The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of War is a multiplayer game! Did you not know? Well, from now on it has become one! With the latest update, you can let your enslaved orcs compete against each other! It is as brutal as it sounds, but at the same time more fun than it seems!
When thinking of MMOs, one doesn’t usually think of The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of War. Just like its predecessor Shadow of Mordor, its successor is a single-player game. You control the hero Talion through Mordor, killing orcs, taking over Mordor from within.
You receive help from the spirit of the original smith of the Rings of Power, Celebrimbor. In addition to the ancient elf, there are also plenty of orcs available to enslave. And these are now important for a multiplayer mode: A coliseum!
The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of War has received a mode with the latest free update where enslaved orcs can compete against each other.
Download the latest free content update for #ShadowOfWar now to access the new Online Fight Pits! pic.twitter.com/tdsqtWw2jW
— Shadow of War (@shadowofwargame) December 5, 2017
Orcs against Orcs! Win battles and celebrate the champion
Orcs in all corners of Mordor can be subjugated and controlled. They obey Talion (and Celebrimbor) from then on and follow him to death. The battles take place similarly to well-known browser or mobile games.
An orc is selected to fight in the pit and then faces a stored copy of another. If he wins, he levels up; if he loses, he dies and is no longer available for the rest of the game. No active play occurs. Select an orc, watch, cheer, and wait.
With each victory the orc achieves, he receives a loot box. This contains one item per victory. After three consecutive wins, the winner is upgraded to epic status; after five, to legendary.
Several factors are important for victory:
- The level of the orc
- The level of Talion (orcs cannot level up higher than this)
- The equipment of the orc (can be earned through victories in the pit)
- The strengths and weaknesses of the orc
In particular, the last point raised questions in the predecessor Shadow of Mordor. Many disadvantages of the orcs were rather pointless, as a well-equipped Talion could easily eliminate them anyway. In the fight pit, strengths and weaknesses are crucial; they decide victory or defeat.
Strengths and weaknesses become more important
It is therefore important to select fighters whose weaknesses are difficult for other orcs to exploit. Conversely, it is also beneficial to send orcs with strengths into battle that are difficult to counter.
From this point on, it is useful to take a closer look at the strengths and weaknesses of the green skins. However, only warriors can be selected who are controlled in an area where you have captured a fort.
Orcs compete against each other as evenly matched as possible. However, it can still happen that a common forest and field orc with level 2 must face a Supreme Commander with three stars. Still developable, but interesting nonetheless.
Shadow of War aims to win players with the constant cycle of new orcs, new equipment, and the improvement of orcs for… even more orcs and equipment. Or rather playtime. This system ensures that players are retained and their interest in the constantly evolving mode is piqued.
Benedict says: A really cool idea that will surely attract people who do not yet have the game. Especially players who were curious but needed “that certain something” (like me) will certainly appreciate such innovations. Better free updates than constant DLCs!
