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. PurpleSpartan
    Oct 26, 2014
    10
    Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is wildly fun for the duration of the campaign (about 25 hours for me), and still manages to pack in about 4 hours on top of that. This is mostly due to the very fun stealth system, however glitchy sometimes it still really makes the game fun almost wherever you are. Planning out your different strategies with warchiefs and slaying them is definitely theMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is wildly fun for the duration of the campaign (about 25 hours for me), and still manages to pack in about 4 hours on top of that. This is mostly due to the very fun stealth system, however glitchy sometimes it still really makes the game fun almost wherever you are. Planning out your different strategies with warchiefs and slaying them is definitely the strongest point of the game. It gives you possible ways to deal with them, and you make them happen. absolutely brilliant… Expand
  2. Vixremento
    Oct 25, 2014
    10
    I enjoyed this quite a bit. I got frustrated, I died (which is why I got frustrated), I smiled and I just had a pretty good time playing through Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor.

    Does it have similarities to Assassin's Creed and the Batman Arkham games? Sure it does. Does this make it a bad thing? Not in my opinion. The combat, while familiar, was more challenging than in the Assassin's    I enjoyed this quite a bit. I got frustrated, I died (which is why I got frustrated), I smiled and I just had a pretty good time playing through Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor.

    Does it have similarities to Assassin's Creed and the Batman Arkham games? Sure it does. Does this make it a bad thing? Not in my opinion. The combat, while familiar, was more challenging than in the Assassin's Creed games. You gain runes, you gain points and power that allow you to gain and upgrade various abilities that make it more fun to keep playing on all while getting that same enjoyable feeling of kicking Orc butt along the way. The story missions were varied enough to keep me playing through together with a few side bits that allowed my Ranger to get stronger and for me to test my skills while doing so between the main story missions.

    Overall I was impressed and I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys a bit of fun however I also know that not everyone will enjoy the combat system like many of us do (just as we may not enjoy some of the things that make your favourite games fun to play) so make sure it's your cup of tea and if it is you're most likely going to have the same fun playing through this as I did.    … Expand
  3. Bizzovitz
    Oct 25, 2014
    10
    This is a really good game! I like everything about it! Its a combination the batman and assassins creed games. PLUS; Its a game based on the LotR and The Hobbit universe!
  4. Jaleel54
    Oct 25, 2014
    8
    The Shadow of Mordor is a very solid title, encompassing a decent story coupled with some great gameplay.
    My only gripe with this game is that there weren't any Anti-Aliasing options for the PC as well as there wasn't an FOV slider (which these are pretty much basic barebones pc options that should be found in any pc title)
    after applying an FOV fix with cheatengine the game became much    The Shadow of Mordor is a very solid title, encompassing a decent story coupled with some great gameplay.
    My only gripe with this game is that there weren't any Anti-Aliasing options for the PC as well as there wasn't an FOV slider (which these are pretty much basic barebones pc options that should be found in any pc title)
    after applying an FOV fix with cheatengine the game became much more enjoyable.

    I'm really looking forward to the next title of this game. I mean the story is nothing to write home about, but this game at it's core is solid, just with the next title they need to build on the solid foundations they have already.

    Graphics are top notch, if you have a decent PC, gameplay is stellar, story is kinda meh it's nothing too great, very big open world I mean i could keep rambling but if you have an extra $30 (thats how much i got my copy for) or can get this game on some type of sale buy it, it's about 22-24hrs of solid gaming will entail and you'll likely enjoy it.    … Expand
  5. mpelley92
    Oct 24, 2014
    2
    Terribly linear, hack and slash, boring gameplay. If you want to have even more pleasure (and spend the same amount of time) go to an amusement park. Avoid this game. The story is very very short. They want you to shell out your money for "DLCs" which should have been included in the game in the first place. Total game cost? $100. For 20 hours of measly, boring, run-of-the-mill gameplay.Terribly linear, hack and slash, boring gameplay. If you want to have even more pleasure (and spend the same amount of time) go to an amusement park. Avoid this game. The story is very very short. They want you to shell out your money for "DLCs" which should have been included in the game in the first place. Total game cost? $100. For 20 hours of measly, boring, run-of-the-mill gameplay. Only plus about this game? It actually has decent graphics and special effects. Played it only for that.… Expand
  6. Bulten
    Oct 24, 2014
    7
    I know other reviews have said the same thing, but i'll say it again. I't reminds you a lot of assassins creed, (i can't say if it resembles Arkham city cause i haven't played it). Not the story, but the combat system. The story itself is outstanding. I loved every minute of this game. And by every minute, i'm talking about 3 hours. Cause that's how long it took me to finish the story.I know other reviews have said the same thing, but i'll say it again. I't reminds you a lot of assassins creed, (i can't say if it resembles Arkham city cause i haven't played it). Not the story, but the combat system. The story itself is outstanding. I loved every minute of this game. And by every minute, i'm talking about 3 hours. Cause that's how long it took me to finish the story. (I've got 25 hours game time expect that, so i've played it a bit). It feels like you just are getting starting to get a connection to your character and then, ops, it's over. And it ends.. awful. It ends as an opening for an sequel. Which makes me feel like. "Oh, that some worth spend money.." (Notice the irony)
    The game finishes half finished, and just offers you a bunch of side missions, and no real side stories. And all the missions are the same. Stab and slash. New mission, kill some uruks! New mission, Kill a Warchief.
    It gets boring after a while. And because that the story is so short, you don't really get bored with it before it's finished.

