The Desolation of Mordor DLC releases on May 8:

The Desolation of Mordor DLC Releases May 8

The Desolation of Mordor Story Expansion includes:• NEW Story campaign

• NEW Side missions featuring Torvin
• NEW Human Mercenaries and Bodyguards
• NEW Region of Mordor - The Desert of Lithlad
• NEW Beasts: Were-wyrms

Play as Baranor, the Captain of the Tower from Minas Ithil, and travel deep behind enemy lines in the Eastern Deserts of Mordor.

Raise an Easterling Army to open a new front in the Shadow War.

Rendezvous with Torvin, the epic Dwarven Hunter, who journeyed deep into the Desolation of Mordor in pursuit of the legendary Were-wyrms.

Join Monolith every Thursday at 3PM PDT on twitch.tv/monolithlive to get a first look at the new DLC.

TechRaptor reviewed Shadow of Mordor:

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor - Review

Fans of the Tolkien universe of Lord of the Rings can be happy that they get a new change to dive in with Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. A third person action adventure game by WB Interactive and Monolith Productions for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC versions, or Behaviour Interactive if you have the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 version. Some features of the game such as the Nemesis System have been cut back for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 but this was reviewed on the Xbox One so it will cover all of the features.
[...]

As someone who has interest in the world of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings but also a fan of the Assassins Creed series and the Batman Arkham games I originally felt that I would play the game but I wouldn’t love it but Shadow of Mordor has completely enchanted me. There’s no time that you ever feel like there’s a 100% chance to win in any fight you come across as so many small factors can completely change the tide of battle. The story has me interested and wanting more but having the Nemesis System in place I still find myself taking off from my path to slay or learn about more Captains or take the challenge of defeating a War Chief. For fans of Lord of the Rings and the silmarillion I will warn you that there are some aspects of the game that do not line up with the canon lore but if you still want to experience a fun game set in a universe you know so well then you will enjoy Shadow of Mordor.
[...]

Summary
Shadow of Mordor is an extremely fun action/adventure game set in middle-earth. Fans of the books and those who want to learn more will both enjoy the experience that this game has to offer.

@Destructoid Shadow of Mordor has received a new patch of which no-one knows what it does.

There's a new patch for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and no one seems to know what it does. Update 1.10 released today and it's mostly substantial in size -- reports indicate about 6GB on PS4, 2.27GB on Xbox One, but only 8.1MB on PC. Most curious, developer Monolith and publisher Warner Bros. haven't made any mention of this patch's function.

For context, Shadow of Mordor released in September 2014. Its most recent update on PlayStation was in October of last year when it received 4K support for the PS4 Pro. Ever since then, it has been all quiet with regard to this game.

Of course, Monolith has been busy with another Lord of the Rings title, the upcoming Shadow of War. This is rampant conjecture, but this update might be affiliated with Shadow of War in some way. The most obvious reasoning would be that it allows for imported saves from Shadow of Mordor, so that players can continue the battle against their most memorable nemeses.
[...]

@ArsTechnica Warner Brothers has settled with the FTC over paying YouTubers for positive Shadow of Mordor reviews.

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a settlement on Monday with Warner Brothers Home Entertainment Inc. over the studio's alleged failure to properly disclose that it had paid top YouTube "influencers" to promote the 2014 game Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. While the FTC's complaint against Warner Bros. (PDF) does not mention any specific influencer, the commission's press release calls out PewDiePie, the world's top-earning YouTube video creator, as one of the so-called influencers that took the studio's money.

 

The FTC's complaint says that a third-party marketing team hired by Warner Bros. gave the YouTube game reviewers "cash payments often ranging from hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars," as long as the videos they made about Shadow of Mordor met certain criteria. Among those criteria were stipulations that the video had to be positive about the game; could not show any bugs or glitches that the reviewer may have found in the early release copy they were given to play; could not contain any negative sentiments about the game, Warner Bros., or its affiliates; and had to include "a strong verbal call-to-action to click the link in the description box for the viewer to go to the [game's] website to learn more about the [game], to learn how they can register, and to learn how to play the game."

