actions will have an impact on the story’s unraveling.
You can pre-order today your preferred edition of Shadow of War
There are four versions players can choose from when pre-ordering Middle-earth: Shadow of War. The standard version will reportedly cost $59.99, while the Mithril Edition has a rumored price of $300 or above.
What do you get for that much money? Well, Monolith is throwing in two expansions to the Nemesis system as well as two DLCs: The Blade of Galadriel and The Desolation of Mordor.
Other than that, there are collectible goodies all around, including in-game items, figurines, cases, chests, maps, the soundtrack, and more for a total value of $350 or more according to the developers.
In the U.S., you can get Middle-earth: Shadow of War from Best Buy and GameStop, where it will also be available for purchase on August 22. European gamers will get their chance to buy the game three days later on August 25.
Source: Monolith