Conquer Middle-Earth's Open World in New Shadow of War Trailer

If you enjoyed the open-world action of Middle-earth Shadow of Mordor, you'll be thrilled to know that the Lord of the Rings video game sequel, Shadow of War, looks to expand Middle-earth in new and interesting ways, as shown in this open world debut trailer.

The trailer for Shadow of War essentially debuts two things fans already knew about the game: that it's big, and that there will be a huge, climactic war. It's even in the game's title! Still, the trailer showcases some of the gorgeous and grim locations that the player will no doubt traverse in this prequel to J.R.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings novel.

The trailer culminates in a big battle between the main character, Ranger Talion, and Sauron's forces. Shadow of War will carry over Shadow of Mordor's nemesis system where particularly powerful enemies will become Talion's rivals throughout the campaign. However, the nemesis system has been expanded so that Talion can gain even more followers across Middle-earth, recruiting them for his war.

Shadow of War is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Lord of the Rings RPG, Shadow of Mordor. The game was critically praised, primarily thanks to its AI driven Nemesis System which added a new layer of depth to enemy characters. The nemesis system allowed certain mook enemies to become captains if they either kill the player or survive an encounter. From there, nemesis enemies could essentially level up and become even more powerful.

Shadow of War comes out on August 22 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. For more on the game head over to our Middle-earth: Shadow of War - Everything we Know article.