After what feels like an eternity of build up The Lord of the Rings Online has now finally opened up the most interesting region in the entirety of Middle-earth - Mordor! As you might expect, the expansion has brought with it the ability to fully explore Gorgoroth and face off against some of the deadliest enemies the world has ever seen, a brand new storyline that will delve deep into Mordor's history, as well as the noble High Elves as an entirely new race.

The Mordor expansion has also introduced a new allegiance system that allows you to pledge loyalty to a variety of factions in exchange for unique bonuses, gear, and additional storylines. In order to make all of this work the crafting and gearing systems have been adjusted to allow even greater levels of customization, though the details are still currently unknown. You can find out more about Mordor by heading over to the official website.

As for the price, the Standard Edition of the Mordor expansion will set you back $40, though if you want all of the 'exclusive' cosmetics you'll have to spend upwards of $130 to get them all through "The Ultimate Fan Bundle". More importantly for any returning players, each purchase of the Mordor expansion will bring with it one Aria of the Valar - the ability to instantly boost and equip your character so that they are ready to face off against everything Mordor has to offer. And if you're wondering what exactly that might be, allow me to send you off with the rather cheesy launch trailer: