Lord of the Rings: Shadow of Mordor

[keg in kc]

Announced today, it would seem. Cover story in next month's Game Informer:

Originally Posted by Game Informer

As movie audiences gear up for the next installment of The Hobbit, gamers now have their own Tolkien project to get excited about. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is on its way to a game screen near you on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. Developed by Monolith Productions and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, we feel the upcoming game showcases some of the gameplay innovation potential now possible on next-generation consoles through its groundbreaking Nemesis System.

While many previous games set in Middle-earth have revolved around the major events or characters depicted in Tolkien's books, Shadow of Mordor offers a new chapter that fits comfortably between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Players control a lone ranger by the name of Talion as he journeys deep into the heart of Mordor in the days before it transforms into a blasted hellscape. Along the way, developer Monolith is exploring a fascinating next-gen approach to enemies, encounters, and storytelling, one in which every player shapes their own story through the choices they make. The Nemesis System assures that every enemy you fight is a named foe, and if they survive their battle with you, they continue to grow, improve, and act in the world, even as you attempt to do the same with Talion.

Link

Looks like just about everybody in game media has a story about it today.

[otherstar]

That sounds awesome (like Lord of the Rings Online, on serious STEROIDS). LOTRO just started using trait trees most love them (myself included). Depending on the cost, I may have to give this one a try!

[The Franchise]

For once I'd like to see a game that relies on player choices....to actually make the choices worthwhile. Half the time the rewards for either choice are garbage. Want to make it tough for me to stop taking the wrong side? Give me a reward that actually makes me want to choose the correct side.

[allen_kcCard]

As much as it would frustrate me in ways, I would love to see a game actually make the game damn near unplayable if you keep making the wrong choices. Like if you run around just killing anything that moves, get to a point where you can't do anything at all because mobs of guards and vigilantes swarm you and even the worst of the worst in the world refuse to deal with you.

[allen_kcCard]

Would also like to make this game my excuse for getting an updated system. Although trying to sell the house to get something large enough that my 4 month old actually has a room of his own might put a damper on that budget item.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by allen_kcCard

As much as it would frustrate me in ways, I would love to see a game actually make the game damn near unplayable if you keep making the wrong choices. Like if you run around just killing anything that moves, get to a point where you can't do anything at all because mobs of guards and vigilantes swarm you and even the worst of the worst in the world refuse to deal with you.

Actually it should make it incredibly hard...but the longer you persevere the bigger badass you become...and eventually you can overcome incredible odds as a super badass ranger...holy shit.

[Valiant]

Originally Posted by allen_kcCard

As much as it would frustrate me in ways, I would love to see a game actually make the game damn near unplayable if you keep making the wrong choices. Like if you run around just killing anything that moves, get to a point where you can't do anything at all because mobs of guards and vigilantes swarm you and even the worst of the worst in the world refuse to deal with you.

daggerfall

[Pants]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

For once I'd like to see a game that relies on player choices....to actually make the choices worthwhile. Half the time the rewards for either choice are garbage. Want to make it tough for me to stop taking the wrong side? Give me a reward that actually makes me want to choose the correct side.

I feel the best games are the ones with morally ambiguous choices. I feel like black or white choices are boring.

I loved the choice you had to make in the first Witcher. I could see good reasons to go with either one and it was incredibly difficult to decide. We need more games like that, IMO.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Pants

I feel the best games are the ones with morally ambiguous choices. I feel like black or white choices are boring.

I loved the choice you had to make in the first Witcher. I could see good reasons to go with either one and it was incredibly difficult to decide. We need more games like that, IMO.

The thing is, some of the situations I'm reading in the GI article aren't morally ambiguous. It's pretty black and white what you SHOULD do from a moral perspective. They're introducing a decision point as a gameplay mechanism, not a plot device (although it certainly figures into the plot).

It's a bit different than the Witcher I think but the Witcher is a good example because it was pretty unique/innovative and I think this has that kind of potential.

[Hammock Parties]

omfg

[The Franchise]

Holy ****.

[loochy]

pretty cool.

i dont know if i like the wraith thing though

[keg in kc]

Not sure I like the looks of that combat.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

Not sure I like the looks of that combat.

That's probably the only thing out of that...that I have questions about. It looked like at one point that he hit the enemy with a clean slash....but the enemy continued forward with his combo anyways.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

That's probably the only thing out of that...that I have questions about. It looked like at one point that he hit the enemy with a clean slash....but the enemy continued forward with his combo anyways.

Collision detection is something that can be continuously tweaked...

[Fish]

Holy ****ing ****. That's the coolest thing I've seen in a long time.