In addition, the YouTube creators also had to make at least one Facebook post or one Tweet to promote the video they made about Shadow of Mordor.

Expanded Version of Award-Winning Action Game Will Include All Downloadable Content

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced Middle-earth: Shadow of MordorGame of the Year Edition.  The expanded version of the award-winning third-person open world action game, developed by Monolith Productions will launch 8^th May for £49.99 on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft £34.99 for Steam on Windows PC.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor earned enthusiastic reviews when it launched last year, winning more than 25 awards including Game of the Year at the 2015 Game Developers Choice Awards and eight awards from the 2015 D.I.C.E. Awards amongst many others. Featuring the innovative Nemesis System, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor  Game of the Year Edition expands on the critically-acclaimed original title, which includes the main game and all currently available downloadable content (DLC) packs, allowing fans to experience hours of added gameplay and content including:

• Story Packs: The Lord of The Hunt and The Bright Lord

• Skins: The Dark Ranger, Captain of the Watch, Lord of the Hunt, The Bright Lord, Power of Shadow and Lithariel Skins

• Runes: Hidden Blade, Deadly Archer, Flame of Anor, Rising Storm, Orc Slayer, Defiant to the End, Elven Grace, Ascendant, One with Nature

• Missions: Guardians of the Flaming Eye, The Berserks and The Skull Crushers Warband Missions

• Challenge Modes: Test of Power, Test of Speed, Test of Wisdom, Endless Challenge, Test of the Wild, Test of the Ring, Test of Defiance Modes

• Additional Features: Photo Mode.

For the latest updates, like Middle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor™ on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ShadowofMordor and follow the game on Twitter at https://twitter.com/middleearthgame.

Michael de Plater the Design Director at Monolith Productions shard his thoughts on the development of Shadow of Mordor in a new Postmortem article on Gamasutra.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor shipped worldwide beginning Sept. 30, 2014. Shadow of Mordor was an ambitious game around which we built our current team here at Monolith Productions, and it was the first time many of us had worked together.

For the majority of the team it was our first third person, open world action game not to mention our first “new gen” title.

This combination of factors made it an enormously educational experience seeing how far we can improve. The following list is a small sample of our experience gained over the last three years in development.

A new free DLC for Shadow of Mordor gives you the chance to play as Lithariel, Warrior Leader of the Resistance.

Shadow of Mordor has gotten itself a new DLC pack today, and happily it’s quite free. In the Power of Defiance DLC pack, you can play as Lithariel thanks to a new skin, undergo a new challenge, and receive an epic rune.

The new challenge obtained through playing as Lithariel, the Warrior Leader of the Resistance, is the Test of Defiance. Taking on this challenge strips you of your ability to enter wraith-mode or save the game, nor can you retreat from a battle. Lithariel has one life, and you must make the best of it to kill 6 Warchiefs and 15 captains. However, if you equip the new Epic rune “Defiant to the End,” you’ll have one extra shot to take care of business before saying good-bye to life.

The Power of Defiance DLC is free for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It’s available now to download.

More information.

Nic Rowen of Destructoid posted a new article where he gives his opinion that Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis system is the true beginning of this generation.

Imagine an espionage game like Alpha Protocol that lets you threaten other agents and goons into giving you information or sabotaging a target. Missions that could be randomly interrupted by an enemy you made on a previous job, or a mysterious ally lending a hand in exchange for a favor. Or how about you transplant the orcs social power struggle system into a game like Bully, where no-name punk kids could climb to power one atomic wedgie at a time? (It isn't a huge jump to make, high schoolers are basically orcs when you think about it.)

Eurogamer's Digital Foundry posted thie usual "Face-Off" performance analysis of Shadow of Mordor that compares all three versions of the game.

