Another trailer for Middle-Earth: Shadow of War hit the Internet this evening, with this one being all about one specific character. The creature in question? Forthog Orc-Slayer, a legend amongst the Orcs who will sometimes take it upon himself to rush in and save those who are being assaulted by one of their kind.
After beginning with gameplay footage showing Forthog rescuing our protagonist, Talion, from defeat, this new look quickly turns into a CG-based music video of sorts. It’s there where we see the gigantic, muscle-heavy creature prepare to use his club against a throng of incoming baddies, all of whom don’t know what they’re in for.
See it for yourself below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-15muasKW58
What’s important to understand is that Forthog isn’t just a random character, nor was he on the original drawing boards. You see, he’s actually been crafted as an homage to a friend and co-worker, who unfortunately lost his battle with cancer during development of the game. His name? Mike “Forthog” Fogey.
Below is a tribute to Mr. Fogey from the developer’s blog:
A legend among the Orcs of Mordor, Forthog Orc-Slayer is an unstoppable warrior who saves Mordor’s mightiest heroes at their moment of greatest need.
Mike “Forthog” Forgey was our Executive Producer and great friend here at Monolith. He was always ready to leap into the fray and save the game whenever and wherever he was most needed. We lost Mike to cancer during the development of Shadow of War, and we want to remember and honor him with a little bit of immortality in Mordor. The legendary Forthog Orc-Slayer is our way to continue having Mike leap into battle and save us when we’re down.
We hope that you will share in the experience of being saved by the legendary Forthog Orc-Slayer as you enter the land of shadow.
Forthog will exist as downloadable content, with $3.50 from every purchase going to his family in their time of need. It’s a nice gesture, and one that makes the expense much more justifiable. That said, certain areas are excluded, with those being Alabama, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi and South Carolina, as well as every region that exists outside of the United States’ borders.
We’ll be able to interact with Forthog Orc-Slayer come October 10th, which is when Middle-Earth: Shadow of War is now slated to release.