Warner Bros. released a new trailer for Middle-earth: Shadow of War this morning to showcase how a player's moment-to-moment choices will have consequences in-game. The live-action trailer is interactive, meaning viewers will be able to click on links within the video to simulate in-game decisions. The links will lead to more videos where the consequences of each decision will play out.
The interactive trailer is a great introduction to Middle-earth: Shadow of War's updated Nemesis System, which will be much more directly intertwined in the sequel's gameplay. Enemies and allies both will change in intriguing and challenging ways based on the player's actions. Orcs have better memories than ever in Middle-earth: Shadow of War, and the scars to go along with those memories.
The full interactive trailer will require viewers to visit the official Middle-earth: Shadow of War website. The embedded YouTube video will only cover the initial section of the trailer up to the first choice. The official website continues from that point forward.
How a situation like this will play out in-game may not actually differ much compared to what players experienced in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Players will run around killing orcs and enemies as the game requires, with decisions like those posed in the trailer often going by in an instant without much consideration by the player. If anything, the trailer's goal is to inform players as to what the Nemesis System is doing in these situations. Middle-earth: Shadow of War players can put further consideration into the play-style as a result if they choose, or ignore it and take on the game as it comes.
An interactive trailer is a great way for Warner Bros. to provide some perspective on Middle-earth: Shadow of War's various new features. The Nemesis System is obvious, but the trailer also covers how orc allies are more important and meaningful, it introduces fort sieges, and also how allies and enemies are diverse and intelligent. The trailer packages all of this up in a cool live-action format, always an exciting change of pace during a game's pre-launch marketing campaign.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War releases on October 10 for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One