Considered a curveball for PC users, Shadow of Mordor's whopping 6GB video memory requirement for ultra textures makes it - at first blush - appear the version to beat. On the other hand, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One releases boast graphics settings tailored to each platform in order to squeeze the most consistent rate of performance. Visual features are cut back to this end - to varying degrees for both - though curiously we see certain visual effects exclusive to console. But on balance, does Sony and Microsoft's hardware realise the same satisfying, open-world Middle-earth experience?

Built on a new revision of Monolith Productions' LithTech engine, the commitment to the new wave of consoles is evident. With PS4 and Xbox One alike patched up to version 1.02, the differences at first glance are few owing to a heavy use of pre-rendered cut-scenes of matching compression settings. As is often the case, resolution is a divisive point on the console front. The Xbox One release is immediately on the back foot, with our pixel count tests highlighting an upscaled 1600x900 resolve for the platform. In contrast with the full native 1920x1080 output on PS4, it's undoubtedly a downgrade that echoes the state of many multi-platform releases this year. However, catching this disparity does take very close attention to side-by-side shots - in part due to both versions' use of a heavy post-process anti-aliasing effect.

Curiously, this post-process setting is entirely absent from the PC version's menus. Instead, PC users are left with a raw image, which in our comparison shots is set to output a straight 1080p. As a net result, PS4 and Xbox One are able to reduce flicker when panning across foliage, while these elements appear harsh and pixelated on PC. As a fix, it's possible to set the PC resolution to 3840x2160, allowing the game itself to super-sample the image down to a pristine 1080p output, but given how GPU-intensive this is, a less taxing, console-style AA option would have been welcome.

But are the console versions dialled down from PC significantly? As it turns out, the PS4 and Xbox One come close in most metrics, but fall short in specific areas. For one, texture quality on both is equivalent to the PC's high setting, making for a contrast in mapping quality when planted next to the ultra-HD artwork pack. However, console textures still hold up well from a distance; though the definition on castle walls takes a hit, the gap is marginal in other areas.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment & Monolith Productions released another Shadow of Mordor trailer today called Forge your Nemesis.

Today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) and Monolith Productions released the Shadow of Mordor™ - Forge your Nemesis Trailer, giving players a look at the game’s innovative Nemesis System as seen through the eyes of the Uruk army. Players watch the rise of a single Uruk as he ascends within Sauron’s army and becomes Talion’s personal nemesis.

DSO Gaming has a look at how Shadow of Mordor performs on the PC.

Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor was a highly anticipated game. A couple of months ago, Monolith surprised everyone with the game’s PC requirements. And if that wasn’t enough, just mere days prior to its release, the team claimed that the game would need huge amounts of VRAM in order to be enjoyed even at High settings. So, after the controversy surrounding its enormous PC requirements, it’s time to see how this bad boy performs on the PC platform.

Here is another roundup of reviews for Shadow of Mordor this week. I also found two interviews to go along with the reviews. So happy reading and watching everyone.

PC Gamer - 85/100

The tech specs are demanding, but this is the Middle-Earth game to rule them all.

Digital Trends - 4.5/5

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor nears perfection, but the demands of a scripted narrative work against its freeform structure.

Shadow of Mordor is a triumph, its final irony being that it's arguably the best and most pure Assassin's Creed game to date.

A hugely entertaining, tongue-in-cheek and fulsome experience, it’s a worthy expedition whether you’re a Rings fan or not.

Shadow of Mordor paints the pictures that rest somewhere between bookends.

And for last here are the two interviews.

Gamereactor

Gillen caught up with lead game designer Bob Roberts to discuss the game and find out more about its development.

"We definitely kept up with exactly what they're [the film production] doing in the films," said Roberts. "Make sure we're not generating any kinds of details that would ever overlap and taking advantage as much as we can of the world they're creating to kind of inspire us as we build out Mordor."

Shadow of Mordor is now available on Steam, and has a new launch trailer. Now I haven' t had a chance to download the game yet so I can't give my opinion.

