Shadow Of War's Best Feature Might Be Its Trash-Talking Orcs, Featuring Kumail Nanjiani

Middle-earth: Shadow of War brings back Shadow of Mordor protagonists Talion and Celebrimbor, and it adds to its character roster the likes of Shelob and Eltariel. But the real stars, if we're being honest, are the orcs.

The Nemesis system is again in place in Shadow of War, and it's been improved to allow you to establish unique relationships with the orcs you encounter over the course of the game. Anytime you come across certain orcs (specifically War Chiefs), a cutscene of sorts plays out. This involves the orc in question trash-talking you, shouting about their backstory, or otherwise providing them with some further level of personality. Friendly orcs can also join in, offering up their own smack talk or quirky remarks.

In the video above, you'll find a selection of some of the best such sequences we've come across so far. At the 1:13 mark, you'll even see an orc voiced by comedian and Silicon Valley actor Kumail Nanjiani, who plays an incredulous orc who calls Talion's problems into question. (Nanjiani also played a key role in Mass Effect: Andromeda earlier this year.)

Shadow of War's launch is coming up soon; its PS4, Xbox One, and PC release date is set for October 10. In the meantime, you can check out the new free Shadow of War mobile game, which is out now.