    But, is it worth buying? Yes. If it's on sale.    … Expand
  7. GamesOverMind
    Oct 24, 2014
    5
    Definitely a decent gaming experience. Not all its cracked up to be though; honestly if i found as many problems within a Ubisoft game as I found in this, it would be unacceptable. With a big PR machine like WB you have to expect over compensation with just about everything but in this case they had to have rushed their testers on the release dates. Amazing story but lacking in all theDefinitely a decent gaming experience. Not all its cracked up to be though; honestly if i found as many problems within a Ubisoft game as I found in this, it would be unacceptable. With a big PR machine like WB you have to expect over compensation with just about everything but in this case they had to have rushed their testers on the release dates. Amazing story but lacking in all the areas that it counts. Personally I would never pay for this game. Bitter sweet disaster till the end.… Expand
  8. Klewer
    Oct 23, 2014
    8
    The action mechanics are very good and the fighting is highly enjoyable. For me the real mastery of this game is the "Sauron's Army" component fighting Orc Captains and War chiefs, personally I spent more time doing this than I did the Story Missions.

    Sadly the story missions is what stops this game from being truly great, the story is ok but most of the missions feel like filler and    The action mechanics are very good and the fighting is highly enjoyable. For me the real mastery of this game is the "Sauron's Army" component fighting Orc Captains and War chiefs, personally I spent more time doing this than I did the Story Missions.

    Sadly the story missions is what stops this game from being truly great, the story is ok but most of the missions feel like filler and could of been much better.

    However for fans of the LOTR will get a kick and the actual game is still quite fantastic.    … Expand
  9. MattBarker
    Oct 23, 2014
    9
    Well as the beginning You have a great game
    where everything is wonderful Except the story
    the Gameplay Is Fun A LOT OF Fun
    But The story it was Not that great
    And Final battles were disappointing
    But Still one Of the Best Game Of 2014
  10. steddye
    Oct 22, 2014
    5
    The game became boring very soon, no sense of adventure at all, the system to start a quest by clicking a button when you a reach a specific location goes against the spirit of RPG's. Please developers make a step forward ,less cutscene ,less graphic and less hand holding but a game that is not petitive and adventurous.

    to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new    The game became boring very soon, no sense of adventure at all, the system to start a quest by clicking a button when you a reach a specific location goes against the spirit of RPG's. Please developers make a step forward ,less cutscene ,less graphic and less hand holding but a game that is not petitive and adventurous.

    to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.

    Thats the spirit    … Expand
  11. rxgamer
    Oct 22, 2014
    10
    Haven't seen a game feel this polished, complete, and well-designed since Tomb Raider. Incredible graphics and level design. Clever missions. Challenging for the right reasons and not frustration. Sometimes overwhelming when taking on too many captains...
  12. sisho
    Oct 21, 2014
    7
    Shadow of Mordor is a good game. An example of a truly well made port.
    While the game does not deliver the sense of epicness the Lord of The rings has to offer, the Nemesis system allied to a fast paced gameplay makes playing it a very enjoyable experience.
  13. gannicus
    Oct 21, 2014
    6
    Game is ok... nothing special... graphics reqs are way to high... story is ok but seems to contradict Tolkiens writing.. Combat was very good.. only strength of the game... Nemesis system was fine i guess give them points for innovation but execution was bad eg any time you die other orcs get promoted and theres a never ending list of orcs who will become captains and warchiefs etc..Game is ok... nothing special... graphics reqs are way to high... story is ok but seems to contradict Tolkiens writing.. Combat was very good.. only strength of the game... Nemesis system was fine i guess give them points for innovation but execution was bad eg any time you die other orcs get promoted and theres a never ending list of orcs who will become captains and warchiefs etc.. finally somehow the game doesnt seem to come together at the end... However the game wasnt a total waste , worth a play if you have a lot of excess time....… Expand
  14. lucasmx
    Oct 21, 2014
    10
    It has been a long time since i do not get so addicted to a game. This game has a true open world, very nice features. Worths every penny. You should try it
  15. TitaniumDragon
    Oct 21, 2014
    5
    Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is a game with a great idea and very little else to it. A combination of watered-down Assassin’s Creed style stealth combined with watered-down Batman: Arkham Asylum style combat, the gameplay itself is very mediocre, with a large sandbox to play in but very few toys, with less than a dozen types of enemies despite a fantasy setting, poor, uninteresting bossMiddle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is a game with a great idea and very little else to it. A combination of watered-down Assassin’s Creed style stealth combined with watered-down Batman: Arkham Asylum style combat, the gameplay itself is very mediocre, with a large sandbox to play in but very few toys, with less than a dozen types of enemies despite a fantasy setting, poor, uninteresting boss fights, and highly repetitive gameplay. The highlight of the game is the nemesis system, a system by which randomly generated orcs gain names, attributes, and try and fight back against you, but it is crippled by the fact that by halfway through the game you will be cutting through them as so much wheat and all opposition effectively falls by the wayside.

    On the whole, the game is very mediocre. The levels are uninspired, the boss fights are more of the same or outright anticlimactic, the combat rapidly becomes rote, and all the side missions are extremely repetitive – even while the main missions present little variety. The game’s plot is lackluster, lacking interesting, engaging characters, and is very likely to be confusing to anyone who is not familiar with The Lord of the Rings. Even the nemesis system, the game’s great selling point, quickly becomes pointless as you gain the ability to rapidly kill enemies the first time you face them, completely removing any possibility of generating a nemesis.

    Some other game might be able to make great use of the nemesis system – or a nemesis-like system – in the future, but it did not work here.    … Expand
  16. saurabh631
    Oct 21, 2014
    9
    wow! i loved the game...best game of the year till now...superb game play amazing story ,one must play it one of the best role playing games of all time...also with great graphical environment.
  17. captainthrall
    Oct 20, 2014
    9
    So I bought this game. It's pretty fun. I've played about 20 hours already and am only 33% of the way through the campaign portion of the game. I know the yellow quests are campaign quests, and I should focus on trying to complete them but...... I can't stop mutilating the orc bosses.