Middle-earth : Shadow of Mordor™ delivers a dynamic game environment where the player orchestrates their personal plan of vengeance as they bend Mordor to their will. The game begins on the night of Sauron’s return to Mordor, as his Black Captains brutally execute the Rangers of the Black Gate. Players become Talion, a ranger who loses his family and everything he holds dear, only to be returned from death by a mysterious Spirit of vengeance. Based on the player’s actions with the in-game Nemesis System, every enemy encountered is distinct and can evolve to become a personal archenemy through the course of the game.  As Talion’s personal vendetta unfolds, players uncover the mystery of the Spirit that compels him, discover the origin of the Rings of Power and confront the ultimate nemesis.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment & Monolith Productions released a new Shadow of Mordor "Season Pass" trailer. Well we all knew this was was part of the game.

So watch the video for details of what the season pass gets you.

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor will launch in three days and a bunch of sites have released reviews the game, and of course the scores are positive.

1. GamesRadar - 9/10
2. Game Informer - 8.25/10
3. GamesBeat - 80/100
4. Eurogamer - 8/10
5. MMORPG.com - 8.2/10
6. Shacknews - 9/10
7. GameSpot  -8/10
8. Destructoid - 6/10
9. Joystiq - 5/5
10. Polygon - 9.5/10
11. IGN - 9.3/10
12. The Escapist - 4.5/5

Were getting closer to the release of Shadow of Mordor, and the developers have released a new video about, "Everything You Need to Walk Into Mordor."

Learn everything you need to know to walk into Mordor in our latest video.

Solaris PLAYS posted a new forty minute live video preview of Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor from Nvidia's Game24 event this week.

The developers from Monolith demo the latest PC GAMEPLAY FOOTAGE AT Nvidia's Game24 Middle Earth Shadow of Mordor  This is a 1/2 hour long demo of the game, featuring the "core mechanics" and basic plot outline.It's a terrible shame that the 2 presenters interviewing the devs are awful at their "jobs", totally inept and clueless, but ignore them and concentrate on the first PC gameplay!

Seems a new live action trailer for Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor was released today.

GamesHQMedia has a new video eight minute video preview of Middle-Earth Shadow of Mordor with some commentary from the games developers.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released another video for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor that gives us a look behind the scenes if development.

In the Shadow of Mordor - Behind the Scenes Trailer: Troy Baker AND Nolan North, Troy and Nolan discuss their experiences working on the new action game and how they brought their characters, Talion and The Black Hand, to life. They also comment on their relationship with each other.

Bob Roberts of Monolith was interviewed by GamerHubTV in a new video.

Monolith developer Bob Roberts discusses the latest characters and gameplay reveals for WB Games Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, which is set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movies.

Also Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced a new release date.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor - Updated Street Dates

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced today that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of  Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor will take more time in development, and the release dates for these versions are moving to November 18 in the Americas and November 21 in the UK. The street dates for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One remain September 30 in the Americas and October 3 in the UK. PC and Steam versions are now slated for release in the Americas and Europe on September 30.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor delivers a dynamic game environment where the player orchestrates their personal plan of vengeance as they bend Mordor to their will. The game begins on the night of Sauron’s return to Mordor, as his Black Captains brutally execute the Rangers of the Black Gate. Players become Talion, a ranger who loses his family and everything he holds dear, only to be returned from death by a mysterious Spirit of vengeance. Based on the player’s actions with the in-game Nemesis System, every enemy encountered is distinct and can evolve to become a personal archenemy through the course of the game.  As Talion’s personal vendetta unfolds, players uncover the mystery of the Spirit that compels him, discover the origin of the Rings of Power and confront the ultimate nemesis.  

The Media Cows YouTube channel has a a new video for Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor from Pax Prime 2014 with new gameplay footage.

The game takes place between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings, as written by J.R.R. Tolkien. The family of Talion, a ranger of Gondor responsible for guarding the Black Gate of Mordor, is killed by Sauron's armies, but Talion (voiced and motion captured by Troy Baker) is revived with "wraith-like abilities" and heads into Mordor to exact his revenge. Mordor is not yet a barren wasteland in this story.

