Last month, Middle-earth: Shadow of War was revealed with a trailer that brought fans up to speed with the story. Shortly after, at GDC 2017 in San Francisco, DualShockers had a chance to preview the footage that can be seen at the bottom of the post and was able to learn more about this unique and exciting new game.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War has been in development since 2014, and takes place immediately after the end of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.

Shadows of War was created to expand the scale of all the mechanics introduced in Shadow of Mordor. Even though the game will still have large open areas to explore, one of the newest features is the addition of the "World Map". This provides an overview of all the various regions accessible to the player and reaches far beyond the lands of Mordor.

During the walkthrough preview event we were able to learn about the new ring and its power: players can now raise an army and use the acquired units to attack enemy strongholds and claim them for their own. One of the key features during these attacks will include an updated version of the beloved nemesis system shown in Shadow of Mordor.

While the old nemesis system added the opportunity for players to create their own alliances, go on personal revenge missions, and play through a story unique to them, Shadow of War introduces a new feature called "Nemesis Fortresses." This allows players to visit large structures within Mordor and attempt a siege to defeat the ruler and gain powerful new allies.

During the assault on the enemy strongholds, players must strategically plan which of their troops they'll be sending into battle. At the players' command will be a mix of War Chiefs, Overlords, and Followers. Orcs now belong to different tribes within the game, and these tribes affect the orc's personality and attire. Additionally, which tribe is in charge of the fortress will determine the theme of the structure and the surrounding area.

It should be noted that it might be rare to have the same siege experience as another player. This is because each orc is unique with their own weapons, strengths, and disadvantages. Players will need to choose which of their units they will send in battle and join them in the attempt to capture the fortress.

Additionally, players are able to infiltrate the ranks of the nemesis fortress with their own soldiers. This is beneficial because they can be commanded to leave explosives next to fortress' gates or help you if you in a time of need.

Once the fortress is taken over, players can promote one of their one officers to rule the fortress as the overlord. This will change the theme and colors of the surrounding area depending on who the player chooses. Also, the fortresses can be upgraded by the player to prevent enemy counter attacks.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War is coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC on August 22.

You can check out what attacking a Nemesis Fortress looks like in the gameplay footage, alongside a few images below: