Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor brought Assassin's Creed-style action to the world of The Lord of the Rings in 2014. The game followed a ranger from Gondor named Talion, who is massacred along with his family when Sauron's army takes control of the Black Gate. Talion is brought back to life by an elven wraith who has lost his own memories. It is revealed that the wraith is actually Celebrimbor: the elven lord who taught Sauron the art of ringcraft. The game ends with Celebrimbor promising to help Talion create a new ring that can challenge the One Ring of Sauron.

The story of Talion and his battle against Sauron can now be experienced, as Middle-earth: Shadow of War has been released on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game expands on the amazing stealth gameplay of Shadow of Mordor and takes it up to epic new levels. Talion has new powers that will allow him to build his own army that can challenge the Dark Lord on the field, while still needing to defeat powerful enemies of his own in battle.

We are here today to look at the awesome new additions to the realm of Middle-earth that are introduced in Shadow of War. From the battle to save Minas Ithil, to the return of some of the most iconic characters in the series.

Here are Twenty Awesome Things You Can Do In Middle-earth Shadow of War!

20 You Wage War Within A City

Minas Ithil Shadow of War
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Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor mostly took place in the ruined lands beyond the Black Gate. Talion explored the ruined cities that once belonged to the nation of Gondor, but they had long since fallen to Sauron's forces. He has to sneak past the armies of orcs that have destroyed the legacy of Men.

Shadow of War gives you a chance to protect a city that still stands. One last fortress of Gondor still stands in Mordor: Minas Ithil. Talion needs to help his countrymen defend the city from the armies of Sauron, which are being led by the Nazgul.

Those familiar with the lore of The Lord of the Rings will already know the fate of the city, but that doesn't mean you cannot have a hand in its defense.

19 You Get To Play As Multiple Characters

Talion / Celebrimbor - Shadow of Mordor by hawkview via deviantart.com

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor changed the lore of Lord of the Rings where it concerned the character of Celebrimbor. In the history of Middle-earth, he was the elven lord who taught Sauron the art of ringcraft and was later tortured and killed by the Dark Lord. In Shadow of Mordor, Celebrimbor actually defied Sauron and almost defeated him on the field.

It is possible for Talion to enter Celebrimbor's memories in order to learn new attacks. This will give you the chance to play as the ancient elven lord as he battles against armies of enemies. The DLC for the game is also promising to allow you to play as different characters in their own story campaigns.

18 Mind-Melting!

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Sauron's army is made up of a constantly changing hierarchy of monsters. This is due to the chaotic nature of the power struggle among orcs, where a new leader is made by killing the old one.

Talion needs to always stay one step ahead of the shifting politics in Sauron's army. The best way to do this is by finding weak-willed orcs and dragging the information from their mind. Once you have the knowledge you need, you can make their head explode.

It is also possible to do this in regular combat, but it is best saved for the final opponent, as using mind control in battle takes time.

17 You Get To Ride On Siege Beasts

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Sauron's army might have the numbers, but the cities of Gondor have high walls and strong gates. As such, the forces of Mordor need siege weapons in order to bring down the walls of Minas Ithil, otherwise, they would just be wasting forces by trying to take them down the traditional way.

The armies of Mordor possess Siege Beasts, who are hulking monsters with flaming catapults on their back. It's possible for Talion to use his powers to take over the minds of these beasts and use their weapons for himself. You can control the Siege Beasts and turn their flaming catapults back onto Sauron's army.

16 The Double Jump Gives You Spider-Man's Agility

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One of the biggest problems with freestyle climbing games like Assassin's Creed is that it's possible to press the wrong button while on a high structure and fall to your death. Talion never had this problem as he was immune to falling damage, but it could still mean that you would land in a dangerous situation, like being surrounded by orcs.

Talion gains the power to perform a double jump in Shadow of War. This allows you to change direction after performing your first jump, so you can avoid landing into trouble or get back onto the surface you were previously climbing on. The double jump also allows you to quickly traverse the game world, in a manner that resembles the superpowers in Saint's Row IV. 

15 The Answer To One Of The Longest Running Lord Of The Rings Questions

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One of the unsolved mysteries of the Lord of the Rings universe involves the fate of the Entwives. Treebeard claims that there aren't any female Ents anymore because they disappeared a long time ago. The Entwives went missing and their husbands went looking for them, to no avail. The Ents returned to Fangorn, which presumably turned into one big gay disco after the chicks had all left.