The story involves the Rings of Power, but the story is separate to The Lord of the Rings canon. However, Warner Bros. maintains that the stories will align. The player will encounter Gollum (voiced by Liam O'Brien) in the game, discovering that Talion and Gollum have a lot in common.

GameSpot has a new hands-on video preview for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor from Pax Prime 2014 this week called 101 Ways to Kill an Orc.

We detail our hands-on with the Nemesis system of Shadow of Mordor and why it is so exciting in action.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released new trailer for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor that introduces us to a Uruk called Ratbag.

While Uruks are dynamically generated through the Nemesis System and unique to each player, Ratbag is a special Uruk who plays a critical role in the story as Talion goes on his journey to destroy Sauron’s army.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment & Monolith Productions released information on what users will get if they purchase a season pass for Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor.

Shadow of Mordor – Season Pass Unveiled

Entertainment (WBIE) and Monolith Productions today revealed the Season Pass for upcoming action game, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, showcasing exclusive content that will be available at participating retailers.

The Season Pass includes:

- Exclusive ‘Guardians of the Flaming Eye’ Orc Warband mission
- Players will face Sauron’s elite Defenders before the Black Gate and earn the Rising Flame rune

 Early access to the ‘Trials of War’ challenge series

- Players will test their skills against select legions of Sauron’s forces in this series of challenge modes and build their legend as gamers post their best score on the Challenge Leaderboard

 All new story missions with hours of gameplay

- Lord of the Hunt – Hunt the wild beasts of Mordor as player’s discover hidden lairs, earn unique runes and face off against powerful monsters
- The Bright Lord – Play as Celebrimbor, the great Elven smith of the Second Age, and battle against Sauron and the might of his forces

Access to future content

- Including runes, skins and additional future add-on content.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor delivers a dynamic game environment where the player orchestrates their personal plan of vengeance as they bend Mordor to their will. The game begins on the night of Sauron’s return to Mordor, as his Black Captains brutally execute the Rangers of the Black Gate. Players become Talion, a ranger who loses his family and everything he holds dear, only to be returned from death by a mysterious Spirit of vengeance. Based on the player’s actions with the in-game Nemesis System, every enemy encountered is distinct and can evolve to become a personal archenemy through the course of the game.  As Talion’s personal vendetta unfolds, players uncover the mystery of the Spirit that compels him, discover the origin of the Rings of Power and confront the ultimate nemesis.

For the latest game updates, like Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/ShadowofMordor and follow the game on Twitter at  https://twitter.com/middleearthgame.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released a new video trailer for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor that gives us a look at Sauron’s Servants.

Today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) and Monolith Productions released the Shadow of Mordor Story Trailer – Sauron’s Servants. Talion sets out to rage war against Sauron’s servants, The Black Captains, who forced the Ranger to watch as his son and wife were murdered.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released another video interview for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor that gives us a look behind the scenes if development.

Get a look behind the scenes of this fall’s highly anticipated action game, Middle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor™, as Troy Baker, who stars as Talion (The Last of Us, Batman™: Arkham Origins) and Alastair Duncan, who stars as Celebrimbor (Mass Effect, Uncharted 3), discussing their experiences creating the game.

Monolith Productions and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has released a trailer showing gameplay from this game:

This trailer delves into the powers of the Wraith, who was revealed at San Diego Comic-Con to be Celebrimbor, the greatest Elven smith of the Second Age

Toonzone interviewed the Lead Writer of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Christian Cantamessa in San diego at this years SDCC 2014.

