Skip to main content

Friend or foe? One Shadow of Mordor orc stands out amidst the armies

Read our full Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor review.

Meet Ratbag. He’s an Uruk in Sauron’s army, but unlike the other forces assembled by Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor‘s randomly generated Nemesis System, he’s always there. He’s got a role to play in Talion’s journey, as the dead-then-resurrected ranger and his ghostly companion Celebrimbor seek vengeance inside the towering natural walls of Mordor.

Related: A look at the magical randomness of Shadow of Mordor‘s Nemesis System

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released this new trailer for developer Monolith Productions’ upcoming game as PAX Prime 2014 descends. Shadow of Mordor has slowly transformed since its initial announcement from curious-yet-uninspiring Lord of the Rings tie-in to inventive open world action-RPG with an organic, unpredictable enemy ecosystem.

Lots to look forward to here. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor comes to PlayStation and Xbox consoles on September 30, 2014 and to Windows PCs on October 2.

Editors' Recommendations

Adam Rosenberg
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
Marvel Rivals turns Overwatch into the Earth’s mightiest superhero shooter
A lot of heroes fight in Marvel Rivals

The “hero shooter” is a popular competitive multiplayer game subgenre where players control characters with powerful preset abilities rather than a customizable loadout. Although "hero" is right there in the subgenre name, and Overwatch proved how well superheroes could work with the concept, we haven't gotten a true attempt at this style of game from Marvel or DC.

Marvel Rivals is out to change that, starting with its first open alpha this May.

Read more
Open Roads is a short family drama video game that leaves a big impact
Tess and Opal ride in a car in Open Roads.

Sometimes, it takes a tragedy to connect with your family.

That idea kicks off Open Roads, the latest indie published by Annapurna Interactive. The short narrative adventure begins with Tess, a young adult growing up in the wake of September 11, 2001, sorting through her grandmother’s belongings after she passes away. That somber process gives way to a domestic mystery that sends Tess and her mother, Opal, on a road trip to discover the family’s secret past.

Read more
This beloved feature almost ruined Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Link looking shocked holding rice.

“Development is going to be chaos.”

That was the reaction of Takahiro Takayama, lead physics engineer on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, when he saw the first prototypes for two of the game’s abilities: Ultrahand and Fuse. The seasoned engineer, who led the physics system on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, as well, knew that this type of physics system was uncharted territory.

Read more