In Shadow of Mordor, Talion can encounter a strange and powerful being known as Carnan. She has the ability to possess and transform into all of the beings of the forest. Her appearance is also strikingly similar to that of the Ents of Fangorn. Is it possible that she is one of the elusive Entwives?

14 The Shadow Clone Jutsu

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Talion and Celebrimbor possess a unique connection that allows them to aid each other in different ways. Celebrimbor can return Talion from death's door, while Talion can allow Celebrimbor to manifest in the real world for a brief time. This shared power is what allows Talion to survive against the hordes of Mordor.

It is possible to seek out Celebrimbor's forgotten memories in Shadow of War. This will allow Talion to strengthen his bond with the wraith and tap into his power. Talion now has a wraith meter that fills up whenever he kills something. When the meter is full, Talion can unleash a horde of spirit Celebrimbors to slay multiple enemies in the area.

13 You Can Battle The Ringwraiths

Witch-King LOTR
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One of the biggest omissions from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was the Ringwraiths. This is one situation where they could easily have been put into a video game without needing to jump through hoops in order to explain why they were there... and they didn't show up. It would have made perfect sense for Sauron to dispatch one of his most powerful servants to deal with a trouble-maker like Talion, as he is within Mordor where they are at their strongest.

Shadow of War rectifies this mistake by bringing the Nazgul in full force. It will take all of the combined power of Talion and Celebrimbor to take on a single member of Sauron's most elite soldiers.

12 ...As Well As Drakes

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Tolkien himself confirmed that Smaug was the last great dragon of Middle-earth. His death at the hands of Bard signalled the end of an era.

While the great dragons were all slain, there were several species of lesser dragons that still roamed Middle-earth. These were generally known as Fire-drakes or Cold-drakes, and they were essentially smaller and less intelligent versions of Smaug.

Mordor is one of the few lands in which drakes can still be found. Talion will be forced to battle these fire-breathing dragons on his journey to destroy the Dark Lord. This might be tough, considering that they are one of the few enemies he has ever faced that possess the ability to fly.

11 You Can Blow Up Heads Of Followers To Scare Your Enemies

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The minds of orcs are easily motivated by fear of power. They have no loyalty towards those who are too weak to protect themselves or others, which is why the hierarchy of Sauron's army keeps changing.

Talion has his own ways of inspiring fear into the hearts of orcs. In Shadow of War, he gains the ability to control his own private force of bodyguards and can summon them into battle. If he grows weary with the incompetence of his protectors, then he can use his power to make their heads explode, in order to inspire fear into the heart of his enemies. This proves to be quite an effective tactic.

10 You Can Summon The Children Of Shelob In Combat

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There has been some controversy over the redesign of Shelob in Shadow of War. The ancient monstrous spider who doesn't involve itself in the events of Middle-earth has been turned into an attractive lady who loves to show off her legs and directly interferes with Talion's plans. This new version of Shelob is a key character in the game and her involvement may mean the difference between victory and defeat for the player.

It is possible to find fragments of Shelob's memory that are scattered around Mordor. If you find them all, then you will gain the ability to summon Shelob's children into battle. For those of you who are unaware, Shelob's children are huge spiders that will feast upon anything in their path.

9 You Can Avenge The Death Of Other Players

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Video game developers will sometimes try to include multiplayer elements into games, even if they make no sense and are poorly implemented using the engine. Shadow of War might have been a good fit for a co-operative campaign, but that would have taken away from the single-player experience, due to some story elements that we can't discuss without spoiling.

One of the multiplayer options that are available in Shadow of War is the ability to avenge other players who have died. You can take on an online version of a Vendetta Mission, where you kill a powerful enemy who slew another player. You are thrust into an arena where you have to complete various challenges before you get a chance to avenge the fallen Talion from another dimension.

8 You Can Use Drakes As Flying Mounts

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Talion's ability to control the minds of his enemies can also be extended to beasts. In Shadow of Mordor, Talion could control huge monsters known as Caragors and use them as mounts. These hulking beasts vastly increased the speed at which you moved across the world map, while also giving you a powerful monster who would eat the enemies in your path.

The Caragors are now out of a job, as Shadow of War allows you to take control of Drakes. Those huge dragon-like creatures that can fly and breathe fire are now yours to command and use against your enemies. This might be the most useful new addition to Talion's arsenal in Shadow of War. 

