Tolkien fans rejoice: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor for next-gen consoles is in the works

We know you can’t wait for “The Desolation of Smaug” to release on December 3. Well, here’s something else to look forward to: Warner Bros. announced this morning that “Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor” is coming. This new game, currently under construction, introduces Talion, a deceased-yet-resurrected ranger whose family was murdered by Sauron in this “original, dark story of retribution.”

Developed specifically for next-gen consoles (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One,) this storyline utilizes the new Nemesis System, which sounds like something close to an updated “Choose Your Own Adventure” novel in that it claims to allow for “unique” gameplay by allowing player actions to shape enemy responses. Even after death, reportedly Nemesis will still change the story arc, so the enemy changes as the player grows, so to speak. According to Warner Bros. Interactive “Players experience a unique game every time as the dynamic world reacts and adapts to their choices.”

Talion is not in Tolkien’s books, but this particular story fits in somewhere between “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” so perfectionists will have fun putting together the timeline of Middle-earth history. Talion (read: you) will also uncover the history of the Rings of Power as he seeks vengeance for his family. Newbies to the genre will get a kick out of visiting Mordor before it became a hellhole.

“In Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, players explore the dark and very personal theme of vengeance in a world where decisions have a consequence, and those consequences persist even after death,” says Samantha Ryan, Senior Vice President, Production and Development, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “The game introduces new gameplay mechanics to the action genre, creating opportunities for emergent and customized gameplay that will be rewarding.”

Rumors of this game have swirled about since early 2012 and no release date has been given. Monolith Productions is working with Middle-earth Enterprises, Peter Jackson and the artists at Weta Workshop to ensure that SOM tells an authentic story “within canon.”