Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

 PC
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2369 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,686 out of 2369
  2. Mixed: 489 out of 2369
  3. Negative: 194 out of 2369
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  1. elolugo
    Dec 20, 2020
    5
    Ok game but it feels repetitive. This game supposedly is in the LoTR universe but it doesn't feel like it. The nemesis system is cool but i think is overrated. At least today in 2020 that is...
  2. clem666
    Aug 16, 2021
    7
    What a game. This is another blessing to possess and to add with others from 'The Lord of the Rings' franchise as 'War in the North', 'Lord of the Rings Online', 'The Return of the King' (on PS2) and 'The Third Age' (also on PS2).

    Story is badass and showcases new characters with all the positive and negative they can bring: some of them are terrific, some others just annoying as you    What a game. This is another blessing to possess and to add with others from 'The Lord of the Rings' franchise as 'War in the North', 'Lord of the Rings Online', 'The Return of the King' (on PS2) and 'The Third Age' (also on PS2).

    Story is badass and showcases new characters with all the positive and negative they can bring: some of them are terrific, some others just annoying as you possibly could be. Missions and side quests are repetitive as hell except for main ones. But I just clearly can't get more of that 'collect 5 flowers like those and 8 like these'. The bestiary is cool, but not more than that: you will soon get tired of ghûls, carragors and graugs as they are the only creatures in the whole game.

    Gameplay and its mechanics are by far the most interesting point to discuss here. Obviously it is highly inspired by the 'Assassin's Creed' saga, especially for the ability to climb on every buildings and rocks, the fact that you can silently kill opponents, that bushes make you undetectable, that you can use something really close to the 'eagle sight' in order to discover hidden objects and (hell, MANY) collectibles here and there, that you have to reach the highest points of the map to discover places, that you can improve skills trees, etc etc etc. Yeah, clearly many copied and pasted from this major franchise. And it is as easy as the majority of AC games. Until the end, you simply cannot remove the basic tutorial instructions, even when you have been playing the game for something like 20 hours! We're treated like children down here! And I don't even speak about story mode bosses which are amazingly easy to defeat.

    But it also looks like some of the 'Batman Arkham' games with these parts of infiltration, sneaking and collecting information and clues via mobs in addition to the combo system. Definitely hard to see what 'Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor' originally has to offer from itself... Jumping on the particular walls you want to is surprisingly difficult.

    Combat-mode is (also inspired by AC but is) gorgeous ! By properly using combos you can achieve amazing executions and special moves to kill the opponents which are impressively varied. Controls are great but sometimes a bit rigid. Camera is okay except when you reach tiny places of corners of the map. The society of orcs is just phenomenal as it gives you the impression that you're evolving inside a living world with causes and consequences. Orcs' personnalities are also a wonderful feature. Too bad you personally can't make interesting and story-impacting decisions from start to end. From time to time you may encounter urukais taht are pretty invulnerable to all of your skills, making some fights truly unepic and frustrating.

    Graphics are great thanks to the magical effects of optimization, even if faces and characters' expressions are really poorly designed. This is still a must try for me. But try it before you buy it if you can because the flaws I mentioned might put you off the whole thing.    … Expand
  3. Shimmeywill
    Mar 11, 2020
    7
    A solid time waster. Traversal and art direction isn't as strong as batman but the nemisis system is novel.
  4. RomanGor
    Nov 27, 2019
    6
    Прикольная игра для разрядки. Крошишь толпы у6людков и их командиров. Сюжет не очень, но однокнопочная боевка доставляет. В остальном - среднячок.
  5. r03vg
    Apr 15, 2020
    5
    Хоть кто-то помнит о чем вообще была игра? Помню, что всяких боссов можно было убивать, а если получалось иначе, то они становились сильнее.
  6. Hochbichler
    Sep 7, 2021
    5
    Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a "click-to-win" action adventure game published by WB in 2014. I always approach every licensed game with a healthy prejudice, which usually proves to be justified. Plus I really like The Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies), so I was not expecting myself to like this game very much. But I was (kinda) wrong. Here is why: The graphics is veryMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a "click-to-win" action adventure game published by WB in 2014. I always approach every licensed game with a healthy prejudice, which usually proves to be justified. Plus I really like The Lord of the Rings (both the books and the movies), so I was not expecting myself to like this game very much. But I was (kinda) wrong. Here is why: The graphics is very nice, fits the world well and specially the orcs are done very well with great details, nice animation and a lot of diversity. Also the power hierarchy of the uruk society based on strength and fear and constant infighting is a great system, that really fits the Tolkien's idea of the orc race. Sadly that is about all the positives I could find about this game. I guess what the game lacks the most is depth. The story is very simple, very predictable and honestly feels generic. The part of the story in Núrnen is also pretty much the same thing that happened to Théoden the King. I never liked the main protagonist's face, there was always something weird about it. Then I realized that he looks just like a typical Neanderthal. Seems pretty weird. The gameplay is fun, but very repetitive. All the side quests are really boring and involve doing literary the same quest twenty times to get nothing in reward. Apart from the orcs, there are just three species of "neutral" animals/creatures. Also the overall length of the game is fifteen to twenty hours, that is pretty weak. DLCs are short and profit oriented. No SJW and no microtransactions (apart from the overpriced DLCs).

    Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is an average game based one one cool concept, which however cannot save it on its own. Final verdict: 52 %    … Expand
  7. PanMrkvicka
    Feb 12, 2020
    7
    Its a good game with some cool and fun gameplay mechanics but gets repetitive with the system and story is kind of meh.
  8. sargeheroes
    May 25, 2021
    5
    I did not like boss fights. Because there is no challenge. Just quick time events is not enuogh to enjoy. Side missions are repeated in it self. Especially, Saving hostages. There are lots of things to say but it is enough.
  9. Relkad
    Jun 25, 2020
    7
    It was a good lotr game even though it was not completely loyal to the book.
  10. Anjamal
    Jul 31, 2020
    7
    it's not bad just repetitive and too long. Still great but be warned it's the same few moves over and over and over and over.
  11. ErayTellezi
    Oct 30, 2022
    6
    Zamanında ikinci oyun olan shadow of war'u oynayıp, ortalarında tekrardan sıkılıp bırakmıştım. Bu da maşallah hantal yapısı, birbirinin aynısı kamp baskınları, dandik dövüş mekaniği ile bir günde baygınlık geçirtti. Zamanında belki iyiymiştir ama şu dönemde vakit ayırmaya değmez.
  12. 34m2121
    Jul 4, 2023
    7
    Nemesis sistemi bayıldığım bir şey, senaryo çok kötü olsada bu sistem tüm oyunu kurtarıyor neredeyse.
  13. ZzTopNemesis
    Mar 1, 2022
    7
    Score: 7.7

    I don't remember a lot of this game, it was one of the first ones i played cracked on my old laptop, but i remember i loved it soo much, that a few years later when the sequel was announced i got super excited.
  14. CausticMisery
    Jan 28, 2023
    7
    Fun game, nemesis system is great, but feels too much like a power fantasy: you never really struggle against those orcs.
  15. justashk
    Nov 2, 2022
    5
    This game is not bad but why the ending boss should like this SHT if not the import thing isn,t last boss fight . The best epic for a great game is
    make me boring after a short time like Shadow of War
    The stroy Is good
    But the group fight mechanis can not get my satisfaction
  16. PenetratorGod
    Aug 21, 2023
    7
    Almost 10 years after its release, it's still a decent game to play. Just don't have high expectations about the story. The weakest part of the game is the story. It gets too repetitive after a certain point. But there are not many decent games in this concept.
  17. coso132
    Oct 16, 2022
    7
    good, fun, ubisoft style gameplay, nice combat, good story, i just wish this game dared more
  18. Giero
    Jan 4, 2023
    7
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  19. liandrom
    Apr 25, 2023
    6
    ( 6.4 / 10 )

    ( Campaign / Main story are Ok )( Gameplay and skill tree that may seem cool at first, however, over the course of the game some 7 skill "you will use for real" and that changes the gameplay ) ( Game has serious problems with the parkour system and controls, often making you fail a mission, AKA, leaving you angry ) ( - I recommend it if you see it for a price up to $    ( 6.4 / 10 )

    ( Campaign / Main story are Ok )( Gameplay and skill tree that may seem cool at first, however, over the course of the game some 7 skill "you will use for real" and that changes the gameplay )
    ( Game has serious problems with the parkour system and controls, often making you fail a mission, AKA, leaving you angry )
    ( - I recommend it if you see it for a price up to $ 5.00, either on steam or some other distributor. And if you are interested in lord of the rings, because the game is canon, as opposed to that, nah. Pretty average - )    … Expand
  20. Magical_Viktor
    Apr 30, 2023
    7
    Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»
  21. TheBigTicket
    Jun 28, 2023
    7
    The game is a little underwhelming imo. Loved the idea of exploring Mordor and the story was set up nicely.

    In the end you don't really do much in the world though and the plot gets really weak.

    Nemesis system is excellent though.
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Awards & Rankings

23
#23 Best PC Game of 2014
11
#11 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
10
#10 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. PC PowerPlay
    Nov 1, 2014
    90
    Solid action wrapped in a fascinating simulated Orc society. [Nov 2014, p.52]
  2. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Oct 25, 2014
    72
    After you get used to the world of Shadow of Mordor understanding comes: there is nothing to do in it. Chieftains – pretty serious opponents at first – in the end due to the lame balance become the whipping boys. Storyline is buried under muddy reasoning about rings, elves and dark lord. As a result you like the Shadow of Mordor gameplay but you do not want to go to the finish. [Nov 2014, p.64]
  3. Riot Pixels
    Oct 19, 2014
    70
    Only thanks to the Nemesis system stinky orcs from Peter Jackson’s movies rise above being cannon fodder and turn into actual characters. If this cool system weren’t here, no one would have looked twice at this hybrid clone of Batman: Arkham City and Assassin’s Creed.
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