7 You Can Conquer The Castles Of Other Players

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The forging of a new ring in Shadow of War has given Talion and Celebrimbor the power to rule over many. It is with this newfound power that they aim to build an army that is powerful enough to challenge Sauron. In order to do this, they will need strong armies with capable commanders that can take and hold fortresses.

In Shadow of War, it is possible to upload one of your fortresses online and allow other players the opportunity to try and take it by siege. You can fill this fortress with the most powerful creatures that you have assembled and let other players try to break themselves against the walls. This acts in a similar manner to the base-based multiplayer from Metal Gear Solid V. 

6 Talion Finally Has A Group-Attack Weapon!

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The quickest way to die in Shadow of Mordor was to allow yourself to be surrounded. The enemy was always smart enough to try and cut off your escape route and start hacking away at you, while their archers filled you with arrows. Any fight where Talion was significantly outnumbered usually ended with his death, as you can only counter so many kinds of attacks.

Shadow of War adds a new weapon to Talion's arsenal that can protect him from being surrounded. He now possesses a Spectral Glaive that can be used by holding down the attack button. The Glaive will knock back all enemies within melee range and stun them for a moment, which will give Talion a chance to slip away.

5 You Can Bring Your Most Powerful Enemy From Shadow Of Mordor Into The Game

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Talion was forced to slay and befriend many different orcs in Shadow of Mordor. At the end of the game, he had to face his greatest enemy, who receives a huge power boost and will beat the crap out of you if you aren't prepared.

It's not over between you and your most hated enemy in Shadow of War. An update was released for Shadow of Mordor that allowed you to send over your most loyal follower and hated nemesis into Shadow of War, so that they may join you in Mordor once more. It's time for you to finally settle the score with the guy who gave you the most trouble in the first game.

4 You Can Summon Poisonous Monsters To Do Your Bidding

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One of the most annoying foes that you faced in Shadow of Mordor were the Ghuls. These were hideous creatures that attacked you in packs. Their actual attacks were weak, but they possessed the ability to poison Talion on a successful hit. This would greatly weaken Talion and allow him to be overwhelmed.

In Shadow of War, it is possible to gain the ability to control hordes of Ghuls and set them upon your enemies. You can use the poison of the Ghuls to weaken a stronghold so that you can easily slay the enemies within.

It bears mentioning that you could also do this in Shadow of Mordor, but you needed the Lord of the Hunt expansion to gain the ability. Shadow of War includes it in the base version of the game.

3 A New Balrog Has Appeared As An Enemy...

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One of the most powerful beings in all of Middle-earth was the Balrog of Moria, which was also known as Durin's Bane. It was one of the survivors of the first wars of Middle-earth and the only reason it was still around was because of how powerful it was. Gandalf had to sacrifice his life in order to kill Durin's Bane.

Now there are two Balrogs...

It turns out that Sauron has a Balrog that acts as one of the most powerful commanders in his army. We know for a fact that this being didn't survive to fight in the War of the Ring, because it would have destroyed Gondor in about five minutes. It's up to the player to prevent this monstrosity from reaching the realms of Men.

2 Build Your Own Army That Is Worthy Of Mordor

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One of the biggest complaints against Shadow of Mordor was that there wasn't enough content. It was pretty easy to find all of the collectibles and complete all of the challenges in order to achieve 100% completion.

Shadow of War has rectified this by turning the whole post-game into a war with Sauron. The only way for the player to see the true ending is by building an army and waging war against the Dark Lord. You will do this by taking fortresses and slaying the most powerful commanders in Sauron's army, whilst also stealing choice troops for yourself and using them to lay siege to the castles of Mordor.

1 You Can Battle Some Famous Characters From The History Of Lord Of The Rings

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We have to be careful with what we say here, as there are details that could potentially spoil the game for those who still haven't been convinced that Shadow of War is a worthy purchase. It bears mentioning that there are huge story spoilers that concern different facets of the lore of Middle-earth.

Talion's journey will uncover many dark secrets about the history of Middle-earth and the realms of humanity. His link to Celebrimbor will reveal the truth about kings that died long ago and the truth behind the origins of the One Ring, as well as the other rings of power that were believed to have been lost. It's up to the player whether they believe everything they see, as it may change their view on the history of The Lord of the Rings.