Warner Bros Interactive released a 16-minute video showcasing a vertical slice of the upcoming Middle Earth: Shadow of War. In this demonstration we get a look at the enhanced nemesis system, the use of spies, rideable mounts and so much more. Usually the gameplay reveals for major AAA titles leave something to be desired but this small section of Shadow of War’s campaign, several hours in, gives viewers a lot to chew on.

Combat appears to be virtually identical to the previous entry in the franchise, Shadow of Mordor, with players assuming the role of Talion once again. New to his arsenal is the ability for wraith inside of him to make use of a ring of power to eviscerate or convert fallen commanders to Talion’s side. Button prompts on the screen also indicate that Shadow of War will once again make use of the bow and two button melee system that was made popular by another Warner Bros property, the Arkham series.

The nemesis system returns but this time it’s not just your opponents who will remember their time with Talion. Friendly units will have statistics, an origin and that initial interaction with Talion can very well forge just how useful recruits are on the battlefield. During the 16-minute gameplay demo we see Talion’s army overtake a fortress and fold its former leader into the ranks against Mordor. As the demo progresses this same former leader rides in on a giant beast to disrupt the big bad commander of this region, even if only for a few seconds – giving our hero the opening to land the finishing blow.

Here’s hoping that the final product can live up to the expectations set forth in the gameplay reveal. Warner bros has set the bar high, here’s hoping that using Drakes against the forces of Mordo doesn’t get old or under utilized.

Mordor: Shadow of War will be made available for Windows PC, PlayStation 4, Microsoft’s unrevealed Xbox Scorpio, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on August 25^th 2017.