Overall, the game’s dark and violent tone feels like what would happen if Zack Snyder tried to adapt J.R.R. There are other curious changes as well: Shelob, a massive spider from the books, spends most of the game in the form of a young woman in a slinky black dress. At the outset, the protagonist duo are seen forging a brand-new ring that they can use to defeat Sauron. Once again, the game plays fast and loose with the Lord of the Rings canon. He’s joined by the elf wraith Celebrimbor, who a) is the one who forged the rings of power in the first place, and b) joins Talion in his quest, lending him his ghostly powers. There’s the human ranger Talion, who can’t die and is on a never-ending quest for revenge following the death of his family. Like the original, Shadow of War follows a pair of protagonists. “It’s kind of our Terminator 2 to Terminator.” - creative director Michael de Plater
