New Shadow of War trailer shows off Orc tribes

Middle-earth: Shadow of War has certainly raised some eyebrows in the run up to its October release, first revealing the departure in Shelob’s depiction, then followed by the inclusion of microtransactions. The latest trailer is a nice retreat from such controversial news, giving us insight into the newly introduced Orc tribes, beginning with the Terror Tribe.

The influence that Orcs have in Middle-earth: Shadow of War is extended over its predecessor through the division of Orc tribes. While each tribe behaves differently, the primary function is for them to control a fortress headed by Overlords. Of course, the goal is to siege these strongholds and defeat the unique boss, but the size of them helps expand exploration opportunities and enables the player to pick up missions.

As you can see by the trailer, the Terror Tribe in particular are master tormentors, using their reputation to spread fear throughout Mordor. Other tribes will differ, and are expected to be trickled to fans in the run up to the game’s release on October 10th.

These Orc tribes extend from enemies to your very own as you’re tasked to forge a strong army. This ties directly into the microtransactions, which include purchasable War Chests containing either Orc followers to add to your own army or Training Orders to improve your existing members.

While the presence of microtransactions might turn some buyers away, developer Monolith's creative vice president Michael de Plater spoke with Eurogamer as to why the change in Shelob’s appearance from a malevolent spider to a human is well within her lore-given abilities. She is a descendant of an Ungoliant, an evil spirit capable of choosing its form although regularly maintains the form of a spider.

“The thing with Ungoliant and the spirit of darkness is this line that she hates light but she craves it, and so Celebrimbor and the new ring also represent this new thing that she has a love / hate relationship with.”

KitGuru Says: Although its marketing has been a rollercoaster, I still think Shadow of War is shaping up nicely. That being said, I would rather wait to see the full impact that microtransactions will have on the final release. Are you planning on picking up Shadow of War?

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