All Articles: Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

It sounds like Nolan North and Troy Baker will star in yet another video game as WB Games has announced that the prolific pair will voice the protagonist and antagonist of Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. Set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, with an original story written by Christian Cantamessa (Red Dead Redemption), Baker will star in Shadow of Mordor as Talion, a Ranger attempting to raise an orc army. He will be challenged by North, who will play his nemesis, the Black Hand. The beginning of their story plays out in the new “Story Trailer” embedded above.

Other actors who will lend their voices to the game include Alastair Duncan as Wraith, Laura Bailey as Ioreth, and Liam O’Brien as Gollum.

Finally, WB Games announced that award-winning composer Garry Schyman will create the music for Shadow of Mordor. Schyman previously composed the score for BioShock Infinite, which won a BAFTA Award for “Best Original Music” earlier this year as well as a D.I.C.E. Award for “Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition.”

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is in development for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. It is scheduled to be released on October 7.

As someone who knows little-to-nothing about The Lord of the Rings, beyond faint memories of the books as an eight-year-old, I still think Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor looks pretty sweet. Warner Bros. Games just sent over a new “Story Trailer,” along with a whole bucketful of information about the upcoming third-person action-adventure.

WB Games has confirmed that the Monolith Productions- developed game will be released on October 7 and players who pre-order Shadow of Mordor will get access to the “Dark Ranger Exclusive Bonus Pack.” The pack will provide exclusive content and challenges for early adopters 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
• 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

And in case you haven’t upgraded to a next-generation console yet, don’t worry, Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor will be available for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is returning to Middle-Earth with a new game inspired by the Lord of the Rings saga. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is in development for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One at Monolith Productions. If the Monolith name sounds familiar, it should, the team was also responsible for 2012’s Guardians of Middle-Earth.

In the game, players will control a Ranger named Talion as he ventures into Mordor during the time between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring. Shadow of Mordor will also appear on the cover of Game Informer‘s December 2013 issue and here’s what they had to say about the game:

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. Our cover story recounts our extensive look at the game in action, from combat and leveling to story and setting.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor doesn’t currently have a release date, but I’m guessing “soon” is out of the question. One doesn’t simply develop a “fascinating” next-generation game quickly.