    I love it when some super badass leader shows up and all of the orcs start chanting "GORDOK GORDOK    So I bought this game. It's pretty fun. I've played about 20 hours already and am only 33% of the way through the campaign portion of the game. I know the yellow quests are campaign quests, and I should focus on trying to complete them but...... I can't stop mutilating the orc bosses.

    I love it when some super badass leader shows up and all of the orcs start chanting "GORDOK GORDOK GORDOK GORDOK" and he walks in with that muscled-up orc swagger surrounded by a dozen bodyguards with huge shields and lances and swords. "Back again? I thoguht I killed you already?" Yeah, rub it in you piece of S&@%. I know it's about to get ugly. We're talking 15 minutes of straight button-smashing, mouse-clicking, spacepar tapping, shuckin, jivin, running, divin, green skinned executin, epic lootin, war on the shore in Mordor!

    10 minutes into the carnage sweat is dripping off of my brow, my girlfriend is texting pictures of her new hello-kitty bra and panties. I quickly scan the attached message: "My parents aren't home, wanna come over?" But I can't be bothered, I've got a scar-faced, drooling green-skinned Gordok to deal with. My mom's yelling, "Billy I thought I told you to mow the lawn." It's the third time and she's about to go postal, but I continue to ignore her. I'm too busy fighting for my life, surrounded by 900 spear chuckin green skin bastards. "BILLY NOW!" "MOM THIS **** KILLED ME TWICE AND HE'S BEEN MOCKING ME, IF I LEAVE NOW HE'LL LEVEL UP AGAIN AND I'LL NEVER KILL HIM." I'm yelling at my mom, clicking, slashing. Block, leap, dodge, execute, circle, stun, slash, right-click, spacebar, right-click, E-key, left-click. RAWWWRRRRRR! YESSSS I got him down! My health is draining, but so is his. "BILLY TURN IT OFF AND MOW THE LAWN." Gordok's energy is in the red-zone. After a 15 minute battle-royal I almost have him down! My enraged mom steps in front of me. The execute circle-click challenge appears on the screen, but I can't see. I hit spacebar instead of right-clicking and miss. "MOM, MOVE YOU STUPID B@%&*" I hear my dad yelling from the kitchen "BILLY WATCH YOUR MOUTH!" Oh god damnit. Out of one corner of my eye I see My dad charging through the door like a rhinocerous on amphetimines. Out of the other corner of my eye I see Gordok the Ruthless smashing my face. In one last-ditch desperate attempt I shove my mom to the side and attempt to end the carnage. It's too late. I see Gordok's blood stained meat-cleaver smashing into the side of my face. It's over. All is lost.

    THAT SON OF A **** GORDOK LEVELED UP FROM KILLING ME, AND IS A LEVEL 20 WARLORD NOW. GOD DAMNIT.

    My parents are both chewing me out and all I can see is that green son of a **** cheering and gloating. He's laughing. His stupid minions are all leveling up too. God damnit. Gordok's head is cocked back, his shoulders are sloped, and he's just laughing his green head off as he circles my corpse. I did what I had to do... I smashed the computer monitor against the wall right in front of both of my parents. Naturally, they grounded me. I lost my car, phone, tv, and computer "privledges." I'm writing this message from the free internet connections at the public library down the street. I tell my parents I come here to study and research stuff for school... yeah right. There is a bum sitting next to me browsing animal porn. On the other side there is a parolee signing up on multiple dating websites. I secretly installed Shadow of Mordor on the computers here, but there are limited computers and they're in high demand. Each user has a 20 minute time limit, and there's always a line of hobos waiting to take our places. By the time I login, fire-up steam, and get into the game, I'm down to 5 minutes. That's certainly not enough time to challenge Warchief Gordok, but at least I can get in a few side-quests. Sometimes I can buy additional time with chocolate milk, but when the librarians catch me gaming they throw me out. It's fine for Cyrus to browse animal porn, but if I get caught playing LOTR games I get kicked out. I tried to bribe the librarians, but they don't take chocolate milk like the hobos. I'm going to start stealing jewelry from my mom to pay them off.    … Expand
  18. HardwarePal
    Oct 20, 2014
    9
    We don't see innovation easily anymore in games and SOM seems to have found a great combination between a great combat system (better than the likes of Batman and AC) with the unique Nemesis system. Its repetitive sometimes but the Nemesis system draws you back to continue your quest. The ultra pack looks good but is uncompressed giving the game a very jerky effect at higher resolution.We don't see innovation easily anymore in games and SOM seems to have found a great combination between a great combat system (better than the likes of Batman and AC) with the unique Nemesis system. Its repetitive sometimes but the Nemesis system draws you back to continue your quest. The ultra pack looks good but is uncompressed giving the game a very jerky effect at higher resolution. All in all the game looks nice and plays well, its a must buy imo.… Expand
  19. Squeezit
    Oct 19, 2014
    8
    Posted my review on the wrong page:
    Admittedly a perfect score is something I would probably never give any game because I can always find something that needs improvement. Shadow of Mordor is no exception to that rule. However Shadows of Mordor, while it had a slow start for me, was a fantastic game.
    Story 7/10 Graphics 9/10 gameplay 8/10 Overall, I absolutely loved the game and    Posted my review on the wrong page:
    Admittedly a perfect score is something I would probably never give any game because I can always find something that needs improvement. Shadow of Mordor is no exception to that rule. However Shadows of Mordor, while it had a slow start for me, was a fantastic game.
    Story 7/10
    Graphics 9/10
    gameplay 8/10

    Overall, I absolutely loved the game and really hope for a sequel.

