Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Nemesis System Takes New Approach To Enemies

Preview

January 23rd, 2014, By Maya Mayfield

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor enemies are no longer just cannon fodder.

The Gruesome, ugly horrible slimy war mongering orcs are no longer just mindless grunts for players to use as weapon practice in Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. The enemies can now be a useful tool for players to achieve their goals. They can be useful resources for gathering intelligence and even have a history with players. Michael de Plater director of design of the upcoming Shadow of Mordor tells us no two orcs are alike, and no two players will experience the same interaction with the same enemies.

This new kind of antagonist is made possible thanks to the games Nemesis system, which creators Monolith Production explained during a recent demonstration of the action adventure title set in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Gamers will take on the controls of Talion a ranger who was killed by Sauron's wicked forces but was resurrected to fight again with Wraith abilities. After the resurrection Talion discovers he now has two abilities. Not only does he have skills as a ranger but he can also see into the mind of enemies thanks to the power of the wraith. Both of these skills have an upgradeable meter for him to develop. Which means he can improve both his ranger and Wraith skills, joggling between both to his advantage.

As talion journeys to Mordor to destroy Sauron's forces, players will get a first hand experience of the Nemesis system, which includes procedurally-generated foes created by the players decisions and actions. Michael de Plater explains the reason behind this system was to give players freedom to play how they wanted and to make Mordor's environment feel alive.

Referring to sport games as one of Shadow of Mordor's biggest influences De Plater said the way a team performs in a season affects the way the overall story is shaped and played out. It is not scripted, it is shaped by how well players perform.

De Plater goes on to explain this further by demonstrating one of the earliest levels in the upcoming game. In the demo we see Talion infiltrating a village in Mordor that is in the process of being defeated by Sauron's forces. Targeting a slave trader by the name of Ratbag in charge of leading the enslavement. Talion uses his Wraith skill to see into Ratbag's mind, which leads to a very crucial discovery. When players read the mind of an enemy, they are also able to see the relationship that enemy has with other enemies, as well as the orcs hierarchy system. In the case of this mind reading, we discover that Ratbag is the bodyguard to a war chief also on Talions list of enemies to take down. So instead of killing Ratbag, Talion brands him, making him his minion. Ratbag will now take Talion directly to the war chief and when talion gives the order, Ratbag will now fight alongside him.

Another source of inspiration for Shadow of Mordor's battle system can be credited to that of Batman: Arkham Asylum says de Plater. Talion has a range of attacks and counter-attacks all of which are executed with meaning and purpose. The inclusion of swords and shields also increase the level of Talion's explosive attacks, which can often result in enemies losing limbs or even decapitation. (Yikes)! Players will be able to regularly switch between views as a wraith and a ranger to take advantage of Talion's various skills and abilities. You can use Wraith view to stalk your prey, and Ranger view to take them down.

The use of the Nemesis system also exposes a number of strategic possibilities. For example instead of immediately trying to attack War Chiefs and Captains most of whom are too powerful and protected to conquer without a strategy. The Nemesis system allows players to plan their attacks by looking at the hierarchial structure of the orcs, discovering their connections to one another, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. So instead of just setting yourself up for failure by going after the top bosses, players can learn more about the orc's society by interrogating some for intelligence gathering, branding others for later use to get to war chiefs and killing the rest. de Plater also mentions that enemies will begin to remember Talion as the story progresses.