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. apokalipto
    Aug 21, 2023
    9
    Very good game. I enjoyed playing this game a lot. I strongly recommend this.
  2. K0SMA
    Jul 5, 2023
    9
    Топовая игра. Отличный геймплей, система Nemesis превносит разнообразие на протяжении всей игры. Рекомендуется к прохождению
  3. AgentLvi
    Jun 26, 2023
    9
    Excellent game. The story is so enjoyable, scoring is really great, visual is decent, and the voice is stunning
  4. HydrophobikFish
    Jun 9, 2023
    8
    A pretty servicable open world game that is elevated by its lovingly recreated tolkein setting and its innovative nemesis system. The orcs are the stars of the show and the way they adapt to you over time, struggle in their hierarchy, and become recurring characters never stops being entertaining.
  5. Hyperfailure
    Jun 3, 2023
    9
    A great game which kept me interested for the whole duration of it. The story and characters are rather simple, but deep enough to be engaging still. The gameplay, with mechanics borrowed from both the Batman and Assassin's Creed series, if very enjoyable and definitely the highlight of the experience. What also helps is that the game is just long enough to be engaged in withoutA great game which kept me interested for the whole duration of it. The story and characters are rather simple, but deep enough to be engaging still. The gameplay, with mechanics borrowed from both the Batman and Assassin's Creed series, if very enjoyable and definitely the highlight of the experience. What also helps is that the game is just long enough to be engaged in without overstaying its welcome, given the good, but unimpressive amount of content it has to offer. Overall, a great throwback to better times and a welcome reprieve from modern AAA bs.… Expand
  6. Tomle1202
    Nov 28, 2022
    8
    Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis system added so much depth to an otherwise fairly decent game.
  7. JustinForgueims
    Oct 26, 2022
    9
    A masterpiece.
    The combat feels so good. There are lots of mechanics to apply during the combat but are implemented in a way that are not overwhelming and feel natural to use.
    Archery, sword and stealth are super well balanced so you're changing from one to another often. Graphics are quite good same as the music and sound effects. The history is interesting with many references to the    A masterpiece.
    The combat feels so good. There are lots of mechanics to apply during the combat but are implemented in a way that are not overwhelming and feel natural to use.
    Archery, sword and stealth are super well balanced so you're changing from one to another often.
    Graphics are quite good same as the music and sound effects.
    The history is interesting with many references to the LOTR lore.
    The Nemesis system is great, although I was expecting a bit more. But the way the orcs are evolving, fighting, ascending and developing strengths and weakness is super fun.

    I experienced a couple of bugs trespassing objects and getting stuck. There's some room for improvement here.    … Expand
  8. The_D4RknesS
    Jul 11, 2022
    8
    cool game with combat that resembles BATMAN Arkham but more difficult and bloody, that is, the difficulty that makes you lose some of the fun
  9. Zallen
    Oct 17, 2022
    8
    Ассасинс Крид в мире Мордора с некст лвл боёвкой бэтмена, основной геймплей которого состоит из гринда орков на 24 часа при 100% прохождении с фулл прокачкой и попыткой выфармливания большинства легендарных рун. Основной же сюжет без доп.активностей часов на 6 - 8.

    Из плюсов: - Максимально юзабельный и полезный апгрейд персонажа, который по мере прокачки скилов и добывания рун -    Ассасинс Крид в мире Мордора с некст лвл боёвкой бэтмена, основной геймплей которого состоит из гринда орков на 24 часа при 100% прохождении с фулл прокачкой и попыткой выфармливания большинства легендарных рун. Основной же сюжет без доп.активностей часов на 6 - 8.

    Из плюсов:
    - Максимально юзабельный и полезный апгрейд персонажа, который по мере прокачки скилов и добывания рун - сражения из унылого бэтмен закликивания превращаются в эпическую вжух вжух мясорубку.
    - Прикольная система Nemesis, которая позволяет взращивать орков как тамагочи, издеваться над "питомцами", а после рубить им головы.
    - Для фанатов киношного «Властелина Колец» сюжет слегка расширяет лор вселенной.
    - Годный порт геймпада.

    Из минусов:
    - Основной геймплей и продолжительность игры зависит от гринда орков, что может максимально быстро надоесть, если боевая система и Nemesis уруков не заходит.
    - Система Nemesis полностью раскрывается в самом конце сюжета, когда игра уже успевает поднадоесть и смысла фарма рун нет.
    - Сюжет весьма вторичен и скорее нужен, чтобы отвлечься от фарма орков.
    - Боссфайты просто смех, это не дарк соулс, но всё же можно было придумать что-то более интересное.

    8мь любителей мясного фарма из 10ти.

    ------------------------

    DLS «Lord of the Hunt» охотничье ответвление с Торвином на 2-3 часа при 100% прохождении.
    Из нового:
    - пару механик связанных с дикими животными, ездовые квесты, чумазый скин Талиона и записки чуть расширяющие лор игры.

    6ть отрыжек из 10ти.

    ------------------------

    DLS «The Bright Lord» мини противостояние Келебримбора против Саурона на 2-3 часа при 100% прохождении (без фарма рун).

    По сути это слегка прокаченная версия основной игры:
    - изменены некоторые механики
    - уровень орков увеличен
    - битвы стали еще более массовыми
    - создание "армии" стало кое как походить на создание армии - где можно в пылу битвы заарканить 30 болванчиков и они будут драться против другой 30ки (выглядит максимально фаново и эффектно)
    - на удивление неплохой финальный боссфайт, который даже дает какой никакой челлендж (в сравнении с оригинальной игрой).

    Из минусов:
    - максимально душные доп.квесты - почти все завязаны на стелсе или на время, хотя и основные особо не похвалишь.
    - слегка нелепая развязка финального боссфайта.

    7мь колец из 10ти.    … Expand
  10. Gliphy
    Oct 7, 2022
    8
    Гениальнейшая система Немезис, у которой, так случилось, издатель абсолютный у#людок, который решил, что использовать систему будут только они. Да вот беда-то... Они использовали эту систему лишь раз... в сиквеле...

    Скажу сразу, что если бы не система Немезис, то игра получила бы максимум 6 баллов. Уж слишком это освежающая система.    Гениальнейшая система Немезис, у которой, так случилось, издатель абсолютный у#людок, который решил, что использовать систему будут только они. Да вот беда-то... Они использовали эту систему лишь раз... в сиквеле...

    Скажу сразу, что если бы не система Немезис, то игра получила бы максимум 6 баллов. Уж слишком это освежающая система.
  11. Joaothekid
    Sep 2, 2022
    9
    Thi game blew my mind back in 2014 and it was awsome to replay it now. Im a Tolkien enthusiastic and it just felt good playing it. Loved the nemesis system, the type of missions, the combat system, general gameplay, storyline just makes sense and its true to the characters since the beginning, art, the collectibles and character evolution just make the game even better... maybe some sideThi game blew my mind back in 2014 and it was awsome to replay it now. Im a Tolkien enthusiastic and it just felt good playing it. Loved the nemesis system, the type of missions, the combat system, general gameplay, storyline just makes sense and its true to the characters since the beginning, art, the collectibles and character evolution just make the game even better... maybe some side missions are a bit repetitive and it lacks more explanation for someone that is not familiarized with the LOTR lore. Cant wait to play shadow of war baby… Expand
  12. aecsuter
    Aug 24, 2022
    9
    What a game!
    One of the best games I've played so far. Very good and optimized graphics, fun story, good secondary content despite not earning almost anything with it, and what a great gameplay!
    For me the highlight is the combats that are very fun and fluid.
    The title of GOTY is more than fair for this game, I highly recommend it!
  13. george_bondo
    Jul 24, 2022
    8
    this game is just perfect with that beautiful music , characters and atmosphere
  14. Zeneko90
    Jul 14, 2022
    8
    Nettes. Spiel es hat echt viel Spaß gemacht. Mehr davon! Nicht zu lang, nicht zu kurz. Genau richtig.
  15. DreamDays
    Jun 14, 2022
    10
    The story, combat and everything about this game just kept me playing.
    One of the few games ive ever completed.
  16. mugen_is_here
    May 11, 2022
    8
    Great game! Reminds me of assassin's creed!

    Lots of variety in the gameplay. Extremely lengthy. Story is quite emotional and powerful (though it's laced with the LOTR elements that are just plain dumb). Difficulty was quite high after a while. The captains were incredibly difficult to defeat because they would keep regenerating health. But great characters all of them. Their    Great game! Reminds me of assassin's creed!

    Lots of variety in the gameplay. Extremely lengthy. Story is quite emotional and powerful (though it's laced with the LOTR elements that are just plain dumb).

    Difficulty was quite high after a while. The captains were incredibly difficult to defeat because they would keep regenerating health. But great characters all of them. Their dialogues brought out how gruesome they were.

    Overall loved it!    … Expand
  17. TCM_Crash
    Mar 2, 2022
    8
    ---{ Graphics }---
    ☐ You forget what reality is
    ☐ Beautiful ☑ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Story }--- ☐ No Story ☐ Some lore ☐ Average ☑ Good    ---{ Graphics }---
    ☐ You forget what reality is
    ☐ Beautiful
    ☑ Good
    ☐ Decent
    ☐ Bad
    ☐ Don‘t look too long at it
    ☐ MS-DOS

    ---{ Gameplay }---
    ☐ Very good
    ☑ Good
    ☐ It's just gameplay
    ☐ Mehh
    ☐ Watch paint dry instead
    ☐ Just don't

    ---{ Audio }---
    ☐ Eargasm
    ☐ Very good
    ☑ Good
    ☐ Not too bad
    ☐ Bad
    ☐ I'm now deaf

    ---{ Story }---
    ☐ No Story
    ☐ Some lore
    ☐ Average
    ☑ Good
    ☐ Lovely
    ☐ It'll replace your life

    ---{ Game Time }---
    ☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
    ☐ Short
    ☑ Average
    ☐ Long
    ☐ To infinity and beyond