    I'm not sure I understand why people are calling it an Assassins creed clone, unless they also call the batman games assassin creed clones. The only similarity I find between this and Assassins creed is the climbing, which personally I find a bit better in Shadow of Mordor (in some area's you can get stuck from time to time though).
    I have experienced no bugs/glitches aside from the current one where killed enemies come back to life. But that one wasn't really a big deal to me, since Orcs would take their place anyways.
    All in all, this is a Batman Arkham clone. And that is perfectly ok, because Batman clone with a LOTR setup was surprisingly fantastic. I was skeptical at first, but I'd say it was money well spent. Good job WB, please make me another one.

    Or how about doing a similar game with the Game of Thrones world? ;)    … Expand
  20. Marsonra
    Oct 19, 2014
    10
    Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. Unlike Borderlands 2, I actually managed to finish this game's story before I reviewed it. This game has a much shorter story than Borderlands 2, and was therefore much easier to finish. Anyways, ever since this game was announced I was crazy excited to play it. I am a gigantic Lord of the Rings fan, and the movie franchise is my favorite movie trilogyMiddle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. Unlike Borderlands 2, I actually managed to finish this game's story before I reviewed it. This game has a much shorter story than Borderlands 2, and was therefore much easier to finish. Anyways, ever since this game was announced I was crazy excited to play it. I am a gigantic Lord of the Rings fan, and the movie franchise is my favorite movie trilogy of all time. So when this game was announced, I jumped out of my seat in excitement. Now that I finally got my hands on the final product, I can finally review it. So, is this game the definitive Lord of the Rings game that the fans have been waiting for, or is this the kind of game that they would want to cast into the fire along with the one ring to rule them all? Let's find out. All I can say about this game's gameplay is this: it is insanely fun and addictive. You can approach this game in three different ways: you can be stealthy, using your dagger to pick off enemies without anyone noticing, you can attack from long range with your bow and arrow, or you can go up close and personal, and just attack everything with your sword. I heard this game was greatly influenced by the Assassin's Creed series, which made me nervous, as I reviewed two Assassin's Creed games a while back, and I thought that they were the most overrated games I have ever played. However, my concerns were put to rest when I finally played the game and I realized the game also had influence from another game series: Batman Arkham. I love the Arkham games (except for Arkham Origins), and I was very happy to see that this game had Arkham's fast and furious free-flowing combat was put into this game instead of Assassin's Creed's clunky and boring combat, which made me feel right at home with it. This made the game that much more fun than it already was. However, what really makes this game fun is its nemesis system. The nemesis system is a very complex A.I. system implemented into this game, that creates a living breathing Uruk (Orc) society in the game. It also gives the orcs you fight different personalities. Here's how it works: every time an Uruk does something great, they are promoted higher up in the ranks of the Orc society, becoming a captain. Captains are essentially more powerful versions of normal Uruks. These captains have their own unique personalities, as well as strengths and weaknesses. For example, a coward might retreat to fight another day, and a loyal captain might defend their master to the death. It gets even better late in the game when the game's main character gains the ability to mind-control Orcs, allowing him to have his own Orc armies. This system allows the player to create their own unique villains and stories. This is what makes the gameplay so addictive and fun. Along with this, there are also story missions, as well as weapon legend and free the slave missions. All of these missions are every bit as fun as the Orc society missions, and they only make the gameplay better than it already is. Overall, this game's gameplay is fantastic, and should be played for this reason alone. As for the graphics, they are every bit as fantastic as the gameplay. Everything in this game is rich with detail and beautiful to look at, from the vast open expanses of Mordor, to the different Orc strongholds you can raid, to the deep dark caves you can explore. The graphics of this game are fantastic, no matter which way you look at them. As for the story, it is also fantastic, but not quite as good as the gameplay and graphics. It is set after the Hobbit but before Lord of the Rings. You play as a ranger named Talion (a ranger is basically what Aragorn is in the films), who is killed by agents of Sauron, but is cheated from death by a wraith of an elf named Celebrimbor, who is the one who created the rings of power. The only familiar Lord of the Rings character you will come across throughout this game is Gollum. The rest are either mentioned, or not in the game at all. Despite this however, the plot is still very good, and will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. Overall, this is a fantastic game that should not be overlooked, not just by Lord of the Rings fans, but by anyone. It is insanely fun, has beautiful graphics, and a gripping story. Also, I love this game's nemesis system, and I would love to see other games utilize it in the future. This is a game everyone should play. I recommend that if you have Steam, just buy it now!
    Gameplay: 10/10
    Graphics: 10/10
    Story: 9/10
    Overall: 10/10    … Expand
  21. AcidCasualty
    Oct 19, 2014
    9
    Repost of my Steam review:

    I absolutely love this game. A mashup of the best parts of the Assassin's Creed and Arkham games, it's one of the most exciting and engaging titles I've experienced in years. Believe me, I haven't done all-night play sessions in a very long time, and SoM has kept me up late multiple nights in a row. Aside from the awe-inspiring graphics, the smooth and    Repost of my Steam review:

