I feel like the title of this article is clear enough for me to not need to write anymore on the idea but I suppose I should explain myself better in case some of you don’t know about Shadow of Mordor’s nemesis system and how cool it could be in RDR2.

A ‘Next Gen’ Feature

So a couple of years ago this game called Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor hit the shelves. Ironically the game came under criticism from some who claimed it ripped off ideas from other games, namely Batman Arkham titles and Assassin’s Creed (and if memory serves an AC dev even voiced his anger on Twitter). I say ironically because the main reason Mordor went on to be beloved by many was because of it’s inspired nemesis system, something that to this day is completely unique to that game. So what was it?

Basically the nemesis system gave every player a slightly (or maybe more than slighty) different experience despite being a single player-only game. It gave you a unique enemy hierarchy which was led by warlords, the player would have to target the lower ranking members of the hierarchy where you could either kill them, interrogate them for info on their superiors (including identity and weaknesses) or ‘intimidate’ (use elf magic) them into joining you, where they would turn on their own kind when the time came. Killing them would open up a vacuum where another orc would rise to fill. Sometimes you could defeat them but not kill them, only for them to surprise you later on looking for revenge and sporting a wound from your first confrontation. It was tight yo!

Red Dead Replicate

So I sit here 2+ years since the release of Shadow of Mordor and I am honestly surprised that no other developer or game has come forward, or even been announced, to try and take the nemesis system as their own. But if I was asked to pick one other IP where this system would work as well or even better? It would have to be Red Dead, an open world Old West setting where you have criminal gangs like the Waltons or Bollards is just begging for a system like this.

You could have one mission where a sheriff asks you to take out a gang leader but he gives you no other information, from there your character would have to track down a lowly member of that gang and hog-tie him for information on his superiors after which you could choose to kill him or put the fear of God into him and turn him to your side (and seeing as he ratted out his superior, it’d be believable for him to side with you). Or maybe you thought you killed Toothless Joe (patent pending) but it turns out you shot him in his torso instead of his head and he survived, biding his time for revenge on you. Heck, this could work great in Red Dead Online too, hunt down those Walton boys with some pals and maybe have the number of gang leaders match the number of friends you have helping.

So Rockstar San Diego, if somehow you come across this wet dream/article of mine, at least consider it, I’d take it as a post release DLC if needs be! As for the rest of you, can you think of any other games where the nemesis system would work? Or maybe you think RDR2 shouldn’t go near a system like this? Let me know in the comments.