Now that we have a release date (more on that in a moment) for Shadow of Mordor, it's high time we had a better look at the premise behind the game dontcha; think? Good think we're getting both at the same time then. The former (again, more on that in a moment) is standard fare. The latter, now this is where things are getting interesting. We've already seen some fascinating insights into the procedurally generated, in world 'story' on offer. But this is the first piece of concrete background establishment beyond the very basic setting itself. And it is...clichéd as all hell, truth be told, but none the worse for it.

It seems our boy Talion, as well as having a wraith unceremoniously bound to his soul, lost a loved one too. In fact, it seems these two events are inexorably intertwined, with the latter being, at least an instigating factor, what caused the former. Of course, as mentioned above, the whole dead wife/girlfriend/fancypiece is far from an original idea. But it presented well, given the gravitas it deserves rather than being a lazy plot device. Which should be no surprise. Warner make movies you know?

Now, the bit you really want to know. We will all be able to get our grubby little mitts on this increasingly appealing new take on Tolkein's world come October 7th. But I'm not done yet, because it also comes with the obligatory Collector's Edition and pre-order bonus...ness. Well, pre-order at any rate. No word on an actual collector's edition (not sure if glad of disappointed) but those who lay down some cash ahead of time will have access to the following:

• Dark Ranger Character Skin

- Begin your own quest for vengeance with a new Dark Ranger character skin that embodies Talion's darker side

• "Test of Power" Challenge Mode

- Face Sauron's Captains and defeat them to earn powerful Runes and gain a head start in the game

- Test your speed, skill and strategy and measure yourself against your friends on the leaderboards

• Access to Exclusive Leaderboards for "Test of Power" Challenge Mode

- Test your speed, skill and strategy and measure yourself against your friends on the leaderboards in this challenge mode

I...urgh, just shut up and take my money.