    I absolutely love this game. A mashup of the best parts of the Assassin's Creed and Arkham games, it's one of the most exciting and engaging titles I've experienced in years. Believe me, I haven't done all-night play sessions in a very long time, and SoM has kept me up late multiple nights in a row. Aside from the awe-inspiring graphics, the smooth and intuitive combat system, and yes, the technical issues, it has that one, intangible factor that all games strive to offer but few actually do: Playability. And boy, SoM has it in heaps. Excuse me while I fire it up yet again. There are uruks that need killing.    … Expand
  22. Celtish
    Oct 18, 2014
    7
    I've only played for a few hours and I can already tell this game could be slightly repetitive.
    Having said that, the combat is fun, and gets better as you progress (By this I mean you gain more abilities, making combat more interesting), and the way the storyline is integrated with the questing is great.
    Graphically, this game is quite demanding, and I had to turn down a few settings    I've only played for a few hours and I can already tell this game could be slightly repetitive.
    Having said that, the combat is fun, and gets better as you progress (By this I mean you gain more abilities, making combat more interesting), and the way the storyline is integrated with the questing is great.
    Graphically, this game is quite demanding, and I had to turn down a few settings for my rig to cope but it's still quite good looking.
    A few other reviewers have mentioned that the combat is incredibly similar to Assassin's creed and Batman: Arkham asylum, and they are correct. However in this case, I feel it works because how else would you tear through hundreds of orcs?
    It's incredibly difficult to make combat feel fresh all the time when the entire game is based on cleaving through hordes of enemies.    … Expand
  23. CR4CK
    Oct 17, 2014
    10
    its my G O T Y

    Looks Good , Plays Fine, Feels Nice, Combat system is nice.
    if you like Assassins Creed you will like this too. Story is OK. The Music is really Great .
  24. Perigorn
    Oct 17, 2014
    3
    This game is highly overated. The controls are horrible and you are forced to play on a gamepad to get any kind of accuracy. The storyline is boring and has nothing to do with Middle earth really. It's a grind of a game. And did I really need to see his kid and wife getting their throats cut in the intro, I mean really?
  25. Jetpil0t
    Oct 16, 2014
    9
    This game borrow features and mechanics from your favorite games, however it manages to improve on then mix these features together so well, it doesn't matter that you have seen it before, becuase you have never seen it done this good.

    The game doesn't simply rely on familiar features, it introduces the Nemisis subsystem that not only sets the game apart from its source material, it is    This game borrow features and mechanics from your favorite games, however it manages to improve on then mix these features together so well, it doesn't matter that you have seen it before, becuase you have never seen it done this good.

    The game doesn't simply rely on familiar features, it introduces the Nemisis subsystem that not only sets the game apart from its source material, it is a genuinely innovate approach to open world encounter design.

    The license seems like an unnecessary side dish, however it is integrated well into the rest of the game and doesn't assume LOTR knowledge or interest in order to be effective.

    The game is excellent, this is a master class in how to iterate and innovate and the same time.    … Expand
  26. Erazor
    Oct 16, 2014
    9
    What's not to like? Batman, good. Assassin's Creed, good. Lord of the Rings, Guuuuud.

    Good use of side missions & collectables, as in they actually have a purpose, still a little tad grindy, (the artifacts & wall symbols were still somewhat boring and tedious to do) Controls were good but a lot of combos left me mixing up some keys and doing hilarious things, like throwing    What's not to like? Batman, good. Assassin's Creed, good. Lord of the Rings, Guuuuud.

    Good use of side missions & collectables, as in they actually have a purpose, still a little tad grindy, (the artifacts & wall symbols were still somewhat boring and tedious to do)

    Controls were good but a lot of combos left me mixing up some keys and doing hilarious things, like throwing information orcs off the edge of a building... opssss

    9/10    … Expand
  27. slinge
    Oct 16, 2014
    4
    I dont get the hype about this game. Sure it is fun to slay some orchs but that is about it. Rpg elements is zero, you don't get any new weapons only new abilitys like more arrows.. I can't even finish the story because of a bug with no warcheif available to brand. No story at all. Fun game if you wanna hack and slash though
  28. Xillia
    Oct 15, 2014
    7
    The game is good overall but gets repetitive after hack/slashing through waves of uruks and the stealth is basically Assasins Creed but the skills and ability are fun and interesting and the nemesis system is pretty fun and intresting but some time the enemies and cheating douches with like 10 range uruks sniping you with a giant horde slashing at u makes it near impossible to dodge and IThe game is good overall but gets repetitive after hack/slashing through waves of uruks and the stealth is basically Assasins Creed but the skills and ability are fun and interesting and the nemesis system is pretty fun and intresting but some time the enemies and cheating douches with like 10 range uruks sniping you with a giant horde slashing at u makes it near impossible to dodge and I have encountered some graphical issues like when I do a flurry attack and than the head explodes the textures seem to glitch out and flail everywhere and get stretched and makes it impossible to see anything and when during a captain/warcheif better nearby objects sometimes suffer the same glitch and makes me impossible to fight because I cant see anything. The graphics are ok I guess not really astounding though seems to not look great compared to other next gen or pc titles and considering ultra settings is near impossible to use due to its huge system requirements the lower textures seems disappointing than what I expected. The story I am not sure how to judge but all it is but I think only half to 60% percent of the story fits in to the LOTR lore.… Expand
  29. scoobers
    Oct 15, 2014
    10
    Killing orcs never felt better. This game is like a better version of assassins creed. I look forward to actually spending a lot more time on this title especially if they do more story DLC.
  30. Terminal-Rex
    Oct 15, 2014
    8
    I found this game thoroughly enjoyable, don't get me wrong if you are looking for something that stays fresh and doesn't become repetitive you are barking up the wrong tree, however I can't help feeling that the combat system mixed with the graphics keep this game entertaining throughout. It's a relaxing game, not something I would play for months non-stop but when I want to have a causalI found this game thoroughly enjoyable, don't get me wrong if you are looking for something that stays fresh and doesn't become repetitive you are barking up the wrong tree, however I can't help feeling that the combat system mixed with the graphics keep this game entertaining throughout. It's a relaxing game, not something I would play for months non-stop but when I want to have a causal session for a couple of hours, this is a great hack and slash that looks beautiful.… Expand
  31. benjie164
    Oct 15, 2014
    9
    Many people have said that this game could be considered a cross between Batman and Assassin's Creed. I'm not going to lie, you can see some similarities, but it handles the combat in a way that I feel surpasses both. I found that unlike Assassin's Creed, I couldn't run it and just murder everything. When you have a bunch of archers shooting at you whilst fighting it can completely throwMany people have said that this game could be considered a cross between Batman and Assassin's Creed. I'm not going to lie, you can see some similarities, but it handles the combat in a way that I feel surpasses both. I found that unlike Assassin's Creed, I couldn't run it and just murder everything. When you have a bunch of archers shooting at you whilst fighting it can completely throw off your combo, and I will be the first to admit I died several times to normal Orcs.

