In Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, the world around you is a living, breathing entity due to the Nemesis System. Every action you take will be catalogued by the foes you stand against, and will become a fundamental part of your gameplay experience, ensuring that no two playthroughs are the same.
During E3 we showed it off to the world in spades, but we wanted to give you a quick rundown of some of the options that await you within the borders of Mordor.
1. Uruk have personalities all their own[]
The Uruk of Mordor are the bread and butter of Sauron's army. They are the core of his forces, and, in time, they will be yours, as well. But, you're not just going to wade through wave after wave of nameless grunt. These foes have personalities, just as much as you do. Some are cowards. Some are fighters. They have fears and hates, they'll block your strikes with a mighty shield or take shots at you with their finely honed archery skills. No two will be alike.
2. Enemies remember you[]
Every interaction you have with the inductees of Sauron's Army matters. What you do, no matter how courageous or cowardly, will be remembered by those that you fight against. Your legend will grow as you spend more time in Mordor.
3. The Uruk hierarchy will still move and shake, even if you're not around[]
Time is an ever present force in Shadow of Mordor. When you die, the game won't stop, revert to your last save point and allow you to continue from there. Instead, time will continue to pass. The Uruk hierarchy will continue to move and shake, Captains will keep jockeying for position and do everything in their power to move up. And best of all, new Captains will continue to make their way into the hierarchy, providing you with brand new opportunities to dominate, kill, and spread fear throughout Sauron's Army. It's all a matter of ambition, both for you and the Uruk of Mordor.
4. You can influence the moving and shaking with Power Struggles[]
Every Uruk has their own agenda, and their position in the hierarchy is far from secure. Around the Mordor Uruk will be creating Power Struggle missions that you can join in on. With these, you can influence the outcome of anything from a Duel to a Feast, and mold Sauron's Army to your liking. To learn more, watch our latest featurette that explains some of the nitty gritty details.
5. Alliances will be a part of your battle plan, and theirs[]
While some Captains work alone, few Warchiefs ever do. They're well aware that they're not exactly the most popular Uruk in Mordor, and they make sure that they have a tried and true posse of powerful bodyguards to accompany them wherever they go. Remember this and use the information wisely. It can mean the difference between fighting multiple leaders of Sauron's army, killing bodyguards to get a Warchief all alone, or planting your own sleeper agents that are ready to take the throne of Warchief when their boss has been shuffled off the mortal coil.
6. Any Uruk can become a Captain[]
Every Uruk matters. From a Warchief all the way down to the lowly grunt, every single one of them as the same potential for power. Should you be in the middle of a large fight and a grunt in Sauron's army lands the killing blow on you, he'll be granted a chance at joining the leadership. What's more, if you brand grunts in the world there's a chance that one may join the hierarchy all on their own, and you'd have a Captain of your own, ready to fight for you.
Now that you know more about the Nemesis System, tell us more about how you plan to make changes in Mordor.