    ---{ Price }---
    ☐ It's free!
    ☐ Worth the price
    ☑ If it's on sale
    ☐ If u have some spare money left
    ☐ Not recommended
    ☐ You could also just burn your money    … Expand
  18. zyllus
    Feb 27, 2022
    9
    This is one of the finest games I have played. You feel like a medieval Hitman in the LOTR universe. It has solid gameplay similar to the Arkham series but the Generals are tougher and can be killed using a specific way only which makes you plan your conquest to take over a camp instead of just barging in head-on. The story is great with friendship and betrayals. The gem of this game isThis is one of the finest games I have played. You feel like a medieval Hitman in the LOTR universe. It has solid gameplay similar to the Arkham series but the Generals are tougher and can be killed using a specific way only which makes you plan your conquest to take over a camp instead of just barging in head-on. The story is great with friendship and betrayals. The gem of this game is the random dialogues and opportunities the game creates using the Nemesis system. It was a new thing and it is done flawlessly in this game. If you play this game, then also play the sequel which completes the story of Talion and improves significantly on every other factor. The DLC is also good with a little different approach in combat but fun nonetheless.… Expand
  19. moonlaba
    Jan 17, 2022
    8
    대부분은 기존의 RPG요소들을 꾸민거지만 세뇌시스템은 정말 독특하고 다른곳에서 찾기힘든 경험을 하게 만든다. 이런 요소가 단순히 세력싸움에만 사용되는게 아까울 지경.
  20. Amorph0us
    Jan 7, 2022
    8
    Assassin's Creed in Middle-Earth? Well as a fan of Tolkien's universe I perceived this idea as a very bland. Although, everything else in this game was great. The best part being the era that they chose. Including Celebrimbor was an excellent idea as there was no other media to feature him. Locations like old Minas Ithil were great additions. All in all, I enjoyed it.
  21. NicoBellicRules
    Jan 6, 2022
    8
    Absolutely great game. I wish it was longer though. You can also play this well on a low-end PC. I highly recommend it. I got it on sale on Steam. It sure beats going to the movies. I got 30 hours of great gameplay out of it.
  22. swavmirj
    Nov 20, 2021
    8
    The highest praise 'Shadow of Mordor' has going for it is that it leaves you wanting more. With so many sprawling open-worlds, it is refreshing to have something easy to knock over in a few sittings.
    With the Nemesis system providing a personal touch to encounters, the variety of approaches to combat (ranged, stealth, or balls/flaps-to-the-wall), and the well paced progression of skills    The highest praise 'Shadow of Mordor' has going for it is that it leaves you wanting more. With so many sprawling open-worlds, it is refreshing to have something easy to knock over in a few sittings.
    With the Nemesis system providing a personal touch to encounters, the variety of approaches to combat (ranged, stealth, or balls/flaps-to-the-wall), and the well paced progression of skills and perks, 'Shadow of Mordor' is the pure 'Assassin's Creed's experience fans of the genre have been waiting for.
    Unfortunately, the risk of leaving a person wanting more does tend to lead to anti-climactic endings and a lack of replayability.
    None-the-less, well worth the full ticket price of entry and a playthrough to the very end.    … Expand
  23. paleojuanito
    Nov 13, 2021
    8
    Thank god I was able to play this game on PC. The PS4 had awful mapping on the controllers. The game is alright, it's obviously boosted by the nemesis system, which had me for hours stabbing an chasing the orcs i had an issue with. It feels cool to be strong from the beginning of the game, and being able to add new skills to your toolbox. The story is lame, but it was cool to get to seeThank god I was able to play this game on PC. The PS4 had awful mapping on the controllers. The game is alright, it's obviously boosted by the nemesis system, which had me for hours stabbing an chasing the orcs i had an issue with. It feels cool to be strong from the beginning of the game, and being able to add new skills to your toolbox. The story is lame, but it was cool to get to see the elf that forged the one ring… Expand
  24. TheSikvel
    Oct 19, 2021
    8
    I really liked this game. I did not even expect something like this. A wonderful storyline that complements the universe of the Lord of the Rings. The main plot is not bad. The mechanics of gathering the army are extremely promising, the graphics are excellent. Everything would be perfect if it weren't a little boring and incredibly short. Completed the game 100% in 30 hours. There areI really liked this game. I did not even expect something like this. A wonderful storyline that complements the universe of the Lord of the Rings. The main plot is not bad. The mechanics of gathering the army are extremely promising, the graphics are excellent. Everything would be perfect if it weren't a little boring and incredibly short. Completed the game 100% in 30 hours. There are bugs like the disappearance of warchiefs, but they do not interfere with the game. I advise the game to all fans of the Lord of the Rings and those who have been looking for something to play for a long time.… Expand
  25. Woolee
    Sep 28, 2021
    9
    Shadow of Mordor is the single best Lord of the Rings adaptation to date, and one of the very best third-person action games in many years.
  26. VikiSetyah
    Aug 25, 2021
    10
    Batman mechanis with sword is satisfied. One of the best action adventure must play !!
  27. GreK4
    Jul 27, 2021
    8
    I passed this game on 100%. I have 30+ hours, maybe some a few. Newer mind. I love this game, this mechanics, even this plot. But really, game is so dirty, so filth and so sad. Mordor is bad it is true. And authors could get me this sad mood. But I think, I don't want kive in Mordor) So sad nature.
    Game is cool.
  28. gwynbleidd27
    Jul 3, 2021
    10
    This game is a really really unique and fun game. The nemesis system is just amazing. The lines orks say are pure gold. I loved the combat, loved the story but the ending was a bit underwhelming other than that this is a masterpiece!
  29. Gorbunov2004
    May 22, 2021
    9
    Отличная игра но сюжет плохой! Каждый орк в игре индивидуален, также некоторые орки могут вернуться после смерти. Если вас убьёт любой рядовой орк то он станет капитаном. Очень неприятная вещь - это когда вы сбиваете врага с ног и пытаетесь его казнить, НУ, другие враги могут ПРЕРЫВАТЬ это выполнение полностью !!! И, конечно же, они могут навредить вам, если прервут казнь! Графика тожеОтличная игра но сюжет плохой! Каждый орк в игре индивидуален, также некоторые орки могут вернуться после смерти. Если вас убьёт любой рядовой орк то он станет капитаном. Очень неприятная вещь - это когда вы сбиваете врага с ног и пытаетесь его казнить, НУ, другие враги могут ПРЕРЫВАТЬ это выполнение полностью !!! И, конечно же, они могут навредить вам, если прервут казнь! Графика тоже хороша.… Expand
  30. completo3
    Apr 10, 2021
    8
    Las cosas claras, la historia nos da igual a todos los que jugamos, lo que mola es formar un ejercito de orcos y ver como va reaccionando el sistema némesis con nuestras acciones
    Si te gustan los juegos de Batman o Assasins creed y encima el universo del señor de los anillos este es tu juego perfecto, ejecuta a 100 orcos y esclaviza a otros 100 en un mapa bastante grande, con mucho    Las cosas claras, la historia nos da igual a todos los que jugamos, lo que mola es formar un ejercito de orcos y ver como va reaccionando el sistema némesis con nuestras acciones
    Si te gustan los juegos de Batman o Assasins creed y encima el universo del señor de los anillos este es tu juego perfecto, ejecuta a 100 orcos y esclaviza a otros 100 en un mapa bastante grande, con mucho contenido interesante si quieres mas información sobre el universo y horas y horas de diversión con el sistema némesis.
    100% recomendado con los DLCs ya que sale muy barato en ofertas.    … Expand
  31. Cz3rw0ny
    Apr 5, 2021
    8
    Very good game, which might be a little repetitive at times, but overall brought a fresh-start to the LOTR franchise once again.
  32. Erdemcanozturk
    Feb 28, 2021
    9
    This game is very nice, but there are 2 things that I don't like, first of all, there are small bosses and strong ones in the game, but they are not difficult at all, I try to cut the strong, the little one comes and kills me, these are the normal organs come and kill you, the boss is not difficult at all. I don't like story 2, maybe you will like it
  33. gotterpotter56
    Feb 13, 2021
    8
    очень понравилась игра! Атмосфера в этой игре на высоте! Интересная фишка с вербованием орков.
  34. VigilanteOito
    Jan 12, 2021
    8
    A obra Senhor dos Anéis todo mundo sabe que é incrivel. Neste game é possivel ver varias referencias a trilogia dos filmes, como o Gollun, Orcs, Sauron e a voz de Saruman.
    O game tem o mesmo sistema de combate dos games de Batman Arkhan e movimentação muito similar a Assassins Creed.
    Comprei por 10 conto, valeu apena nesse preço, espero jogar o Shadow War um dia desses.
  35. Babutto
    Jan 10, 2021
    8
    A very decent game.

    Pros.:
    - Very interesting revisions of the book.
    - Smooth to play.
    - Curious orc mocking.
    - Achievements add to the story, are not useless.
    - Characters.

    Cons.:
    - Bosses are easy, especially closer to the end.
    - There is a limit to the gameplay.
    - Slave rescue missions are extremely boring.
  36. Vasharal
    Dec 14, 2020
    9
    This and Shadow of War are by far one of my favorite games of all times. I enjoy the concept so much that I warmly recommend it to anyone who likes action games, LOTR/The Hobbit or just want to have an amazing gaming experience as there's no other game like this.

    I look forward for the 3rd part as I hope there's going to be one. You have to play this one before Shadow of War to make    This and Shadow of War are by far one of my favorite games of all times. I enjoy the concept so much that I warmly recommend it to anyone who likes action games, LOTR/The Hobbit or just want to have an amazing gaming experience as there's no other game like this.

    I look forward for the 3rd part as I hope there's going to be one. You have to play this one before Shadow of War to make sense of the story and enjoy the game fully. It's truly a fun game!    … Expand
  37. shatarah
    Dec 2, 2020
    10
    greattttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
  38. SirDuncanIV
    Oct 20, 2020
    8
    This game is amazing. It isn't canon to Tolkien's series, but I believe that doesn't matter. What matters is the gameplay, the graphics and the world, and those things are done very well.
    The graphics are good, though they aren't anything special.
    The gameplay is honestly amazing, it feels like a merge from an Assassin's Creed game and a 3D action hack and slash game, which is a    This game is amazing. It isn't canon to Tolkien's series, but I believe that doesn't matter. What matters is the gameplay, the graphics and the world, and those things are done very well.
    The graphics are good, though they aren't anything special.
    The gameplay is honestly amazing, it feels like a merge from an Assassin's Creed game and a 3D action hack and slash game, which is a combination that isn't very common out there. There are of course things that could have been done better, for example some parts of the story feel like simple repeat with the bosses dealing just a little bit more damage and dying a bit more slowly. But there are also parts that are really fun, the most popular one being branding, it's a really nice idea, it also allows the main character, Talion, not too look like a recognized hero with many allies.
    The world is designed very nicely as well, all regions give the same dark vibe without being exactly the same. The details that you are able to find that reference Tolkien's works also are a really nice addition to the world-building of this game.

    Overall this game is a good game, but I wouldn't recommend buying this before playing Shadow of War, as this is a worthy successor in my humble opinion, even though it is a sequel to this game.    … Expand
  39. ChoicestGames
    Oct 11, 2020
    8
    It's like a Batman: Arkham or Assassin's Creed game set in Middle-Earth, which isn't necessarily a bad thing and it's probably the reason I got into this open world action-adventure more than its competitors. This is a highly recommended game for "The Lord of the Rings" fans which prefer the use of stealth and cunning in order to overcome their foes. There are a few minor technical andIt's like a Batman: Arkham or Assassin's Creed game set in Middle-Earth, which isn't necessarily a bad thing and it's probably the reason I got into this open world action-adventure more than its competitors. This is a highly recommended game for "The Lord of the Rings" fans which prefer the use of stealth and cunning in order to overcome their foes. There are a few minor technical and design issues but they don't detract from what is probably the best The Lord of the Rings game in recent times.… Expand
  40. KarolP
    Oct 1, 2020
    8
    Action game based in nice looking, open world filled with few types of activities. Game is quite similar to Assasins Creed franchise (movement and a couple of mechanics). Story is rather simple, but based in awaited, great fantasy, which makes whole game more interesting than really gameplay is. Combat system is dynamic and satisfing, but of course moves is quite unreal. NeverthelessAction game based in nice looking, open world filled with few types of activities. Game is quite similar to Assasins Creed franchise (movement and a couple of mechanics). Story is rather simple, but based in awaited, great fantasy, which makes whole game more interesting than really gameplay is. Combat system is dynamic and satisfing, but of course moves is quite unreal. Nevertheless animations and finishers are impressive. During the game protagonist become too strong, fight is not that challenging as in the beginning. Our enemies (orcs) are dirty, ugly and nicely copied from films. There is a unique, brilliant Nemesis system with Sauron's army. Orcs create some kind of hierarchy, commanders have their original names, taunts and skills. With the time game seems to be quite repetable.
    Despite Nemesis and universe everything were seen before in other games, nevertheless, finally we received succed game based in Tolkien's world.    … Expand
  41. nitorita
    Aug 11, 2020
    8
    A Lord of the Rings story with a heavy emphasis on combat and some light Assassin's Creed parkour sprinkled on top. Shadow of Mordor builds on the LotR universe, giving you a lot more lore to enjoy from the Tolkien franchise. The game is somewhat button-mashy and a bit easy in the beginning with the gameplay options left at their defaults (particularly the parry prompt), but it is anA Lord of the Rings story with a heavy emphasis on combat and some light Assassin's Creed parkour sprinkled on top. Shadow of Mordor builds on the LotR universe, giving you a lot more lore to enjoy from the Tolkien franchise. The game is somewhat button-mashy and a bit easy in the beginning with the gameplay options left at their defaults (particularly the parry prompt), but it is an incredibly fun game to play.

    The personages are all very fleshed out and the enemy orcs have fun, creative lines to get you riled up. The combat is engaging because of the intelligent AI, and you feel a strong sense of satisfaction from mowing down orcs. The character you control works together with a spirit who makes you feel badass whenever you utilize his abilities.

    The map isn't overly complex and the game isn't hard to learn after a few hours of play, but compared to Assassin's Creed, Shadow of Mordor is much more engaging and exciting to play. You never get tired of the fighting, and there are lots of combos for you to try and keep fights fresh. All in all, you won't regret playing this game. It's an excellent addition to the franchise and adds a lot more story to the universe to further whet your appetite. It is Assassin's Creed done right.

    (Warning: Be sure to enable Vertical Sync in the video options, or else the game might cause BSODs.)    … Expand
  42. greenbey
    Jul 14, 2020
    8
    A
    Mixture of the Assassin's creed games before unity and batman arkham games.
    Introduces nemesis system.
    Your character becomes overpowered as you progress.
    Story is ok.
  43. Sodomizer
    Jul 6, 2020
    9
    great game in my opinion, great gameplay, the ranking system of the villains is very good, time passed very quickly playing this game
  44. ewenr
    Jun 29, 2020
    8
    Takes its time to get going but once you reach the second half of the game it adds a whole new take on your quest to overthrow Mordor. Hunting Orcs is super fun and the combat mechanics are challenging and offer choice between stealth and outright offensive actions. Unfortunately, it has one of the WORST endings in any video game i have ever played. The final boss battle is basically aTakes its time to get going but once you reach the second half of the game it adds a whole new take on your quest to overthrow Mordor. Hunting Orcs is super fun and the combat mechanics are challenging and offer choice between stealth and outright offensive actions. Unfortunately, it has one of the WORST endings in any video game i have ever played. The final boss battle is basically a QTE. what an utter disappointment,… Expand
  45. Tomicsavo
    Feb 5, 2020
    10
    Very good game, no wonder the game of the year was awarded to this game. I can only recommend, good story, good combos, good opportunities.
  46. PublicNuisance
    Dec 25, 2019
    8
    I’m not a huge LOTR fan so the lore didn’t really grab hold of me and make me want to run out and buy Shadow of Mordor. I thought the movies were decent but nothing more. When my buddy described to me the “nemesis” system that the game uses now that did make me take notice and buy the game when I could. That is a system in the game that helps to give you more of a personal connection toI’m not a huge LOTR fan so the lore didn’t really grab hold of me and make me want to run out and buy Shadow of Mordor. I thought the movies were decent but nothing more. When my buddy described to me the “nemesis” system that the game uses now that did make me take notice and buy the game when I could. That is a system in the game that helps to give you more of a personal connection to the game that many open world games lack. Throughout the game you hunt down and kill Uruk Captains to help hinder their war effort. If you fail to kill them and they run away they will remember that and mention it the next time you meet along with wounds and scars you inflicted on them. If you get killed by a Captain they grow stronger because of it and are harder to kill next time. This made the game a lot more fun for me, made things less grindy and gave more personality to characters that would have been duller otherwise.

    The combat in the game is a great take on the Arkham combat from the Batman games. It is all based around timing and chaining together attacks and combos. There are a lot of different finishers you can use depending on whether you are in stealth, hanging from a ledge, or using your sword or bow. You can upgrade your sword, bow and dagger with a variety of runes that will add special abilities and chances of events happening such as setting an enemy on fire or regaining health from a kill. You can find more of these by killing warchiefs or captains. You may get extra special ones if you use enemies weaknesses against them. You can gather intel on captains by finding documents and interrogating other Uruk. You can find out what attacks won’t work on them as well as what they fear and are weak to. There is so much that, while optional, can add such depth to the game as a whole. The game could get very hectic with a couple dozen enemies attacking at once. It got difficult when you had ranged attackers shooting stuff at you that you may not even notice. There are a lot of environmental attacks you can use such as using your bow to ignite a camp fire or to shoot a flies nest that will scare off enemies.

    The story to the game was decent overall. You play a Ranger named Talion who is killed along with his wife and son when the Uruks assault the Black Gate where they are stationed. He doesn’t totally die as his body and soul are tied to that of an Elf who needs to remember his past and helps Talion in getting his revenge as well as recover his past memories. You uncover much of the story through side missions, finding relics and artifacts and completing main missions. The voice acting was great and and the story had a nice flow to it. My only complaints would be that the end of the game fight was basically a QTE event which felt like a cop out. Also many of the missions either force you into playing a certain way, such as riding a mount during, or had a time limit. I don’t like to be pigeon holed and like to figure out my own strategy to finish a mission. The graphics are awesome. The detail on a characters face is fantastic and the game area has some great vistas.

    I played Shadow of Mordor on Linux. I played version 1.3 of the game and used the Vulkan beta. The game did have one crash when loading the game but no other issues at all. The Game has nine graphics settings as well as FXAA, four settings for AO and the ability to scale resolution to 200% of your monitor. I had all settings on highest with motion blur turned off and my resolution at 1080P. The framerate was usually 70 or above but could dip to the mid 50’s or go as high as 100 depending on my location and what was going on. The game used at most 8.5GB of RAM, 25% of my CPU, 100% of my GPU and 5.2GB of VRAM. The Vulkan beta ran much better than the OpenGL version. I got about 30FPS higher on average than on OpenGL.

    Overall this was a great game. The combat is fantastic; the story is worth a playthrough even if you’re not an LTOR fan; the graphics are gorgeous; and it runs great. It has a few things I wish were different but nothing that made me angry or soured my fun. I paid $14.14 for the game and would say it was easily worth $40. I finished the main story; about half of the side missions and all of the collectables hunt in about 27 hours.

    My Score: 8/10

    My System:

    AMD Ryzen 5 2600X | 16GB DDR4-3000 CL15 | MSI RX 580 8GB Gaming X | Mesa 19.2.7 | Samsung 850 Evo 250GB | Manjaro 18.1.4 | Mate 1.22.2 | Kernel 5.4.2-1-MANJARO    … Expand
  47. Genek13
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    For me is a AC game in Middle Earth universe. with few different mechanics, especially Nemezis system.
    Enjoyable and great playthrough from start to finish.
  48. SilverOrlov
    Oct 29, 2019
    9
    Good game. A very interesting plot that does not spoil the World of Tolkien at all. Excellent elaboration of the World and events, with different challenges for player's skills. I especially liked the nemesis system - it was a breath of fresh air in the gaming industry and a very fun experience in dealing with the orc hierarchy.
  49. griefin
    Jun 11, 2019
    8
    +: fighting system, multistory level design
    -: repetitive game design, poor story development
  50. bskierys
    Jun 4, 2019
    8
    Oh, Oh how it is fun to slay hordes of orcs. The combat mechanics, that is a copy-paste of Batman Arkham satisfying villain-punching system provides enough satisfaction so you can still keep playing, even knowing how repetitive the gameplay of this title is. Do you remember how you hate taking over bandit camps in all these open-world games? So here, you will be doing just that for wholeOh, Oh how it is fun to slay hordes of orcs. The combat mechanics, that is a copy-paste of Batman Arkham satisfying villain-punching system provides enough satisfaction so you can still keep playing, even knowing how repetitive the gameplay of this title is. Do you remember how you hate taking over bandit camps in all these open-world games? So here, you will be doing just that for whole the campaign over and over again. With the small difference, that this time you are going to love it. And it all thanks to Nemesis system.
    The Nemesis system creates a hierarchy in the army of Orcs. They have ranks and when one dies, the other gets a promotion. Your task is to kill the top ones. The great thing is that you don't always have to kill the chieftain. You can force them to reveal to you some vulnerabilities of another orc, you can send him to sabotage another orc commander. The best part - it is all generated for you during your playtime, so every player has a slightly different experience.
    I mentioned vulnerabilities. Every orc has some and finding it is the simplest way to defeat them.
    What about a story? Is it faithful to the LOTR lore? Well, no. It is a fan-fiction story. And the sooner you will accept it, the better.    … Expand
  51. Daxx7
    May 19, 2019
    10
    Increíble! Este juego si que está bien hecho, su historia, jugabilidad, gráficos, sonido, todo fantástico, títulos como éste si se merecen ser juego del año
  52. maxs
    May 18, 2019
    9
    A great game, just a little repetitive in the long, but that will remain indelible in the memory
  53. Lucky_Nike
    May 4, 2019
    8
    This game is about maxing out your character and kill every orc you can see. You can play stealth for a while, you can aim bow to start combo, but real fun is when you cut heads off. I have restarted many times quest only to get max points to maximize character and to be simply better/more skilled in this slaughter orc game.

    I was not expecting much from this pure gamepad arcade game,    This game is about maxing out your character and kill every orc you can see. You can play stealth for a while, you can aim bow to start combo, but real fun is when you cut heads off. I have restarted many times quest only to get max points to maximize character and to be simply better/more skilled in this slaughter orc game.

    I was not expecting much from this pure gamepad arcade game, but in the end game was so fun. 38 hours of gameplay to finish story line due picking all possible quests is fairly ok. Those side quests is what the game is really about.