    I will also come out and say that the story isn't the greatest, it is too short for me and I didn't find myself developing any strong feelings to the character. What this game is really for is the Nemesis system. It is extremely well polished, always gives you something to do, and I felt more of a connection to some of the captains in there than I did Talion. Sometimes you'll get a really tough captain that you'll just make it your life's goal to butcher, other times you'll try working a branded captain up the ranks and he'll die, you'll feel gutted for him.

    I must have spent 30-40 hours just messing about with the Nemesis system, and I feel that the story wasn't awful, ending on a note that leaves me with questions. I do hope for another game. As for graphics, the game looks very nice when maxed out, I never personally experienced any bugs in my game at all and overall I'd say its a very good experience, would recommend to any gamer looking to enjoy a fun game.    … Expand
  32. StanleyC
    Oct 15, 2014
    3
    Perhaps I went into this game with too high expectations. I was probably stupid: I expected an open world, sandbox type game where I could experiment with different playing styles - something like Skyrim. Instead I found a game which quickly became a dull and repetitious exercise in button pushing. The controls are somewhat unpredictable and inconsistent. At first the visuals arePerhaps I went into this game with too high expectations. I was probably stupid: I expected an open world, sandbox type game where I could experiment with different playing styles - something like Skyrim. Instead I found a game which quickly became a dull and repetitious exercise in button pushing. The controls are somewhat unpredictable and inconsistent. At first the visuals are impressive but after a couple of hours staring at ruined towers and devastated landscapes the whole thing becomes too monotonous. The Nemesis system is a good idea and one I hope to see in future, better games but its inclusion here doesn't redeem this game from its status as an interesting failure - to me at least. I have a bad case of buyers remorse.… Expand
  33. EL1TE
    Oct 15, 2014
    10
    For the record my rating is: i like (10) and i don't like (0), not saying 10 is a perfect game, my ratings don't work like that, simply i either like, or i don't.

    This game sets a new standard for what Assassin's Creed combat should be, fast timed actions with an immense amount of animations made me love this game and understand that AC needs an urgent change to combat, my taste if fast    For the record my rating is: i like (10) and i don't like (0), not saying 10 is a perfect game, my ratings don't work like that, simply i either like, or i don't.

    This game sets a new standard for what Assassin's Creed combat should be, fast timed actions with an immense amount of animations made me love this game and understand that AC needs an urgent change to combat, my taste if fast paced action, had too much of turn based and slow combat i can't stand it anymore, however i'm not saying Ac combat is bad, it's not, i just prefer this game's combat over AC one (why am i comparing both games, stealth-like combat, climbing, story with family involved, list goes on).

    However i don't like the variety of monsters in the game, the Orcs might have a ton of skin variety but that's it, i wish the base game had a whole lot more but i guess that'll be coming with a DLC. =/    … Expand
  34. Thebacon8er
    Oct 15, 2014
    8
    It's a fun game but doing anything other than the main missions is pretty much pointless. Good fighting mechanics and it uses the lore quite effectively. If you like killing orcs, then it's a game for you.
  35. Exatos
    Oct 14, 2014
    9
    Excelent gameplay, easy combos and almost perfect match, no bugs that hinder game performance, the system joined the monolith that there are good in several games and adapted with much care this game.
  36. rabby_afc
    Oct 14, 2014
    9
    It felt like they took the best elements from Assassin's Creed, Prince of Persia and Devil May Cry and put them in the setting of the Lord of the Rings world, and it worked absolutely magnificently! Loved every bit of it, the enemy hierarchy system was something totally unique to me, the gameplay was awesome, the moves and controls were very responsive. Although there were lot of sideIt felt like they took the best elements from Assassin's Creed, Prince of Persia and Devil May Cry and put them in the setting of the Lord of the Rings world, and it worked absolutely magnificently! Loved every bit of it, the enemy hierarchy system was something totally unique to me, the gameplay was awesome, the moves and controls were very responsive. Although there were lot of side quests, which the game recommends you to complete and rewards you handsomely for doing with M points with which you can unlock awesome abilities, but I was wish the main campaign had a more LOTD-ishly epic story. The campaign only had 20 missions and event then, the story didn't feel very epic the way a LOTD story should be. That's probably my only negative feedback of the game. Otherwise a solid action adventure and hopefully, the beginning of a new and successful gaming franchise.… Expand
  37. LordBrowning
    Oct 14, 2014
    8
    Excellent gameplay and the nemesis system makes up for mediocre story. Main character is rather bland but that is ok since Talion is really just a stand in for the player. I highly recommend this game.
  38. kasmar45
    Oct 14, 2014
    3
    I have never completely figured out all the controls for this game on the PC. Usually I am used to learning all of that in the tutorial. This game that did not happen. The tutorials' main function should be to teach you how to play the game. SoM does not do that. You die too quickly in the tutorial to learn anything. So, I give SoM a big zero for the tutorial.

