Middle-earth: Shadow of War gets Desolation of Mordor story DLC

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Play as Baranor; try to forget Mozû.

Thanks to Tim, the mere thought of Middle-earth: Shadow of War conjures Mozû the Blight's disfigured kisser in my mind. A far handsomer face is Minis Ithil sargeant Baranor's—who supported Talion in the main campaign and who stars in its latest story expansion, Desolation of Mordor.

The latter is out today and has a typically explosive trailer. Observe:

Could that chump at the trailer's end be a contender for Mozû's malevolent crown? It's possible, given the guy who designed Shadow of War's orcs is super proud that they're such dicks. 

In any event, Desolation of Mordor sees players joining forces with Dwarven Hunter Torvin—who crafts powerful shields, gauntlets and grapples, among other new combat tools. The expansion also includes a new roguelike campaign mode, a host of new outpost missions and a fresh ensemble of baddies. A Baranor character skin can be unlocked for the main story campaign, too. Mozû might not see you coming this time. 

And speaking of the main campaign, the arrival of Desolation of Mordor coincides with an extensive base game update. Full details on that can be read here, with Photo Mode upgrades, tweaks to Online Fight Pits, and the addition of a new Brutal Difficulty setting among the highlights. 

Middle-earth: Shadow of War's Desolation of Mordor story expansion costs £15.99/$19.99 standalone—or comes packaged with the game's Story Expansion Pass. This also includes the Blade of Galadriel story DLC.

Joe Donnelly
Deputy Editor, PC Gaming Show