Veliki intervju, Philip Straub art director
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Shadow of War is a much bigger game, featuring numerous zones for players to explore and conquer (Shadow of Mordor just had two). This includes familiar locations for fans of Middle-earth, including the fallen Gondor city of Minas Morgul (formerly Minal Ithil before it turns all evil) and the tower or Cirith Ungol (the place Sam rescued Frodo from in The Return of the King after their encounter with the giant spider Shelob).
Shadow of War continues the previous game's narrative, based on J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium with events occurring between those of director Peter Jackson's film adaptations of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings - we can actually tell a story that can shine some interesting new light on things that you think you knew. I’m not to give anything away, but the Nazgul in particular – that’s really a fun place for us to focus.”
When asked if there will be any appearances by fan-favorites, de Plater simply smiles and responds, “Yes.”
Battles are tense and chaotic with enemies all around, allowing you to approach them however you see fit, whether it’s brute force, stealth, or a mix of the two. Everything is an opportunity on the battlefield, from destructible objects to buildings you can scale. But beware the breadth of enemy abilities is larger for this entry, with an additional focus on different elements, such as fire, poison, or curse. These can debuff you, affecting the way you play. For instance, Thrak has a weapon with the cursed ability, which prevents us from using the power of our new ring. “Enemies now have advanced classes which changes how they play, whether they’re marksmen, assassins, or slayers who are like combat masters, so you have to adapt to that,” de Plater adds.
Mounts can help you navigate a variety of situations. At one point in the demo, we use an armored cavalry to ride through the fiery backdrop unharmed. Later on, we release and dominate a drake, allowing us to surprise enemies with an airborne attack. Breathing fire at enemies gets them down in a jiffy. Soon, another large foe attacks the drake and the creatures battle while we try to ward off enemies with our bow. Sadly, the drake doesn’t make it, but at least he takes out the massive foe with him in the process. Later on, when we finally reach the overlord, he comments on us stealing his drake, as if that’s pushed him over the edge.
