Having been released over two years ago to acclaim from both fans and critics alike, Monolith Productions’ Shadow of Mordor was bound to receive a sequel, and last week, publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment lifted the curtain on the project. Middle-earth: Shadow of War was officially announced for release in 2017, and was accompanied with an announcement trailer (which you can check out above).
As detailed in the press release for the game, this new entry in the series will mark the return of both Talion and Celebrimbor, as both attempt to turn the tides of war against the evil dark lord Sauron. Also returning is the Nemesis System from the first game, which has been expanded upon to keep track of environments and characters, which will all be affected by the choices players make throughout the course of the game’s story.
Up until now, we’ve only be treated to cinematics from the upcoming title, though it looks like Warner Bros. is set to unveil gameplay very soon. While a full reveal won’t be ready for a couple of days, the publisher has released a very small snippet of gameplay. By small, we mean two seconds.
As you can see from the brief video above, Shadow of War is set to introduce some new gameplay mechanics. Specifically, it looks like you’ll be able to tame and ride dragons. We also get a glimpse at an enemy wielding dual flaming axes, as well as another shot of Talion, as he rallies a group of soldiers behind him for battle. If you’re equally disappointed at the length of this trailer, you’ll be glad to know that a full gameplay reveal is set to take place on March 8th.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War is set to release on August 22 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.