    Story I liked but this game is definitely not about story. Story is shorter than drinking cold beer on Sahara. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is about killing everything. I wanted to like system to get max level rune or to max enemy level but it doesnt work very well for me as no matter how high level your enemy is, they are easy to kill but still its so satisfying. Few times you will have to figure out how to kill some enemy, but thats all - this game is rather brainless.

    It take some time till you get into the mood, but once you are in it, you will have real fun. This fun sometimes is 10/10 but 8.5/10 is most accurate overall.    … Expand
  54. PortalToH3LL
    Mar 17, 2019
    8
    Умеренно долгий и довольно неплохой openworld в средиземье. Приличный графон, бетменовская боевка, сбор секреток, хреноватое управление, стелс, опять же, бетменовский.
  55. Frasoric
    Feb 8, 2019
    9
    Shadow of Mordor offers a unique take on the past games based on the Lord of the Rings franchise. The game has a similar combat systems used in the Batman Arkham Knight series with stealth take downs and combat finishers to defeat enemies.

    Instead of Riddler Riddles the game offers a varied amount of collectables and progression within the open world. Wither it's collecting artifacts to    Shadow of Mordor offers a unique take on the past games based on the Lord of the Rings franchise. The game has a similar combat systems used in the Batman Arkham Knight series with stealth take downs and combat finishers to defeat enemies.

    Instead of Riddler Riddles the game offers a varied amount of collectables and progression within the open world. Wither it's collecting artifacts to empower your weapons or going on a hunt for rare creatures and herbs for new abilities.

    What makes Shadow of Mordor different from other games in the action genre is the use of the nemesis system which allows the user to manipulate the world around them through ordered assassinations and forcing orcs to provide information on captains weaknesses.

    The system provides challenges with captains gaining power and new resistances, which the player needs to overcome to defeat them in combat. There is a Vendetta system used in the game allowing friends to attempt the captains that were difficult throughout your experience in Mordor.

    The campaign isn't canon to the Lord of the Rings lore, but does provide some interesting twists and challenges to drive the player throughout their playthrough of the game. In comparison to the open world the campaign feels short, but is better than expected from previous Lord of the Rings games.

    The game is great overall with little to complain about. Shadow of Mordor is a must have for fans of the Lord of the Rings franchise and action games.    … Expand
  56. Diegochocho
    Jul 5, 2018
    8
    Se nota que el sistema de combate esta sacado de los Batman, pero aun así logra adaptar perfectamente al mundo del Señor de los Anillos.
  57. El_Manco
    May 20, 2018
    8
    Al igual que con "Mad Max", creo que a este juego le faltan una serie de virtudes para obtener más de un 8. Sin embargo, Shadow of Mordor me parece mejor juego que el anterior. Si ambos pueden hacerse repetitivos, Shadow of Mordor logra no hacer tan pesado obtener ciertos logros y realizar ciertas misiones. Las historias paralelas a la trama principal lo hacen algo más dinámico, y `por esoAl igual que con "Mad Max", creo que a este juego le faltan una serie de virtudes para obtener más de un 8. Sin embargo, Shadow of Mordor me parece mejor juego que el anterior. Si ambos pueden hacerse repetitivos, Shadow of Mordor logra no hacer tan pesado obtener ciertos logros y realizar ciertas misiones. Las historias paralelas a la trama principal lo hacen algo más dinámico, y `por eso le doy una nota más alta… Expand
  58. Valera612
    Feb 25, 2018
    10
    this game is very good. big open world. interesting game-play and very good story
  59. Mitya64
    Jan 14, 2018
    8
    Шикарный геймплей. Система немезида интересная. Графон на высоте. орки выглядят уродские. Музыка и звуки отличные. Сюжет короткий и не интересный. Бегал убивал орков
  60. Poishawk
    Nov 26, 2017
    8
    Middle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor™ боевик с элементами рпг. Игра разробатывалась WarnerBros., что сразу заметно по геймплею, чувствуется родство с играми серии Бэтман, особенно боевка. Сюжет рассказывает о жителях Мордора, до истории первой книго "Властелин колец". Хотя если вырвать игру из вселенной Толкина, разницы не сразу заметишь. Присутствуют некоторые персонажи из фильмов, что даетMiddle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor™ боевик с элементами рпг. Игра разробатывалась WarnerBros., что сразу заметно по геймплею, чувствуется родство с играми серии Бэтман, особенно боевка. Сюжет рассказывает о жителях Мордора, до истории первой книго "Властелин колец". Хотя если вырвать игру из вселенной Толкина, разницы не сразу заметишь. Присутствуют некоторые персонажи из фильмов, что дает какую то ностальгию, захотелось даже пересмотреть трилогию. Немного не проработана система захвата командиров, не до конца понятно, зачем это, если геймплейно никак не влияет. Платное ДСЛ добавляет некоторые функции, которых не хватало в оригинале. Чувствуется, что эти фишки были вырезанны или не продуманы вначале. Сюжет прост и без всяких поворотов, в открытом мире есть чем заняться на несколько часов, уйдя от основной сюжетной линии. Прокачка очень проста, маши себе мечом да получай XP. Очень понравилось разнообразие приемов и добивания, что хоть как то разбовляет постоянный сражения. В общем игра получилась хорошая, на пару вечеров и не больше.
    7/10 Урук-хаев!    … Expand
  61. Jayme_lara
    Nov 23, 2017
    9
    Podri describir este juego como un Assasin´s Creed bien hecho el sistema nemesis te hace sentir la personalidad de algunos rivales y mas aun cuando aparecen varios a la vez. Muy recomendado y divertido
  62. jelikey
    Nov 19, 2017
    9
    At first glance this game seems like Batman meets Assassin's Creed with Witcher elements mixed in. I wasn't really sold on it until I realized how robust the Nemesis system is. I was messing around fighting a Graug and my health was down to about 1/4. Then out of nowhere a Captain that I identified in the Army of Sauron as being in the next zone over appears. He says "OH IS NOW A BAD…
  63. Billydju
    Nov 16, 2017
    8
    The gameplay is really nice, its really fun to make those orcs working for us. Sadly this game has 1 of the shortest story in any AAA-tier game.

    Overall its worth and only cost $5 on sales.
  64. Gohax
    Oct 19, 2017
    8
    So i played this game first on the ps4 and i really enjoyed it so much that i bought it for the pc aswell this game is basically if Assassin's creed and Batman Arkham games had a baby this game is a joy to play and heres why:

    Story: you are a ranger watching the black gate ? i think ? while having some family issues the right hand of Sauron attacks you and sacrifices you to summon a    So i played this game first on the ps4 and i really enjoyed it so much that i bought it for the pc aswell this game is basically if Assassin's creed and Batman Arkham games had a baby this game is a joy to play and heres why:

    Story: you are a ranger watching the black gate ? i think ? while having some family issues the right hand of Sauron attacks you and sacrifices you to summon a spirit that died with the ring the spirit gets into you instead and revives you from the dead so you can have your revenge against the right hand of Sauron.
    In my opinion the story is the weak part in this game because you wont be caring about any characters they introduce to you

    Gameplay: so the gameplay is the fun part you will be slaying orcs or as they call them uruks a stronger version of orcs and their leaders the combat is a complete copy from batman but there is stealth like in assasins creed and parkour as well this game has a special system called the nemesis system in which the uruks will remember what you have done and if you kill someone and he survives that uruk will come back for revenge your main goal in this game is to win up the 5 warchiefs and make them your minions from the skills youll get as being a host of a spirit

    pros: great gameplay really brutal and satisfying
    the nemesis system works awesome
    of course it takes time in the lord of the rings universe so you nerds will enjoy it

    cons: poor story and characters
    THE STORY BOSSES NOT COUTING THE FIRST ONE WHICH IS THE ONLY ONE WHO IS AWESOME ARE AWFULL
    combat can get rapatative after 30 hours of gameplay XDD

    my final score for this game is
    8.5/10
    i really enjoyed this game and i hope you all will    … Expand
  65. Clapper
    Oct 13, 2017
    9
    Middle Earth: Shadow Of Mordor Review:
    Middle Earth Shadow of Mordor was released in 2014, and despite its innovations and publicity work, it fell under the radar as one of the multitude of games accompanying the arrival of next generation consoles. However, what developer Monolith Productions had created was a contender for game of the year 2014, a game that received critical appraise    Middle Earth: Shadow Of Mordor Review:
    Middle Earth Shadow of Mordor was released in 2014, and despite its innovations and publicity work, it fell under the radar as one of the multitude of games accompanying the arrival of next generation consoles. However, what developer Monolith Productions had created was a contender for game of the year 2014, a game that received critical appraise and a vast amounts of awards and nominations. But no game is without its flaws.
    Without a doubt, the most controversial aspect of Shadow Of Mordor was the story. Generally, an offline single player game would be expected to be quite story-driven, however in this case the story felt more like a series of side quests, enjoyable but lacking a huge amount of depth or creativity. However, the setting was a good decision by the writers as the games story occurs between the events of The Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings, and with the convoluted and magical lore of middle earth it removes the issue of a ‘doomed by cannon’ scenario (in which the inevitable outcome is evident from the beginning and inhibits any sort of emotional attachment to the characters or cause). Also, the voice acting ranged from brilliant to downright boring. Main characters varied in quality, causing there to be a feeling of distance between them, lacking chemistry between partnering roles in the story. Overall, the story is worth playing through, but it will not be the highlight and will act more as just a means of progression into later game areas and powers.
    Yes, powers. The games main character, Talion, is joined with the spirit of Celibrimbor, which grants him special abilities that you can unlock as you progress through the game. These range from elven swiftness - which allows you to gain a speed boost while traversing the terrain, to draining and dominating orcs to fight for you (this makes up the bulk of the gameplay). The powers granted to you are excellently animated, and are deftly woven into the fluid combat system to create a great – though potentially a bit too easy – combat experience. The system used for combat is a tried and tested formula featuring most notably in the Batman: Arkham series, and the control scheme this system utilises is efficient and effective on both keyboard and controller. As I mentioned earlier, the difficulty is lacking, and while this does allow the player to enjoy other aspects of the game, it also means that the lack of challenge will bore some gamers. The idea seems to be to launch a large amount of easy enemies, than make the individuals enemies stronger, which can work in certain situations and pairs wonderfully with the combo-based combat system, but if you find yourself fighting an orc captain 1 on 1, it becomes a very mundane task and can dampen immersion.
    This games crown jewel is its innovative ‘Nemesis System’. This system allows orc captains and War Chiefs to remember you and your past fights with them, and can adapt their traits or strategies to counter your play style or tactics previously used against them. Some orcs can also cheat death, and come back to find you after you ‘kill’ them, this creates a story and relationship with each and every randomly generated orc captain, and is what gives the game its almost infinite replay value. For players looking for a fun and immersive gameplay experience, this system is the best one in the games industry to date, and will not disappoint players that can look past the flaws of the story.
    The game is quite well optimised as well, and for players on pc it doesn’t demand too much from your rig, especially as the game was released a few years ago now, 60fps shouldn’t be a struggle for even budget rigs, and of course the consoles will play at a smooth 30fps as well.
    Overall, Monolith’s Middle Earth: Shadow Of Mordor is a masterpiece in terms of gameplay and depth, but its lacking story will leave some players disappointed, and definitely has wasted potential. My Rating for Shadow Of Mordor would be a 9/10.    … Expand
  66. birdman3
    Aug 6, 2017
    8
    I've got mixed feelings about this game- on the one hand, it's got a lot of very similar stealth and combat moves from the Arkham series, which I love in the LOTR setting. I like the story, and a few of the characters even stood out to me (I really loved the dwarf, even if the rest of the 2nd act characters were forgettable). I liked the interplay between Talion and the wraith, which madeI've got mixed feelings about this game- on the one hand, it's got a lot of very similar stealth and combat moves from the Arkham series, which I love in the LOTR setting. I like the story, and a few of the characters even stood out to me (I really loved the dwarf, even if the rest of the 2nd act characters were forgettable). I liked the interplay between Talion and the wraith, which made for some interesting contrasting sequences. I liked that the game started off challenging (although, a bit too challenging- I died a lot very quickly and some of the captains got really powerful, and I found myself running from many, many battles early on). I dlisked that the game got too easy once you gained the ability to Brand the orcs- every battle from that point on became a war of attrition, where I simply attacked until I could Brand, then I Branded over and over again until my orcs overwhelmed the enemy. In the last half of the game, I died only once, compared to the 20+ times in the 1st act. I additionally disliked some of the tedium of the side quests, fetching, and challenges- I felt like they added very little to the game overall, so their scope should have been reduced.