    Since I never learned    I have never completely figured out all the controls for this game on the PC. Usually I am used to learning all of that in the tutorial. This game that did not happen. The tutorials' main function should be to teach you how to play the game. SoM does not do that. You die too quickly in the tutorial to learn anything. So, I give SoM a big zero for the tutorial.

    Since I never learned anything in the tutorial about the game play, I was unable to do anything except roam about in stealth and kill single orcs that I could find. Anything more than that, I died almost immediately. I never figured out how to handle the massive orc attacks that happen when you attack an orc captain. I gave this game a two for newbie playability.

    Exploring the land is fair. It is not spectacular, but just okay. Mainly it is a lot of towers, ballistas , and orc camps. Nothing too exciting or pleasing to look at. I gave the graphics a four.    … Expand
  39. Skelz0r
    Oct 14, 2014
    8
    A great Lord of the Rings game with a good and well done combat and stealth gameplay.
    The Game had nice Cutscenes and a good Story with interesting Characters. But the main Protagonist,Talion was just to overpowerd with all his Wraith Skills and Abilitys. Also the Story was way too short and there was not so much to explore.
  40. MartinAtome
    Oct 14, 2014
    7
    Good graphic, nice voice acting, solid story.
    It's obvious how the developers used Arkham as model for the fighting system and assassin's creed for the move and stealth part, which are both excellent systems.
    Open world of fair dimensions, not the biggest nor the most entertaining but good enough. The Nemesis system is awesome and will set a new standard for AI management. Despite all    Good graphic, nice voice acting, solid story.
    It's obvious how the developers used Arkham as model for the fighting system and assassin's creed for the move and stealth part, which are both excellent systems.
    Open world of fair dimensions, not the biggest nor the most entertaining but good enough. The Nemesis system is awesome and will set a new standard for AI management.
    Despite all these good features the games lacks longevity, mostly because there isn't much outside the main story, the "side quests" (small fight challenges or collection of items all similar to each other) are boring and the Nemesis is useless when the player becomes so powerful that even the highest level orc capitans are totally not a threat, even when faced without explointing their weak sposts.
    This, combined with the intention from the developers to release a ton of DLCs in the future holds the title from the great game it could have been.

    expect to play around 20 hrs (the main story takes less than 10) and then leave the game.

    I wouldn't reccomend the purchase in this moment, wait few months and pay the same price for the game+the first DLCs and you'll get a much better and long lasting experience.    … Expand
  41. Sky-Moondrift
    Oct 14, 2014
    2
    How this even qualifies as a "Game" is beyond me.

    There is no challenge and no reward in this. You just press the W key until you run into enemies and mash the left mouse button. How can anyone feel a sense of reward from combat when it's the equivalent of holding a child at arms length. The enemies DON'T DO ANYTHING, they don't Block, they don't Parry, they Don't Dodge. The combat    How this even qualifies as a "Game" is beyond me.

    There is no challenge and no reward in this. You just press the W key until you run into enemies and mash the left mouse button. How can anyone feel a sense of reward from combat when it's the equivalent of holding a child at arms length.

    The enemies DON'T DO ANYTHING, they don't Block, they don't Parry, they Don't Dodge. The combat is for retards - you can literally just win this whole game by mashing one button.

    I took on a boss Orc and he just stood there like a **** while I whaled on him over and over and over again. When I killed him I was like really ... *Turns game off"

    WTF is the point seriously. The game also runs like crap for the assets it has. I'm getting 40-50FPS at 1440p with 980 SLI - the game doesn't even have good graphics.

    Would have given it an 8 if the combat wasn't braindead.    … Expand
  42. ekolet
    Oct 13, 2014
    0
    Classic AAA moneygrabber.
    Exteremely repetitive gameplay gets old after 1 hours, crappy storytelling. Horrible and boring combat. Doesnt worth more than 10 bucks.
  43. Pijjolino
    Oct 13, 2014
    9
    Great game, good combat, lot of gore, interesting story, good character progression( there's actually reward for slaying hordes of enemies) interesting collectibles, not just random objects, and even the side quest are quite good and not that repetitive with the secondary objectives. So its a well made game, the only thing I missed was the challenge, it was easily completed in a coarse ofGreat game, good combat, lot of gore, interesting story, good character progression( there's actually reward for slaying hordes of enemies) interesting collectibles, not just random objects, and even the side quest are quite good and not that repetitive with the secondary objectives. So its a well made game, the only thing I missed was the challenge, it was easily completed in a coarse of a week (25h), and only one dagger gave me a headache. The nemesis system is new, but I don't think its that big of a sg, its still fun tho. At last someone will live up to the hype?:D… Expand
  44. Viothon
    Oct 13, 2014
    10
    So there are people out there who hate Chess, I love Chess but it is not for everybody; ok fine. Some people do not like Shadows of Mordor and again I say ok fine, but unfortunately with this game the hype is true, this game is like Chess in that it will have a following and its mechanics are easy to start off with and then get into strategically with the nemeses system over time. ThereSo there are people out there who hate Chess, I love Chess but it is not for everybody; ok fine. Some people do not like Shadows of Mordor and again I say ok fine, but unfortunately with this game the hype is true, this game is like Chess in that it will have a following and its mechanics are easy to start off with and then get into strategically with the nemeses system over time. There are things about the Uruk AI that I am still in awe of even after a week of play. I start throwing darts at an Uruk and he will start dodging them, they give me some times the feeling of should I give this one a chance, let him grow in rank and then go after him, I almost feel like an evil god setting my children up to take me down only to cut their heads off.… Expand
  45. Lolbbqcabbage
    Oct 13, 2014
    7
    They had to pay off youtubers and various websites just to get good reviews and more sales and nothing was disclosed.