Toonzone had the opportunity to participate in a roundtable interview with the Lead Writer on Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Christian Cantamessa at the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC2014). Topics discussed included:

• Bringing Gollum into the story
• Exploring an unspoiled Mordor, on the verge of collapse
• The possibility of sequels
• The narrative experience
• The genesis of Talion and precautions taken when creating him
• At what point Cantamessa joined Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor takes place between the events of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Mordor is not yet a wasteland. Talion, a ranger of Gondor is killed while guarding the Black Gate of Mordor against the forces of Sauron.  He’s resurrected with wraith-like abilities and heads into Mordor to exact his revenge.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was developed by Monolith Productions and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game is set to be released on September 30, 2014. It will be available on the PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. For more information on the game, visit the official Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor 

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment sent over news in a press release that Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor will be released a little earlier than expected.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Announces Earlier Release Date

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is pleased to announce that the highly anticipated action game, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, will be available in the UK on 3rd October 2014 for PlayStation™ 4, Xbox One, PlayStation™ 3  Xbox 360 and PC. 

Based on hearing fans’ excitement over the latest chronicle in Middle-earth, WBIE will release the action game earlier than originally planned at all participating retailers. In the game, players will experience the depth of the Nemesis System, where every enemy is unique, differentiated by their appearance, personality, strengths and weaknesses. These enemies are shaped by their encounters with the player to create personal archenemies who are unique to every gameplay session.

Middle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor™ delivers a vibrant game environment where the player orchestrates their personal plan of vengeance as they bend Mordor to their will. The game begins on the night of Sauron’s return to Mordor, as his Black Captains brutally execute the Rangers of the Black Gate. Players become Talion, a ranger who loses his family and everything he holds dear, only to be returned from death by a mysterious Spirit of vengeance. Based on the player’s actions with the in-game Nemesis System, every enemy encountered is distinct and can evolve to become a personal archenemy through the course of the game.  As Talion’s personal vendetta unfolds, players uncover the mystery of the Spirit that compels him, discover the origin of the Rings of Power and confront the ultimate nemesis.

For the latest game updates, like Middle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor™ on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ShadowofMordor and follow the game on Twitter at https://twitter.com/middleearthgame.

They also released a new trailer called the The Bright Lord.

The new trailer reveals many new story details for the game, including the identity of the mysterious Wraith bound to protagonist Talion, as well as his connection to the Rings of Power and the Dark Lord, Sauron.

Gamereactor interviews Monolith's Bob Roberts in a new video interview from last month at E3, and talk about Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor.

We talked with Monolith's Bob Roberts about Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor at E3, where we discussed how it's not just a player's actions that will affect the world around them.

"In most games you die, you rewind time, load a checkpoint, play the last 90 seconds / two minutes over again," Roberts explained. "Not for us. For us time always moves forward, and for you, personally, that's going to be: the guy that killed you, he just made a name for himself. He just killed this monster that's been terrorising his leaders, so he could get promoted, you start to learn more about him and you can go hunt him down."

"But even without your influence, if time's moving forward, Orc society, it's a dynamic thing too. They're always fighting and backstabbing and battling each other for power and dominance too, so you're going to see other guys in the world that you didn't even necessarily interact with level up, grow in power, kill each other off, gain new allies, so that it's always creating this shifting dynamic of like "who's your target?". If you were going after somebody, and when you died his bodyguard got killed by someone else, that's part of your job done for you, but he might have also recruited a new bodyguard. Things can change very rapidly, and it's also very fluid so nobodies play-throughs are going to be similar too because of that."

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released a new video interview for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor that also gives us a look behind the scenes.

To wet fans' appetites, the team today reveals the first Behind the Scenes interview for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, revealing panellists Troy Baker, who stars as Talion (The Last of Us, Batman™: Arkham Origins) and Christian Cantamessa, lead writer (Red Dead Redemption), discussing their experiences creating the game. Look closely for the first glimpse of a beloved Middle-earth character, and a few new faces.

Dual Shockers Tony Polanco has posted a new hands-off preview of Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. Here is a small sample of his article.

A lot of games out there boast about how dynamic they are and how gamers will never experience the same thing twice. While there are some out there which hold true to this, many just have the illusion of being dynamic. Given how our hands-off preview of Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor went, I think I can safely say that this is a game where things will never turn out exactly as you’ve planned them.

