Middle-Earth:ShadowOfMordor

10CharactersWhoMustCameo
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characters-who-must-cameo
TheLordOfTheRingsfranchiseisajuggernautandhasproducedmanygoodgamesandevenan
expansive MMO. The next release comes to us from Monolith Studios and goes the route of an
AssassinsCreed/ArkhamCityesque3rdpersonactionadventurewithseveralnewandinteresting
gamemechanics,includingarecurringarmyofrankedenemieswhorememberyouandahostof
supernaturalpowers.Ofcourse,theLordOfTheRingsuniverseismassiveinsizeanddepthandas
thegamesstorytakesplacebetweentheeventsofTheHobbitandtheLordOfTheRingstrilogy,
theresplentyofopportunitiesforintelligentlyplacedcameosthroughout.Consideringtheplayer
characterinShadowOfMordorisabrandnewcharacter,ahalfhumanhalfwraithRangerbythe
nameofTalion,thedevelopershavecarteblanchewiththestoryandanyoftheconnectionsthey
wanttomaketotheexistingcanon.WeveseenglimpsesofGollumstalkingMordorsruinsalready
andothercharacterslikeGaladrielhavealreadybeenannouncedforinclusion,butwhatoftherest
ofMiddleEarth?Wecountdowntenmorecameoswedreallylovetoseeandourideasastohow
theywouldcomeabout.
10.TomBombadil
CriminallyleftoutofthePeterJacksonmovies,TomBombadilisanancientprotectoroftheforests
thathadsupposedlybeenaroundsincethedawnoftime.Althoughwedoubthewouldventure
intoMordorhimself,itwouldbeinterestingifBombadilweretohaveencounteredTalionbefore.
Perhapsaflashbackorinterludeofsomekind?Oneoftheleadmysteriesalreadybeingdebated
byLOTRfansistheidentityofthewraithwhogaveTalionhispowersinthefirstplace.Bombadils
immortality would make him a good font of knowledge about Talions situation and he could
perhapsoffercluesastoTalionsuniquenature.NomatterhowMonolithusehim,itwouldbenice
for Bombadil to finally get some sort of recognition outside of the books and hes certainly an
interestingenoughcharactertograbanynewcomersattention.
9.TheBlueWizards
When Bilbo questions Gandalf as to just how many wizards that are, Gandalf mentions himself,
SarumanandRadagastandalsotwoblueunnamedwizardswithnoknownorigin.Tolkiennever
wrotetheminanystoriesandtheywereneverreallymentionedagain.Inotherwords,theycould
beperfectlyplacedintotheeventsofShadowOfMordorwithoutmessingaroundwiththeexisting
canonintheslightest.TheycouldperhapsguideTaliononhisquest,maybeashelearnstousehis
newly developed wraith powers. They could also serve as an interesting boss fight. With Talion
beinghalfWraith,acaseofmistakenidentitycouldleadtoatwoononebattlebeforethingsare
clearedupandTaliongetsonhiswaytoslaughteringmoreorcs.Ofcourse,thingsdonthaveto
endamenablyeither.WhatifTalionendedupkillingthebluewizardsafterhelosescontrol?We
canseeTaliongrapplingwithhishalfwraithnatureasamajorthemeintheplotandthemoment
heispushedovertheedgecouldbethemomenthemurdersthesetwoinablindfury.
8.BeornTheSkinchanger
ThelastoftheskinchangersplaysafairlyimportantroleintheHobbitwhenhesheltersBilboand
hisgroupandsendsthemoffintherightdirection,andcontinuestoplayarolemostimportantly
laterintheBattleofFiveArmies.HistalecomestoanendattheendofTheHobbitandfanshave
alwayspresumedthathediedatsomepointbeforetheWaroftheRingandtheeventsoftheLord
OfTheRingstrilogy.ThatmakesShadowOfMordorsplaceinthetimelineperfecttoincludewhat
should be his suitably tragic death. Talion is a little darker than your classic Lord Of The Rings
characterandBoernissimilarlywrittenassuch.Comparisonsbetweenthetwoareeasytomake
andhavingBoernjoinTalionbrieflyonhisquestforvengeancebeforebeingkilledoffinorderto
sellthethreatofanyofthegamesmajorantagonistswouldbeanicetouch.
7.The WitchKingOfAngmar
Duringthetimeperiodinwhichthegameisset,theWitchKingandtherestoftheNazgularestill
licking their wounds in the shadows from being trounced by the last alliance of Men and Elves.
Consideringthegamestitle,thoseveryshadowsareclearlythesettingandanencounterwiththe
leaderoftheNazgulwouldnotgoamiss.ObviouslycanonsaysTalionwillnotkilltheWitchKing
here (nor can he considering the no man will harm him prophecy) but it would make for an
eventfulbossfight.TheWitchKingsinclusionherecouldshedsomelightonTalionsownnature
andthebigmysterysurroundingtheidentityofthewraithwhogiveshimhispowers.
6.BardTheBowman
ThereluctantherofromTheHobbit,theendofthattaleleftBardwithasizableamountofgold
withwhichtorebuildhisbattlescarredhomeofLaketownbutTolkienlorehasitthattheMaster
ofEsgarothabscondswithalargeamountofitandBardgoesafterhim.WhatiftheMastertried
tohidefromBardintheoneplacehedidntthinkBardwouldfollowhim?Itwouldbecoolifat
somepointinthegame,TalionbumpedintoBardandtheyhelpedoneanotherwiththeiraims.