    As has probably been mentioned, the best part of the game is the Nemesis system wherein orcs fight each other and develop, thereby becoming stronger and adapting. While I thought that controlling orcs in individual skirmishes made the game too easy, controlling captains made the game into a fun pokemon-style level-up system wherein you babysit your pet captains, making them grow stronger and have achievements and rank advances. That was fun.

    Overall, the game achieves more successes than failures, and I appreciate the use of the license. Makes me want to re-watch some of the movies.    … Expand
  67. SuperkenGaming
    Aug 6, 2017
    8
    Middle Earth Shadow of Mordor
    When Batman meets Assassins Creed
    Middle Earth Shadow of Mordor is an action adventure game where you play as Talion, going after the black hand after he does something in the beginning of the game that I wont spoil… But part of that something is killing you.. That’s right.. youre dead… sort of… Youre stuck in limbo and seeking revenge.. but you soon find    Middle Earth Shadow of Mordor
    When Batman meets Assassins Creed
    Middle Earth Shadow of Mordor is an action adventure game where you play as Talion, going after the black hand after he does something in the beginning of the game that I wont spoil…
    But part of that something is killing you..
    That’s right.. youre dead… sort of…
    Youre stuck in limbo and seeking revenge.. but you soon find out youre attached to Elf Lord Celebrimbor who is also after the black hand… and with his power you turn into an assassins creed fans dream…
    You can hop from these towers and really any location without taking damage leap of faith style..
    The game is set in an open world takes place on 2 maps
    and you can unlock fast travel points on the maps by climbing towers like assassins creed..
    Climbing in this game is automatic, done by just holding down a button which can make for some frustrating getaway moments during combat as expected..
    not as smoth as the later installments of assassins creed has become..
    but these maps are crawling with side missions power struggles and collectables…
    And there is actual incentive to star aside from the main story thanks to the different skill trees and leveling system in this game..
    You of course aqquire skills by leveling up from killing orcs and completing quests… this lets you unlock new skilsl in your skill tree..
    But to unlock more tiers in your skill tree you need more power..
    power is acquired by taking out orcs in saurans army..
    The first half of the game is all about climbing your way through the orc ranks and taking out the 5 warchiefs..
    you do this by grabbing orcs, enetering their brains,, and getting intel on your target..
    this intel will tell you their location, their strengths, power and their weaknesses…
    And once you feel youre prepared to take them down you can go into a power struggle to eliminate them..
    But you have to be sure youre ready because of the games nemesis system…
    the combat here is fairly simple and plays like the batman arkham games and the ps3 assassins creed games…
    you can stealth kill enemies from bushes, ledges, behind, or from above.. use your bow to head shot or zip through thin air for a devastating blow.. ride in on the back of an animal or monster you’ve taimed in the wild..
    or you can go in batman style countering attacks and going for annoying finishers that take 20 years to pull off and are nearly impossible to pull off outside of a main mission…
    This is my biggest complaint with the entire game…
    These missions to dethrone orcs are extremely frustrating because the game expects you to be able to take on 30 at a time while in the story they only ask you to deal with like 5 or 6 at a time..
    The variety here is a lot like the arkham games where you eventually have to stun enemies or jump over their shields just to make things more frustrating…
    but every time you go to do a ground finisher itss get broken up because it takes so long to pull off, thankfully you are eventually able to pull of moves like executions once you get a hit streak going of 8 and later 5, but this doesn’t help these encounters from feeling cheap…
    if you do get knocked down,. You will.. a lot.. you have the opportunity to do a quick time event to get up again 2 or 3 times.. but eventually you will just die or if you mess up youll just die,,
    And dying makes things even worse as the orc that kills you will remember you, they get promoted in the ranks, and their power ioncreases making them even harder to take care of the next time…
    And then there are the collectibles and sidemissions that increase your attribvutes like health as well as open rune slots for your sword, bow, and dagger, these runes are picked up off of warchiefs and captains…
    Who also act as bodyguards…
    so its important to take out a targets bodyguards before you attack them to make your encounter easier…
    during the 2nd half of this 12 hours game.. you have to go through the same system..
    this time however youre tasked with making your own army out of these orcs so you can challenge the black hand.. and you do this by your new ability to brand them..
    Your goal is to now find a target and get them on your side..
    you can either go right to a bodybuard or help your newly owed orc captain prove himself and become a bodybuard..    … Expand
  68. auditbadger
    Jul 30, 2017
    9
    I think that this is truly a unique game and I would recommend that if you are a fan of this type of genre then I think you should give this game a try.
  69. veedub
    Jul 14, 2017
    9
    This game manages to take a bunch of things I hate from other games and somehow make them awesome.

    Open world generally sucks. It's a stupid way to shove a bunch of filler in between missions and story, by making you have to walk across a bunch of stuff before you can get to the mission. Boring, long, repetitive, unnecessary. But Shadow of Mordor manages to make it not only *not    This game manages to take a bunch of things I hate from other games and somehow make them awesome.

    Open world generally sucks. It's a stupid way to shove a bunch of filler in between missions and story, by making you have to walk across a bunch of stuff before you can get to the mission. Boring, long, repetitive, unnecessary. But Shadow of Mordor manages to make it not only *not boring filler* but actually fun and interesting, perhaps because the meat of the game is *about* the world instead of just sort of crammed on to the game to check off a box. There's a system to the world that's constantly happening and evolving all around you, and you're dropped into it for the sole purpose of screwing with that system. That makes it better than just about any other open world game out there.

    I generally hate the brawler-style combat where you mash the attack button to win, as featured in Assassin's Creed and Batman. But this one somehow manages to be fun and satisfying in a way that the others never achieved. A lot of it comes from balancing the rhythm and combo scoring against some deliberate choices -- for example, in Batman and AC enemies only die by just hitting them enough times, but in SoM you are given abilities to make it feel more deliberate -- knock-down ground executions, executions from charging up combos, draining enemies to recover ammo, stun + flurry attack, etc. -- in short, it feels like things are happening because of *your* decisions, not the results of mashing the same button over and over.

    Another review on my screen as I type this up complains that the game has no choice of direction. That's absolutely untrue. It's largely nonlinear, and I was never "told" where to go next. Yeah, there's a "main mission" thing but it's not begging you to complete the main mission and trying to make you feel bad for screwing around -- and it also doesn't make you feel like you're doing something other than what you're supposed to be doing when you decide you just want to go screw around. A big problem with Assassin's Creed is that it's trying to be open world but it's mission-based, and the way it's all structured it feels like everything besides the main mission is a waste of time. That's not a problem in Shadow of Mordor -- you have *real* choices on where to go and what to approach next, and it doesn't feel like it's "in between" what you're supposed to be doing.

    Another thing I hate about a lot of modern games is quick time events. While they're still not the ideal mechanism, Shadow of Mordor manages to make them a frantic but fair struggle, and limits them only to appropriate places of gameplay instead of shoving them into things that should be watch-only cinematics.

    My only real complaint about the game is that in the process of making everything work as perfectly smooth motion-captured animations to look like a LotR movie, the controls aren't as responsive and precise as I'd prefer. I have very brief moments of frustration where Talion does something other than what I precisely intended to do, but it's minor enough to knock only one point off.

    Oh, then there are reviews that complain about the story . . . I don't play games to pretend that they're interactive movies. Movies are better at that a lot of the time. The only way I dock points for story is if the story is so bad that it actively interferes with the game -- i.e. I can no longer like the character I'm playing as, or the way the character plays is at complete odds with how the character is portrayed in the story. And Shadow of Mordor's story is fine. It's not the greatest and I don't think it would make a compelling movie, but it's fine. No cringey moments, no poorly written dialog, etc., so no points lost.

    Last point: The Nemesis system. Fantastic. Yeah, the randomly-generated strengths and weaknesses don't make everything magically whatever, but the way your enemies remember your past interactions makes it *sooo* much more satisfying when you kill them than if they were standard video game bosses. It's not just something the game tells you to do, it's personal. YOU KILLED ME! NOW **YOU** DIE! But it's not *just* the Nemesis system -- it's how the entire game pays attention to the way you play and is frequently making references to it. Hearing the orcs ramble about how they want to ride a Caragor because they saw the Ranger do it. Hearing them make fun of you if you've died a lot. Hearing them whine about some chief you just killed, or celebrate because they hated that chief, or say how they wish their chief (by name!) would get killed. Etc. The game is aware of your decisions and lets you know that it's aware. It's an incredible touch that makes the whole thing feel *alive*.    … Expand
  70. FromKanga
    Jul 9, 2017
    8
    Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is a flawed but really fun game.
    I didn't know if I was going to like this game because it reminded me of a series of games I despise and that is Assassin's creed, the gameplay looked the same to me but Shadow of Mordor is superior to Assassin's creed in almost every way.
    The story was a bore, that's probably because I'm not a lord of the rings fan, I    Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is a flawed but really fun game.
    I didn't know if I was going to like this game because it reminded me of a series of games I despise and that is Assassin's creed, the gameplay looked the same to me but Shadow of Mordor is superior to Assassin's creed in almost every way.