I was very impressed with what I saw during this demonstration. Licensed games are always ones I’m naturally wary of but Shadow of Mordor seems like a promising title. The Nemesis System is an innovative mechanic that I want to try out first hand. The game is due out this fall so I won’t have to wait too long to see if the final product can live up to what I saw in this demo.

Twin Galaxies Live hosted a video chat a few weeks back with the developers of Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, and got a sneak peak at the Nemesis System.

The innovative "Nemesis System"—developed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the upcoming Lord of the Rings video game title Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor—will be demonstrated live right here! This is your chance to see the game in action and to get real-time, face to face access to the game developers. They'll be in-studio to answer YOUR questions.

"The Nemesis System" is a versatile feature of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor that allows players to alter the outcome of the story and the development of their character through their unique actions, decision, and game play style throughout the game. Developers from Monolith and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will be inviting you to make suggestions on how to approach different in-game situations, so that they can delve into the thrilling game play and show the variety of enemies, tactics, and the "Nemesis System" in action.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released another trailer for Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, and talk about some new runes from  the game.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) and Monolith Productions today released an all-new trailer, Shadow of Mordor E3 CG Trailer: Gravewalker. The trailer showcases protagonist Talion on his quest for vengeance alongside the immortal Wraith Spirit bound to him by an unbreakable curse. Like Talion, this wraith seeks revenge against Sauron and his evil army.

Additionally, exclusive new runes are revealed for those who sign up for a WBID account on ShadowofMordor.com/register. Share the news with your readers.

WBID – Orc Hunter Rune

Talion  can overcome Sauron’s captains by increasing terror from his stealth takedowns.

Palantir – Gravewalker Rune

After signing into WBID, get the Gravewalker rune when accessing Palantir upon launch . Talion spread’s fear among Sauron’s army when his Captains are defeated.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor delivers a dynamic game environment where the player orchestrates their personal plan of vengeance as they bend Mordor to their will. The game begins on the night of Sauron’s return to Mordor, as his Black Captains brutally execute the Rangers of the Black Gate. Players become Talion, a ranger who loses his family and everything he holds dear, only to be returned from death by a mysterious Spirit of vengeance. Based on the player’s actions with the in-game Nemesis System, every enemy encountered is distinct and can evolve to become a personal archenemy through the course of the game.  As Talion’s personal vendetta unfolds, players uncover the mystery of the Spirit that compels him, discover the origin of the Rings of Power and confront the ultimate nemesis.

Monolith's Design Director Michael DePlater is interviwed in a new video on Gamerhub.tv to talk about the lore of the new Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor.

Monolith Productions Design Director Michael DePlater delves into the original lore based between JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings in this exclusive gameplay preview interview for Middle earth Shadow of Mordor from Los Angeles before E3.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released another press release for Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, included a newvideo. This time its about the music & cast.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Unveils New Trailer, Cast and Composer, Taps Troy Baker and Nolan North

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) and Monolith Productions today released a new trailer, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Story Trailer - Make Them Your Own. Also, WBIE announced the acclaimed game talent and musical composer behind Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Bringing to life an original story written by Christian Cantamessa (Red Dead Redemption) in the expansive Middle-earth universe set between the events of The Hobbit™ and The Lord of the Rings™ are many of gaming’s best actors, led by Troy Baker and Nolan North.

Joining them is acclaimed video game musical composer Garry Schyman with an original score that sets the tone for this next saga in Mordor. Lending his talent to some of the most celebrated musical compositions in gaming, Schyman is responsible for the soundtrack behind BioShock Infinite, earning him the 2014 British Academy of Film and Television award for Best Original Music as well as the D.I.C.E. award for “Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition” from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.

