Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor will launch on both current and next-generation consoles, but that doesn’t mean that the separate versions will be identical. This fresh open-world game will have similar mechanics and the same narrative across the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, yet design director Michael de Plater admitted to IGN that certain features won’t be as fleshed out on the older technology.
"We’re very focused on the PS4 and Xbox One,” he said. “We’re focusing on the next-gen platforms, and then going to do whatever we can to get as much as possible on current-gen.
"To break it down, some of the stuff we’re pretty confident will still be very similar on current gen: the core mechanics, like combat, stealth, ranged and movements; the basic control and gameplay, that should all be really solid. What it won’t have is the same level of depth and variety and simulation within the 'Nemesis system.”
This is a big game, and one that seems like it will benefit from the greater horsepower of the PS4 and Xbox One. Thankfully, Monolith understands that there’s merit in pushing the versions on the new consoles a little bit harder.
"The story will be the same and the core gameplay will be the same, but [the 'Nemesis system' is] just so huge in terms of content, calculations and AI we’ll just have to try and get as much of it in as we can," he concluded.
Look to hear more from this new project set in The Lord of the Rings universe later this year.