    The story was a bore, that's probably because I'm not a lord of the rings fan, I like these films but not to the point where I wanted to know the lore behind it, the main character was well acted but he was boring as well, he had a very rushed back-story in the first minutes of the game and it is tragic what happened to him but the game fails at making me care about him and his goal.
    And the other characters were also not interesting, the villains were boring as hell, since this game is a prequel I thought that would give an opportunity to give a motivation to the main villain, that would have made the story so much more interesting but it's just villains who want to take over the world...
    And this game has one of the worst endings I've seen in a long time, the final boss is a quick time event and the game just abruptly ends...? The game failed at making me care about the story and characters.

    But the gameplay did redeem the lackluster story, the stealth sections is like assassin's creed and the combat is like the batman arkham games and it's really fun, it never gets repetitive with the power ups and the environnemental attacks and the best element in this game is being able to control the orcs, you can help them become chief and have your own army of orcs.
    It gives you a reason to play more even when you finished the story.

    The presentation and sound design are really good, like I already mentioned, the acting is really solid but the graphics and atmosphere are even better, this does feel like you are playing a lord of the rings game.

    So my real problem with this game is the story, I thought it was terrible but it's one of those games where it's gameplay over story and since the gameplay was a success, I can forgive it.
    It is a really fun game and I do reccomend it.    … Expand
  71. WalterDisney
    Jul 6, 2017
    10
    “Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor” is probably one of my favorite video game adaptations of the Tolkien lore. Long story short, if you enjoy Lord of the Rings, the world of Middle Earth, and amazing video games, this game is a no brainer. Also, if you haven’t picked this game up yet, now is the perfect time considering the sequel is being released later this year, and your nemesis will carry“Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor” is probably one of my favorite video game adaptations of the Tolkien lore. Long story short, if you enjoy Lord of the Rings, the world of Middle Earth, and amazing video games, this game is a no brainer. Also, if you haven’t picked this game up yet, now is the perfect time considering the sequel is being released later this year, and your nemesis will carry over into the new game!… Expand
  72. OberiousLocke
    Jun 25, 2017
    9
    As someone who's never really gotten the hype behind the Lord of The Rings franchise (I did love the movies though) this game is absolutely fantastic, even if it doesn't fit in 100% with the universe. The combat is satisfying, frenetic and silky smooth. There is no greater feeling then to get in a brawl with 30 Uruks and win it unscathed. There is also a certain depth to the game, as allAs someone who's never really gotten the hype behind the Lord of The Rings franchise (I did love the movies though) this game is absolutely fantastic, even if it doesn't fit in 100% with the universe. The combat is satisfying, frenetic and silky smooth. There is no greater feeling then to get in a brawl with 30 Uruks and win it unscathed. There is also a certain depth to the game, as all captains have their own unique set of Strengths (Enraged +damage if set on fire, for example) and Weaknesses (Terrified of X monster, can be killed instantly using technique Y) and if you die to even the lowliest Uruk, they can themselves become powerful captains. The different types of Captain can also keep things interesting, and you can turn Uruks and Captains to your side when you unlock Brand. There is also a somewhat extensive sheet of different talents you can invest in, from instantly executing enemies every 8x hitstreak (8, 16, etc hits) or be able to mount Caragors and go on a rampage.

    I picked this up on the Steam Summer Sale and got the complete package, and I feel like I should have paid more for this. Even if you're not a LoTR fan, you should at least give this game a gander.    … Expand
  73. kiwijinxter
    May 20, 2017
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Wowsers. I came into this game without any expectations whatsoever. Boy, I was blown away. Hot off Dragon Age: Inquisition which in itself is an Action RPG, I found Shadow of Mordor's combat (which is important in any ARPG) to be most satisfying. I must admit I found it a bit difficult at the start - I died a lot at the beginning due to lack of experience (going for a whole bunch of orcs like a superhero) but over time as I added more skills, I became more adept at handling orcs, warchiefs and all (yes I still died, but quite a bit less!). It's a game that does stealth MUCH more smoothly and seamless than Assassin's Creed, combat movements MUCH more fluid than Dragon Age: Inquisition and introduces a fun "Nemesis" system.

    The Nemesis system introduces you to the idea of enemy progression e.g. each time an orc or uruk kills you, he gains 1 rank up. There are Warchiefs who are stronger versions of orcs/uruks, surrounded by some bodyguards which require a bit more careful planning. Later in the game when you can brand uruks and turn them into your side, the Nemesis system becomes more fun where you can brand bodyguards and get them to betray Warchiefs (with you helping them), essentially creating traitors within Sauron's orc army ranks.

    As I said before, combat is super fluid and reminds me of the Batman series of games.

    There's heaps of variety in the game, including the ability to ride Caragors (the fierce dog monsters) and Graugs (the huge golem like monster). You also have a mix of sword, bow-and-arrow and stealth dagger skills you employ throughout the game to rid of your enemies. Stealth executions and branding are actually fun and very smooth. Later on you can purchase higher end skill sets which makes you a stronger killing machine for a limited time. There are the main quests and never ending side-quests to enable you to grind a bit to increase your skill sets.

    If there's one thing I'd improve, I'd like the sometimes "sticky" situations where you're stuck climbing on a wall and can't jump down quick enough. But generally you can survive without having to do this.

    Story-wise, it's pretty straight forward, and has ties to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings lore (as re-imagined by Peter Jackson). Familiar characters like the ring, Sauron, Saruman, Gollum either make an appearance in person or in the text.

    After playing this, games like Assassin's Creed will need to improve their combat! I'm certainly looking forward to the sequel, Middle Earth: Shadow of War. It's truly a worthy game.    … Expand
  74. vicccp
    Mar 26, 2017
    10
    Игра очень понравилось. Рекомендую для любителей Трилогии "Властелин колец".
    Давно не вышло что то из этой темы, так что это игра самое то. Оценка 10 из 10.
  75. marcelus
    Mar 17, 2017
    8
    Since I knew this game wasn't going to be online I didn't expect nothing about it. At its release moment I was tired of Assassins Creed or this kind of games (at least for a while). But finally, I stumble with a different game that has a lot of well applied ingredients.

    Pros: - Of course you heard about the famous "Nemesis System". It's really REALLY fun and it makes the game shine.    Since I knew this game wasn't going to be online I didn't expect nothing about it. At its release moment I was tired of Assassins Creed or this kind of games (at least for a while). But finally, I stumble with a different game that has a lot of well applied ingredients.

    Pros:
    - Of course you heard about the famous "Nemesis System". It's really REALLY fun and it makes the game shine. You have a kind of board with all the Uruks (captains and warchiefs) and simply you start killing them (if you can). I find myself just killing these guys before starting even the third mission of the Main Missions xD and it was really satisfiying. I really recommend to don't pay much attention at the story at the beggining and start developing Talion upgrades.
    - Continueing with the Nemesis System related "pros". It wonderful the number of animations and recorded voices from the Uruks. I didn't hear any repetition in my 27hs of gameplay.
    - There're so many interesting mechanics. For instance: the death threats, the duels, betrayal, recruitment, execution etc....
    - The intel and the domination of course!
    - The combat (Batman alike) is well balanced. You're OP in 1 on 1, 1 on 2, 3 etc...but most of the time a nromal situation is 1 on 10+ xD I find interesting the key binding for controller where you find enemies hard to finish and counter because they change their approaches.
    - Captain vulnerabilities are fun to use at your advantage.
    - Developing good / bad feelings to an Uruk that maybe is only on your playthough and fighting against him for a second, third or even fourth time after die again and again.
    - Diying is not a good thing. Is not just "Retry". You're helping your enemies to be stronger and even go up in the ranks (because the Nemesis System is active each time you do a mission and Uruks fight against each others).
    - Ratbag the Coward! :D
    - Some orc said to me "I will kill you until you're dead" :O
    - You can revenge the death of friends. That's the only major interactivity "online". So you fight against the enemy who killed your mate.
    - The stealth is at the right amount. Not flawless but is not annoying or forced.
    - As I mentioned before. Talion upgrades makes you feel a total badass. It's great to defeat an old enemy in seconds and see him retreat or beg for his life :P
    - It doesn't feel repetitive during 99% of the game.
    - Visually it looks really good. You need to see it for yourself, not on YouTube. Is not perfect but its well optimized even on Ultra. The lighting its great during the day. During the night is not that great but when it rains it shines!!The vegetation looks nice in the whole picture maybe (not in detail). The amount of details on closeups during cutscenes is good and well planned. The only downside about visuals is the abuse of some speculars and instances of ambient particles (too repetitive). The DOF looks nice but it needs better motion blur.
    - It rains A LOT! :3
    - The musicalization reminds me to some Dante's Inferno ambient sounds with those intense vocals. Is not the best part of the game but it fits most of the time.

    Cons:
    - The story feels incomplete. I mean we barely developed some of the characters from the game and they are protagonist of sentimental scenes at the end. But is ok, I'm ok with the ending (no spoilers) and with the presentation of this character.
    - Troy Baker acting was good as always but it could have shine a bit more with more main missions. There're only 20. I think they could have had other 20 more.
    - Escort missions feels boring (but is not a long game).
    - The bad compresion of pre-redered in-engine cutscenes. The CGI ones don't feel that bad .
    - The didn't abuse of Gollum cameo :)
    - The animals / beast during the game are not bad and they can be mounted. It can be fun but there're only
    a few.

    I don't think it deserved the GOTY for 2014 but it's a must play game for this kind of open world games. It's nice to see they made their work well without too much hype and expectations.
    Kudos for Monolith Productions!

    “Not all those who wander are lost.”
    J.R.R. Tolkien    … Expand
  76. Laer
    Mar 14, 2017
    8
    Uno de los mejores juegos del Señor de los anillos sin duda, si eres fan de este mundo, te gustara sin dudarlo.

    El juego en casi todos sus apartados es bastante bueno, quizás en lo único que se queda atrás es en la historia, que no es que sea de lo peor que he visto, pero se ve que no le han dado mucha importancia, al menos a mi parecer. En cuanto a gráficos, el juego luce muy bien,    Uno de los mejores juegos del Señor de los anillos sin duda, si eres fan de este mundo, te gustara sin dudarlo.

    El juego en casi todos sus apartados es bastante bueno, quizás en lo único que se queda atrás es en la historia, que no es que sea de lo peor que he visto, pero se ve que no le han dado mucha importancia, al menos a mi parecer.

    En cuanto a gráficos, el juego luce muy bien, y una de las cosas que mas resaltan es la gran optimización que tiene.

    Su jugabilidad, se podría decir que puede llegar a ser repetitiva, pero si te gusta, tiene las suficientes opciones como para que dentro de su repetitividad no llegue a cansar en ningún momento y siempre puedas jugar a tu manera.

    Lo mejor sin duda es el sistema nemesis, que te da mucho juego, es sin duda de lo mas divertido que tiene, aunque bajo mi punto de vista tiene un fallo, y es que según te vas acercando al final este va mejorando añadiendo distintas opciones, que creo que deberían estar desde el principio.

    En cuanto a duración no es muy largo, aun haciendo las cosas que hay repartidas por el mapa (encontrar objetos, retos, marcas...). Yo he completado el juego al 100%, y me ha llevado 25 horas.

    En definitiva, es un juego muy muy recomendable, que a pesar de no ser una obra maestra, merece ser jugando aun si ni siquiera conoces el mundo del señor de los anillos.    … Expand
  77. Krzych
    Feb 19, 2017
    8
    Cutting Orc heads is still enjoyable. I got through the game 3 times and had a good time each time. There are some limitations, game is linear, open world doesn't really matter because of that. There is also little variety and a lot of repetitiveness, second map really saves this game and adds some variety. Nonetheless the game is good, story is good, as well as graphics. Dialogues andCutting Orc heads is still enjoyable. I got through the game 3 times and had a good time each time. There are some limitations, game is linear, open world doesn't really matter because of that. There is also little variety and a lot of repetitiveness, second map really saves this game and adds some variety. Nonetheless the game is good, story is good, as well as graphics. Dialogues and voice acting is great. Combat is very enjoyable, especially in if you are advancing quickly with XP and have some great skills unlocked quickly so you can enjoy them for longer before game ends. There are issues that are preventing me from giving this game more than 8, and those rather disappointing DLCs, especially Bright Lord, are only confirming that this game does not belong to the best ones, but I also cannot give it less than 8 for much good time I had with it.… Expand
  78. NShep53
    Dec 16, 2016
    9
    Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor uses the Batman Arkham series style of game-play and takes it up a notch. Combat is so fluid and well-done. It might be too easy overall, but it is just so fun. Very violent, even more than the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit Films. And just like the Arkham series, there is an open world to explore and gather various side quest items. The Nemesis system that has youMiddle Earth: Shadow of Mordor uses the Batman Arkham series style of game-play and takes it up a notch. Combat is so fluid and well-done. It might be too easy overall, but it is just so fun. Very violent, even more than the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit Films. And just like the Arkham series, there is an open world to explore and gather various side quest items. The Nemesis system that has you take on a whole army of Uruks (orcs) is a shining highlight.

    Story-wise, the game starts off a little derivative, with a revenge story that you have heard a thousand times before. But it gets better and better the more you play. Fans of the films will especially love it, while hardcore Tolkien fans may cringe at the lore inconsistencies. The voice acting is well done as well.

    Overall, this is an amazing game even if you aren't a fan of Middle-Earth. I was a casual viewer of the films before, but now after playing the game, I want to own the films and read the books. If that isn't a glowing recommendation, I don't know what is.    … Expand
  79. julius98
    Aug 29, 2016
    10
    Pure fun. Although the ending is definitively not ideal, the main bulk of the game is extremely entertaining, if not entirely refined. Well optimized for play on PC, a must buy for any gamer interested in action RPGs.
  80. veyron2222
    Aug 13, 2016
    10
    I started playing this game thinking I would probably hate it at least as much as I hate LOTR (and I hate it a lot), but then I started playing it and just fell in love with the game, the game-play was great ,it was so fun, the reactions of the generals and the things they say when you come back after they killed you just made me love it. It was the first game I have ever played that II started playing this game thinking I would probably hate it at least as much as I hate LOTR (and I hate it a lot), but then I started playing it and just fell in love with the game, the game-play was great ,it was so fun, the reactions of the generals and the things they say when you come back after they killed you just made me love it. It was the first game I have ever played that I loved so much that i just couldn't stop playing it until I got 100% of the game completed.… Expand
  81. NathanielRH
    Jul 14, 2016
    10
    With beautiful graphics, an interesting storyline, an action-packed and suspenseful combat system, an intricate leveling system, an outstanding immersion, an emotional drama for both the player AND the various enemies faced throughout the game, great voice acting, and a theatrical approach to execution, this game is a 10/10. I originally got a stolen copy, as I do with all my games, butWith beautiful graphics, an interesting storyline, an action-packed and suspenseful combat system, an intricate leveling system, an outstanding immersion, an emotional drama for both the player AND the various enemies faced throughout the game, great voice acting, and a theatrical approach to execution, this game is a 10/10. I originally got a stolen copy, as I do with all my games, but ended up buying the game about halfway through it (no spoilers on the halfway mark, but it was right between the "dirt" and the "jungle"! Hah! Vague enough for you?)

    This game needs a sequel. Super impressive. Will turn any home into a theater. You do not need to be a fan of the series to get absorbed into this game and fall in love. Warner Bros knocked out a homerun!    … Expand
  82. Jesburger
    May 2, 2016
    9
    This game is easily on of my all-time favourites. The combat is great, punishing and rewarding at the same time, graphics and animations are the best I have ever seen in a game, the story is good with some LotR characters making appearances and the nemesis system is a great addition. The only downside is the story witch sometimes felt a bit uninspiring.

    + Graphics + Animations, I    This game is easily on of my all-time favourites. The combat is great, punishing and rewarding at the same time, graphics and animations are the best I have ever seen in a game, the story is good with some LotR characters making appearances and the nemesis system is a great addition. The only downside is the story witch sometimes felt a bit uninspiring.

    + Graphics
    + Animations, I though Assassin's Creed had nailed animations and the parkour system, but this game took it a step further
    + Combat is by far my favourite aspect of the game, the battles with bosses have a really epic feeling, and the nemesis system makes it even better

    - Story fits the game well, but it didn't quite drag me into it like some other games

    In short, this game is what Assassins Creed games should be. Climbing up walls of forts inspecting the area and planning your attacks, riding caragors, blowing up masses of orcs, exploring the open areas, taking on a boss and 20 minutes later finding yourself surrounded with orcs and four bosses after you, shooting headshots with the bow in slow motion, everything in the game makes you feel like a bad-ass, while being challeging at the same time. Can't wait for a sequel to this game!    … Expand
  83. Vicente_ao
    Apr 13, 2016
    8
    Shadow of mordor es un juego bien logrado. La jugabilidad entretiene(a pesar que es una jugabilidad ya conocida en otros juegos), las peleas se dan fluidas y entretenidas, siempre dan ganas ya sea de infiltrarte e ir matando orcos sigilosamente, o hacerles frente y pelear contra turbas enormes. La música está muy bien lograda. ENTRETIENE mucho, sobre todo si eres amante de la saga.Shadow of mordor es un juego bien logrado. La jugabilidad entretiene(a pesar que es una jugabilidad ya conocida en otros juegos), las peleas se dan fluidas y entretenidas, siempre dan ganas ya sea de infiltrarte e ir matando orcos sigilosamente, o hacerles frente y pelear contra turbas enormes. La música está muy bien lograda. ENTRETIENE mucho, sobre todo si eres amante de la saga.

    Pros:
    -Jugabilidad entretenida
    -Muchas misiones secundarias
    -Banda Sonora
    -Universo Tolkiano

    Contras:
    -Misiones repetitivas
    -Historia nada del otro mundo
    -Mordor es demasiado alegre en colores

    8.5/10    … Expand
  84. jackhunter
    Apr 6, 2016
    8
    A very good beat them up set in Tolkien'slore. Well made fights, where you cut and slash your enemies with a lot of pleasure.The stgory is decent and could be integrated to the canon of the universe if you want my opinion.The only flaw of this game may be the lack of epicness of some fights against bosses. Definitely worth a try when you see it on sale.
  85. MattEzekiel
    Apr 2, 2016
    9
    I really need more of this game, When you get really OP you wanto to fight against everybody. It's really enjoyable I don't regreat all the hours played it on this game.

    WORTH IT

    for me
  86. melodymoony
    Feb 23, 2016
    9
    I really enjoyed Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, it’s a well-adapted LoTR / Middle earth open world action game which combines both Batman and Assassin’s Creed gameplay and style in a nice way as combat and game progression are well implemented and fun. If you enjoyed those games, you are gonna like this one then.
    The story itself is strong enough, with some nice fan service (you will    I really enjoyed Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, it’s a well-adapted LoTR / Middle earth open world action game which combines both Batman and Assassin’s Creed gameplay and style in a nice way as combat and game progression are well implemented and fun. If you enjoyed those games, you are gonna like this one then.
    The story itself is strong enough, with some nice fan service (you will even find Gollum in it), but definitely one of the best features the game has is the Nemesis system, which is extremely good. Maybe at first you’ll think it’s nothing really special, but trust me, it is! and it works very well, the way orcs can remember the encounters you have and how they talk to you when they meet you again is really effective and credible and it’s going to arouse your emotions, especially when they kill you and grow in power because of that.
    You can get your revenge and also avenge people in your friend list if you want. Eventually you will have your own story of vengeance and confrontation.
    The orcs have their own ranks of influence and power which are always changing not only based on your own actions, but on their own and oh boy! they are selfish and ambitious and will do everything, even betray their own, to gain more power.
    The Nemesis System is actually so good that I hope they implement more things like that in other games, it makes the game feel alive.
    As you play you will gather information about your enemies so you can always have the advantage (if you want) of knowing which their weaknesses are and even turn them against each other and have a lot of fun with your powers as they increase.
    There are other activities which are not part of the main quests and they can also be fun and challenging.
    Killing so many orcs can become a bit repetitive at some points, but you won’t get bored easily, the combat system is fun and intuitive and there are a lot of options to engage and kill your enemies, I’m sure you will find some very creative ways to get the job done. If you like the stealthy approach or the kick the door and kill them all style both are gonna work in different situations.
    You earn ability points that can be assigned the way you want and get runes that can be applied to your weapons to customize your gameplay even more.
    The graphics are really good and well optimized for PC specially with the HD textures (By the way, you don’t actually need the 6gb vram to run them, but the more you have, the better - obviously).
    Finally, I would recommend to play with a gamepad, it’s amazing! the keyboard and mouse combo works , but it is just not as intuitive nor as comfortable.
    At the end Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a great game with a AAA production value, a precious one!    … Expand
  87. danstew
    Feb 15, 2016
    9
    Where do I even start? This game won me over, when I didn't really expect too much of it. I had heard several different opinions about it, and wasn't sure whether I'd enjoy it.I bought it when it was on sale, and just finished it. And I enjoyed it a LOT.
    Let's go through it:
    Story: The story is not very deep, and neither is it Tolkien-level writing. It actually messes with the lore of    Where do I even start? This game won me over, when I didn't really expect too much of it. I had heard several different opinions about it, and wasn't sure whether I'd enjoy it.I bought it when it was on sale, and just finished it. And I enjoyed it a LOT.
    Let's go through it:

    Story:
    The story is not very deep, and neither is it Tolkien-level writing. It actually messes with the lore of Sauron, the One Ring, and Celebrimbor quite a lot. But STILL, I did enjoy it. It isn't all that deep, but it's dark, tragic and makes you care about the main protagonists.
    Please note that I am a big Tolkien-fan, and while I realize that this is a bit lore-breaking, I still enjoyed the game and the story a lot.

    Graphics:
    The game looks great. The first zone is rather dull, which fits Mordor. The second zone is nicer. And I disagree with those reviewers who said it is wrong, or doesn't look right. This is a zone which had a lake, and that, together with the volcanic ashes of Mt. Doom, made for quite fertile soil. This is actually according to lore.

    Gameplay:
    If you like AC and Batman, you'll get a handle of the mechanics quickly. Attacks, jumps, dodging, blocking etc. You have to adjust to different enemies. Sometimes, a tactical retreat to heal and reattack is helpful. I think I did about three times by the hands of an orc, and twice by some creature (Caragor).
    There are some fun moves you can do, especially the shadow strike, which isn't only a powerful one-shot move, it also helps to get around camps full of orcs.

    The fun REALLY starts once you get the ability to brand orcs so they fight FOR you. You can tactically brand an area full of orcs before you go for a stronger one or start a mission there to improve your chances.

    Yes, you CAN go for a certain build (stealth, archery, swordfight, mounted fight), BUT the missions will force you to use different playstyles at some point. So even if you don't go for archery too much, the game eventually requires you to use it for a while. Also, with the story quests and all the side-stuff I did, I got to the point where I unlocked almost all abilities in the skill tree anyway, and opened up most rune slots etc, so all play-styles where useable and I had special abilities for each of them.
    And finishing those hunting quests with the dwarf in the second zone opened up some abilities and how to use them that felt pretty epic. =)

    At first, you wanna be careful about picking your fights, but eventually, you can handle several big groups.
    The final boss fight is often critizised, and I agree, it seems a bit underwhelming. Then again, how could you expect to actually hold your own against this enemy for too long? You go through a couple of sub-bosses shortly before this fight, and then you get one shot, and you use it.

    Nemesis-system:
    This is the most innovative system of the game. It shines even more if you die a lot and really start to hate certain mobs. I didn't die too often, but if an orc managed to kill me, I really REALLY was out for revenge.
    It's a VERY cool idea IMO. Not only one of the coolest parts about SoM, but in general, just a great idea, just like the branding.

    Content:
    The story isn't TOO long... I hear you can finish that in about 10 hrs or less. There is a lot of side content which is NOT mandatory. It's the system you have in most open-world games... it CAN be grindy if you do all the rather repetitive side content, but you don't have to. I did the side-missions for a while in order to make my army of orcs stronger and level my orc leaders, but eventually stuck to story missions. I recommend a mix of both... do the story, but if you feel like it, do a bit of the side-content. Dont burn yourself out on doing too much of the side-stuff, but don't ignore it either, otherwise you'll most likely go through the game too quickly.

    Music:
    Even though it occasionally sounds pretty much like some MIDI-library, some of it sounds great, especially tracks with the choir.

    Overall:
    I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. It has its flaws, surely, like the typical "open world with tons of repetitive side content", you mostly fight orcs (which makes sense in Mordor), the story isn't exactly on the level of a Tolkien-novel. Still, I loved the fighting style and special moves, the tactical aspects of infiltrating a fortress and branding orcs (again: Once you get branding, the fun really starts), loved how the main character started to feel more and more powerful (nice development curve there), and when I was done after about 26-28 hours, I really felt entertained. I definitely got my moneys worth (got this during a sale), and enjoyed it MUCH more than similar games, like, say, AC Syndicate.

    I really recommend the game if you like AC/Batman style gaming, if you like Tolkien and his books (even though it messes with the lore and isn't that deep), and especially if you can get this while it's on sale!

    Overall rating: 8.5/10    … Expand
  88. Barnews
    Dec 16, 2015
    8
    Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is definitely one of the best action games in last years. You can expect very high quality combat system, good animations, day and night cycle, fair weather system, interesting gameworld full of different enemies and much more...

    The gameworld is not very big but it doesnt matter. It is full of enemies, quests and other things to do. Storyline is simple    Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is definitely one of the best action games in last years. You can expect very high quality combat system, good animations, day and night cycle, fair weather system, interesting gameworld full of different enemies and much more...

    The gameworld is not very big but it doesnt matter. It is full of enemies, quests and other things to do. Storyline is simple but not bad at all. It surprised me a bit.

    Graphics and Sounds are very high quality and another good thing is you do not need High End computer to play it. Mainstream PC will be enough.

    PROS
    - Sounds and Graphics
    - Combat system, Animations, and everything else with combat
    - Captains and warchiefs system where every captain has strengths and weaknesess. Captains can fight each other. You can force one captain to murder another captain etc...
    - World is not big but full of things to do.
    - Freedom. You can do what do you want and how do you want. You can fight your way, etc...
    - Day night cycle + weathers

    CONS
    - Longevity (20 - 40 hours average, which is not bad)
    - Camera (sometimes)
    - Controlls (sometimes)    … Expand
  89. WillG027
    Dec 5, 2015
    9
    Much more polished than a lot of other games out these days. The production and attention to detail is top notch.
    Features a super fluid 'Batman' fight system that has a plethora of ways to kill your enemy: the 'Uruks'.
    Outstanding music and very good voice work add to the atmosphere created by the Tolkien lore. Good graphics are the cherry-on-top, and really the only negative, for me    Much more polished than a lot of other games out these days. The production and attention to detail is top notch.
    Features a super fluid 'Batman' fight system that has a plethora of ways to kill your enemy: the 'Uruks'.
    Outstanding music and very good voice work add to the atmosphere created by the Tolkien lore.
    Good graphics are the cherry-on-top, and really the only negative, for me personally, is that it's all action; whereas the Tolkien lore cries out for a more adventure/exploration based game.
    Still, a game this playable and rich in sound and detail, especially compared to other buggy releases, deserves a 9.    … Expand
  90. wonderirani
    Nov 21, 2015
    9
    The Best Game I had ever played was and is this one. Amazing Graphic, smooth, well controlled and developed environment, great missions and great story. Best of the Franchise.
    Well Done.
  91. ZeroWaitState
    Oct 24, 2015
    9
    The rest of the game is so good, the boss fights are disappointing and anti-climactic. That's literally the only complaint I have about this game. It's that good. Go play it.
  92. bdng09
    Oct 18, 2015
    10
    Absolutely brilliant! The mechanics are challenging, and create a beautiful fluidity to the combat. The voice acting is superb, the narrative is intriguing and exciting, and the whole idea of this game is new and so much fun!
  93. rpeh
    Oct 3, 2015
    9
    I read a lot of reviews on this site before buying this game, and I can agree with almost all of them; both the positive and the negative. Yes, the combat can be a bit repetitive but there are enough variations that you have to try to make it that way. You can either snipe from a distance with your bow, sneak around and take down enemies by stealth, deal death from above (or below!) orI read a lot of reviews on this site before buying this game, and I can agree with almost all of them; both the positive and the negative. Yes, the combat can be a bit repetitive but there are enough variations that you have to try to make it that way. You can either snipe from a distance with your bow, sneak around and take down enemies by stealth, deal death from above (or below!) or just whale into a pack of orcs and give 'em the old cold steel treatment. Even there you can simply mash the attack and parry buttons or start to mix in special kills, dodges and rolls.

    For LoTR fans, the story just about fits into Tolkien's world properly. I'm not sure about the hundreds of human slaves that populate Mordor but otherwise it fits with the books. The plot itself is pretty interesting and having a guide who's lost his memory is certainly an interesting twist.

    And then there's the Nemesis system. Yes, it is just as good as everyone else says it is and adds an extra dimension to the game. When I started out I didn't really know what I was doing and got killed several times by one particular captain. He gained enough power to rise to the top of the orc hierarchy and I felt really aggrieved that I'd helped him out so much. When I finally killed him it genuinely made me happy!

    The real success of the game is that it kept me coming back for more. And that's all you really want from a game.    … Expand
  94. Antor457
    Sep 2, 2015
    10
    Here is my review:
    Music:9/10
    Combat:8/10
    Stealth Combat:9/10
    Bow Combat:8.5/10
    Enemies:Goblins etc...so 9/10!
    Variety:10/10
    Total Game:10/10
    Best Game Ever!
  95. pratikgorasia
    Aug 25, 2015
    10
    oh my god game is awsome.it consumes you into middle earth.what a magic,controlling brains excellent combat,breathtaking graphics,give some more game like this.there is eagernes when the finale of game will come and i take my revenge
  96. monkeyking95
    Jul 23, 2015
    10
    Literally the greatest game set in Tolkien's rich universe. If you've been waiting for an enticing, unique and dark game with an innovative "Nemesis" system, look no further than Shadows of Mordor.
  97. ADHGO
    Jun 26, 2015
    8
    It is beautiful how to control the character and fighting mechanics is so great with amazing cinematic views during the fighting,characters details and texture is also great and beautiful to look at, the campaign is very poor and there are no much details to deliver in this landscape, i would gave this game 10 if the environment of the game was different, it should be an adventure gameIt is beautiful how to control the character and fighting mechanics is so great with amazing cinematic views during the fighting,characters details and texture is also great and beautiful to look at, the campaign is very poor and there are no much details to deliver in this landscape, i would gave this game 10 if the environment of the game was different, it should be an adventure game with many secrets to reveal.… Expand
  98. CanyonsGaming
    Jun 17, 2015
    10
    One of the best LOTR game to date, it takes all the best bits of Assassins Creed and Batman and it turns it into the best game of 2014 (in my opinion). It sets a new level for graphics, and the anti-aliasing effect is wonderful. The people who are giving this game a low score is because they probably haven't played games of this genre before or have never played AC or Batman. Overall IOne of the best LOTR game to date, it takes all the best bits of Assassins Creed and Batman and it turns it into the best game of 2014 (in my opinion). It sets a new level for graphics, and the anti-aliasing effect is wonderful. The people who are giving this game a low score is because they probably haven't played games of this genre before or have never played AC or Batman. Overall I give this game a 10 for one of the best games of 2014.… Expand
  99. DawnofAaron
    May 20, 2015
    8
    You are Talion, the ranger of Gondar who is trying to stop the uruks and orks from taking over. The gameplay is very fun with an added stealth element which allows the player to choose how to tackle a mission. The graphics are extremely good on the PC but I enjoy the blue-ish colored world. One thing that I did not like that how easy the game was. As long as the player presses theYou are Talion, the ranger of Gondar who is trying to stop the uruks and orks from taking over. The gameplay is very fun with an added stealth element which allows the player to choose how to tackle a mission. The graphics are extremely good on the PC but I enjoy the blue-ish colored world. One thing that I did not like that how easy the game was. As long as the player presses the spacebar, they will continuo to dodge and cannot be hit. The average amount of time to beat a boss is around 1:30 minutes MAX!! In conclusion, I recommend this game to all gamers who want open world rpg fun but I do not recommend this game to players looking for a challenge because it is too happy. If you want an rpg challenge, play Dark Souls 2 or Bloodborne.… Expand
  100. SpiderPlayer
    May 15, 2015
    10
    Spectacular game despite his copy concepts seen in other games, he simultaneously innovates with its Nemesis system, has a great history besides having several references of Middle-earth universe, the game play is good but the drive becomes muddled through the times.
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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

All reviews »
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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