The game talent cast in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor includes:

•   Troy Baker - Talion (The Last of Us, Batman: Arkham Origins, BioShock Infinite, Batman: Arkham City)
•   Nolan North – Black Hand (Uncharted series, Batman: Arkham Origins)
•   Alastair Duncan - Wraith (Mass Effect series, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception)
•   Laura Bailey – Ioreth (Halo 4, Batman: Arkham Origins, The Last of Us)
•   Liam O’Brien – Gollum (Infamous: Second Son, Grand Theft Auto V, The Last of Us)

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released a press release with information on the retail exclusives for Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, and included a new trailer.

New trailer and Retail Exclusives Revealed

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) and Monolith Productions today revealed the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Gameplay - Weapons and Runes video, showcasing how to upgrade Talion’s abilities throughout the game.

In addition, a number of new UK retail  pre-order exclusives have been announced, with the details to be revealed in due course;

• Deadly Archer Rune
  • Talion will deal extra damage when executing ranged headshots against Sauron’s Captains
• Flame of Arnor Rune
  • Talion can ignite his blade by achieving a high combo count and incinerate his enemies
• Captain of the Watch / Hidden Blade Rune
  • “Captain of the Watch” character skin and the Hidden Blade Rune – Talion can deal extra damage when executing stealth attacks against Sauron’s Captains
• Orc Slayer Rune
  • Talion will decimate Sauron’s Captains with increased damage from special attacks

All those who pre-order Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor will also receive access at the game’s launch to  The Dark Ranger exclusive bonus pack, per the previously announced news.  

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor delivers a dynamic game environment where the player orchestrates their personal plan of vengeance as they bend Mordor to their will. The game begins on the night of Sauron’s return to Mordor, as his Black Captains brutally execute the Rangers of the Black Gate. Players become Talion, a ranger who loses his family and everything he holds dear, only to be returned from death by a mysterious Spirit of vengeance. As Talion’s personal vendetta unfolds, players uncover the mystery of the Spirit that compels him, discover the origin of the Rings of Power and confront the ultimate nemesis. 

The Palantir app, available on the Apple Store here, will sync with game assets and the final game, to reveal additional layers of information, insights and fan-authored content, creating a unique second-screen experience.  Use it in conjunction with the new Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Gameplay - Weapons and Runes video .

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor  will launch worldwide on 7^th October, 2014 for PlayStation®4, Xbox One, PlayStation®3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released a press release with information on the release date for their action-packed adventure-RPG Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor.

Shadow of Mordor Reveals: release date, story trailer, box art, pre-order bonus

Witness the return of Sauron's army to Mordor, the attack on the Black Gate and the origins behind Talion's quest for vengeance in the Official Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Story Trailer – Banished from Death.

Also today, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Monolith Productions confirmed the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor ship date for 7th October 2014, and revealed the game’s official box art and pre-order bonus pack.
Pre-order bonus details:

Fans who pre-order  Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor will get access at the game’s launch to  The Dark Ranger exclusive bonus pack. Available at all participating retailers, the pack will provide exclusive content and challenges for players including:

• Dark Ranger Character Skin
  • Begin your own quest for vengeance with a new Dark Ranger character skin that embodies Talion's darker side
• "Test of Power" Challenge Mode
• Face Sauron's Captains and defeat them to earn powerful Runes and gain a head start in the game
• Test your speed, skill and strategy and measure yourself against your friends on the leaderboards 
• Access to Exclusive Leaderboards for "Test of Power" Challenge Mode
  • Test your speed, skill and strategy and measure yourself against your friends on the leaderboards in this challenge mode

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor delivers a dynamic game environment where the player orchestrates their personal plan of vengeance as they bend Mordor to their will. The game begins on the night of Sauron’s return to Mordor, as his Black Captains brutally execute the Rangers of the Black Gate. Players become Talion, a ranger who loses his family and everything he holds dear, only to be returned from death by a mysterious Spirit of vengeance. As Talion’s personal vendetta unfolds, players uncover the mystery of the Spirit that compels him, discover the origin of the Rings of Power and confront the ultimate nemesis.  Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor  will be available on 7th October 2014, 2014 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC.