Middle of Earth: Shadow of War Playthrough [part 1]

Foreword

Monolith Productions really hit one out of the park with their original Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor game. It took me quite a while to get fully invested in it. Like a really long time, maybe a third of the way through or more. But once it finally sunk in I loved the game. It was like Assassin’s Creed, meet’s Dishonored, meets Infamous. They played fast and loose with the Lord of the Rings mythos and that was ok by me. The game was a blast once I started mastering more and more abilities. Today we begin a series of gameplay story videos for Middle Earth: Shadow of War. As this is a wide open world and the Nemesis system ensures the armies of Mordor are dynamic no two playthroughs will ever be the same.

This video was recorded and edited directly on my Playstation 4 with SHAREfactory™. If you’d like to see other games I’ve recently played or rated please visit Rebel Gaming Canada’s BIG GAMES LIST.

Prologue – Shadow of Mordor

You, Talion a ranger from Gondor were stationed at a garrison overlooking the Black Gate of Mordor. The dark forces of Sauron raided the garrison and slaughtered everyone, man, woman and child. Among the many killed that fateful day were your wife and son. They were ritually sacrificed by the Black Hand of Sauron in an attempt to summon the spirit of a fallen Elven warrior so the Black Hand could absorb his power. Not even you were spared the Black Hand’s wrath as he struck you down that day. But you did not remain dead. Celebrimbor did rise but his spirit bonded with you and not the Black Hand of Sauron.

Half man and half wraith you can cross into the spirit world and have gained powerful magical abilities. You discover that Celebrimbor is a legendary elf who shaped the events of the last Age. He was deceived and betrayed by Sauron and eventually crafted the rings of power. It was his craftsmanship that forged the one ring. It is his craftsmanship that doomed the world of men. He and his King were relentlessly tortured by Sauron and it is this shared pain and suffering by his hands which binds you. Together you travelled into Mordor and lay waste to Sauron’s armies and find revenge for what happened to your family.

A New Ring

After the Black Hand was killed there was still much work to be done. Together you and Celebrimbor travel to Mount Doom where he forges a new ring of power. This ring is pure and uncorrupted by Sauron’s darkness. It represents the ultimate weapon to end Sauron once and for all. As the last hammer strike hits the finished ring Celebrimbor is ripped away by a powerful unseen force. You pick up the ring of power and put it on. You can sense Celebrimbor. The ring speaks to you and you begin your search for your ally. Throughout your search another voice echoes in your ears. A piercing and hiss like voice. It makes you uncomfortable.

The ring and the voice lead you behind enemy lines to a giant mine overrun by orcs. Slowly and methodically you sneak deeper and deeper into the mine killing every orc who has the poor fortune of being in your way. In the great dark depths of the cavern you find Celebrimbor. He is held in some sort of magical field unable to move. You call to him but he does not answer. Out of the oily blackness of the cavern a giant spider begins to descend towards you. You draw your sword and are prepared to fight. Without Celebrimbor’s wraith this is not going to be easy. But to your bewilderment, when the spider reaches the cavern floor she transforms into a beautiful dark haired woman.

Oh what a Tangled Web we Weave

As she speaks you hear the same voice that has been speaking to you since Celebrimbor was taken. The voice still burning in your ears. You threaten her and demand Celebrimbor be released. She toys with you and then tells you it will not be your sword that will save him. How much are you willing to sacrifice? I have given up everything, you claim. Not everything, not yet she says. You look at your hand, at the ring, you know this is what she seeks. You ask her how you can trust her and she tells you her name is Shelob and she deals only in truth.

She senses you will not give up the ring so she turns towards Celebrimbor and begins to crush him with her magic. You break before he does. He screams at you No! But you drop the ring to the ground and Shelob takes it. She scoffs at Celebrimbor and says you must mean something to him wraith, now go to your puppet as she releases him. Celebrimbor says you’ve doomed both of you. His life force was poured into that ring and Shelob’s powers were already vast without a ring of power. You tell him then we must take it back. You dash toward Shelob but she stops you in your tracks and tells you the war you came to fight is not here.

She touches your face and continues to speak. The ring is lost. So look towards Minas Ithil and the Dark Lords armies that surround it. Look to the Palantir. Sauron will not stop until all of Middle Earth is dominated. She then shows you a vision of Minas Ithil under siege and burning. You see thousands of the Dark Lords soldiers storming across the bridge into the city. People are dying. And you see the Palantir. And with that, the vison stops and Shelob vanishes along with it. Panic strikes and you tell Celebrimbor you have to see if her vision is true.

The Siege of Minas Ithil

As you reach Minas Ithil, the city is under siege and plumes of smoke reach to the heavens. You tell Celebrimbor that the spider showed us the truth and you must save Gondor’s last fortress in Mordor. Celebrimbor tells you the only thing that matters is the Palantir, the fate of the city matters not. With the Palantir Sauron’s armies will be unstoppable. You disagree and tell him you will not leave the people to the same fate as your brothers at the Black Gate. Celebrimbor suggest you find a worm. A lowly orc peon you can intimidate for information on the Captain leading the search for the Palantir.

It doesn’t take long to find someone to talk. The stories they tell of you, the grave walker, are enough to frighten almost anyone. The worm tells you the Captain is in the lower city. You stay hidden when you find him and draw back your wraith bow from a distance. This looks like an easy shot. As you let fly the arrow the Captain deflects it effortlessly. He taunts you and tells you he’s going to butcher you and everyone else in the city. As you move out of cover a warrior of Gondor charges into the fray. The Captain and his guards turn their attention to her and you rush into assist. Together you cut them down and leave none to spare. Her name is Idril, daughter to the General of Minas Ithil.

She tells you the middle city is about to fall and asks for your help. You follow her to her men in the town square. You all fight valiantly and slaughter all the orcs you can between there and the keep. The soldiers retreat into the keep while you stay on the outside to finish off a counteroffensive. Idril orders her archers to provide assistance from the castle walls. As the last of the orcs falls you enter the keep. Idril tells her father the middle city is lost. He orders her to go to the great hall to secure the relics. She resists but she knows he is right in trying to protect their history. As she leaves the general turns to you and asks what you are prepared to do to save the city. His raiding groups are targeting Captains in the city below.

Continue to part 2 of our Shadow of War playthrough HERE!

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