Perhaps Bard offers to off a target for Talion in return for Talion helping him trackdown his lost
loot.TheprecisepointbetweenTheHobbitandLordOfTheRingsinwhichthisgametakesplace
hasntbeenspecifiedsoBardmaybetoooldforthistohappen,butifShadowsOfMordoroffers
theopportunitytodetailthisuntoldstorythenitshould.
5. Legolas
Anotheropportunityforabossfightthatwouldmakeanicechangefromdicingcountlessorcs,we
cantimaginethehardlineelfwarriorLegolasisatthispointinthetimelinewouldappreciatethe
halfhumanhalfWraithTalionjustonbasicprinciple.ItdbeeasytowriteinareasonforLegolas
beingthere,itsclearfromtheeventsofTheHobbitonwardsthattheElvessensesomethingwrong,
thatSauronisslowlyreturning.Legolascouldeasilybetheleaderofanelvishscoutingpartysent
tocheckexactlywhatsgoingdowninMordor.Hiswholepartycouldbeattackedandslaughtered
byanyofthegamesantagonistsleavingLegolasaloneandverydefensive.CueTalionsentryand
Legolasunderstandablehostilityatthismanwhoseemsmorelikeawraith.Thetwowouldhave
tocometosomesortofunderstandingbytheendofthefight,butitwouldbeanicenodtothe
largercanonandhelpframetheeventswithinit.
4.RadagastTheBrown
PlayedbythebrilliantSeventhDoctorSylvesterMcCoyinthefilmadaptation,Radagastisthefirst
characterinMiddleEarthwhoseemstoknowthatsomethingisupwithdarkforcesreturningand
the natural order of things being more askew than they should be. We know that the Mordor
showninthegameisnotyetentirelythesmoulderingruinthatweseelaterinthemaintrilogyso
itsobviousthatsomethinggoesseverelywrongthere.Radagast,beingawizardmoreattunedwith
nature,couldbelookingintoexactlywhyMordorisslowlybeingcorruptedoncemorewhenhe
bumpsintoTalion.Wedontimagineafighthere,Radagastseemssomewhatapacifist,butshould
thegameincludecollectibles(andbeinganopenworldgame,werecountingonthat)Radagast
would be a good choice for the character that initiates your search for them. Being a wizard, it
wouldntbetooweirdifhecoulduseanyofthetrinketsyoufindtohelpenhanceyourpowers.
3. BilboBaggins
Hereswherewehavetogetabitcreative,butitdoesmakesensesobearwithus.Atthispointin
thetimeline,BilboisinpossessionofTheOneRingandislivingsafelyandpeacefullyinTheShire.
ThemainplotdeviceinthegameisthatTalionispartwraithandweallknowwraithsareableto
sensethering.Itwouldbeinterestingif,asTalionspowersgrewandhebecamemorewraithlike
in nature, that he got glimpses of Bilbo. Bilbowould be occasionally taking The Ring out and
admiring it, as we assume he must do as it slowly corrupts him over the years and in these
momentsTalionwouldlosecontrolofhispowersandseevisionsofthehobbitinhishome.Itwould
reminds us of the larger story and Talions part in it. We wouldnt be surprised if a plot twist
involvedSauronknowinglyhavingahumaninfectedwiththewraithpowerstousehimasaspyto
locatethering,itwouldthenexplainhowtheNazgulzeroinonBilbospositionsoquicklyoutside
oftheirabilitytosenseit.
2.Aragorn
WithTalionspastasaRanger,thismakesperfectsenseforacombattutorial.Theintrotothegame
could be either Talion learning everything he knows from Aragorn or vice versa. It doesnt need
much more of an explanation than that and the idea that one of these guys learned everything
they knew about combat from the other would lend Talion some tough guy credibility from the
offset.Outsideofthis,flashbackstohisRangerdayscouldfeatureencounterswiththekingofmen
inhiding,maybeevenconversationalforeshadowingbetweenthetwoabouttheirrespectivefates.
Talion is clearly intended as a much darker version of the main trilogys heroic ranger and
comparisonsbetweenthetwowouldservetohighlighthowdifferentacharacterwithinTolkiens
worksTalionisintendedtobe.
1.Gandalf
Maybeanovertlyobviouschoiceforthetopspot,buthedbetheultimatebossbattlewouldnt
he? We can imagine it, Gandalf investigating Mordor after the events of The Hobbit, perhaps
alongsideRadagast,andmistakingyoufortheotherNazgul.Instantawesomefight.Ifyouwanted
togetmoreinterestingwithit,perhapsGandalfisfullyawareofTalionshalfandhalfnaturebut
decidesthatahumanwiththepowersofawraithisfartoodangerousaweaponforSaurontobe
abletoswaytohissideonceheregainsmoreofhispower.Afterall,ifhemanagedtosubvertthe
powerful Saruman The Wise to do his bidding, then somebody already half Nazgul shouldnt be
too much of a problem to turn. Because of this, he could pop up to try and kill you on a few
occasions and with good reason too. He knows at this point that things are about to come to a
headandshouldTalionfallintotheDarkLordsgrasp,wedontfancytheFellowshipschancesina
fightagainstahardenedrangerwithNazgulpowersandbeyond.
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