    Nemesis system was cool and unique but no way as indepth as it was made out to be, its quite shallow. All Urks share very similar traits + or - 1. All dialog is not that unique, after playing the game for several hours you here the same lines thrown out over and over.    They had to pay off youtubers and various websites just to get good reviews and more sales and nothing was disclosed.

    Nemesis system was cool and unique but no way as indepth as it was made out to be, its quite shallow. All Urks share very similar traits + or - 1. All dialog is not that unique, after playing the game for several hours you here the same lines thrown out over and over.

    Gameplay is okay, combat has problems when it comes to trying to focus and take down an Urk captain. You have to bounce around trial and error and hope that your character swings at the thing you want. It has a few control problems interms of the climbing mechanics, there are so many problems with it, like branding being the same bind as dropping down. Also there are so many restrictions on where and how you can climb or maneuver around objects.

    The ending of the game is a total **** fest, where the devs got lazy and needed something to fill and finish the game. Lack luster story near the end, lack luster boss fights that were rushed and unexciting, filled with QTEs. The boss fights are not boss fights, press a button at the right time, wait for cut scene, press another button. Game over. Why not have a proper fight like the first Black Captain? that was something that was more exciting and engaging. The game was rushed towards it's end and needed more thought.    … Expand
  46. Hardcard
    Oct 12, 2014
    8
    Take Assassin's Creed, combine it with Batman's Arkham saga and place the resulting mix in Middle Earth... congrats, you just created Shadow of Mordor.

    The game gets old in a day (you get to know pretty much everything the game has to offer in the first couple of hours), it's considerably less challenging than any Arkham game, in fact, the combat is as easy as in the last Assassin's    Take Assassin's Creed, combine it with Batman's Arkham saga and place the resulting mix in Middle Earth... congrats, you just created Shadow of Mordor.

    The game gets old in a day (you get to know pretty much everything the game has to offer in the first couple of hours), it's considerably less challenging than any Arkham game, in fact, the combat is as easy as in the last Assassin's Creed games (it's Batman's combat system with the difficulty level of Assassin's Creed III-IV).

    Graphics are great, the best of the game by far, they exceed the graphics of Witcher 2 and Assassin's Creed IV, that's not nothing. Great DirectX11 effects, high poly models, high res textures, characters are well animated, clipping isn't noticeable, you can expect the graphics quality of the last Batman/AC games, even better.

    Performance is good (60+fps everywhere with ultra settings at 1080p) and the game is pretty much bug free (at least it seems that way so far). I'm running on i7 2600k (oc 4,3 GHz) with R9 290 Tri-X OC 4GB.

    The story kicks in right away, just like in the Batman games. It has a promising start, but I'm afraid this will be another miscarriage, it seems like the plot loses most of the appeal before it has the chance to develop. I can't confirm this, since I haven't advanced enough in the game to reach this conclusion...it just feels like this is going to be the case... I hope I'm wrong...

    This is a left clicking hack and slash with auto aim, just like the Batman games, the difference is that you carry a sword, a bow and a dagger and instead of killing thugs, you kill orcs.
    As in Batman games, there are different kinds of opponents (normal orcs, orcs with shields, crossbows, javelins, spears, etc..), combat movements and animations are pretty good, there is plenty of blood, beheadings, stabbing, etc.
    A curious feature in Shadow of Mordor is the orc army system. All orcs in Mordor are organized in several bands under the command of different captains, the funny thing is that captains are constantly fighting each other, the winner gets promoted and the loser...well...the loser dies and a new orc captain takes his place. If you get killed by an orc, he'll be promoted to captain immediately and perhaps he'll start moving up the orc ranks, who knows?
    There are also beasts that you can mount and/or set loose, so they can anihilate entire orc garrisons, also, if you kill enough orcs, the remaining ones will tend to flee, granting you the chance to be cruel, LOL.

    The ability progression/weapon upgrade system is pretty simple. Weapons can be equipped with a limited number of runes that enable different effects, there are several runes that you can unlock throughout the game. Ability slots are unlocked as the game progresses and also as your character gains experience and "money", but it's a pretty straightforward ability tree, and a short one at that.

    I fear this will be the main problem of the game, it appears to be short and repetitive... again, I haven't played enough to tell for sure, it just looks that way.
    Other than that you have the chance to go around killing endless numbers of orcs in a brutal way, this is always fun.    … Expand
  47. sealjo
    Oct 12, 2014
    2
    I fell for the hype and got this game. Big mistake. When you get into combat you often have to dispose enemies quickly, otherwise you'll get swarmed and can't win. I'm a casual gamer and as such I tend not to get into trouble power gamers avoid, this results in another and yet another death.
    There is also no difficulty settings in this game. So if you are just average (or worse) you are    I fell for the hype and got this game. Big mistake. When you get into combat you often have to dispose enemies quickly, otherwise you'll get swarmed and can't win. I'm a casual gamer and as such I tend not to get into trouble power gamers avoid, this results in another and yet another death.
    There is also no difficulty settings in this game. So if you are just average (or worse) you are supposed to sneak all the time, avoid right out confrontation and generally act from the shadows. A more aggressive playing style is forbidden and punished by the Nemesis system. So in short, if you are very good at these kind of games you can play it as you want, if not this is a stealth game so you better LOVE sneaking or you will get punished by nemesis's getting stronger and stronger.. .    … Expand
  48. gipsy83
    Oct 12, 2014
    9
    One of the best games I've played in last years! 9/10!
    If you are not sure, don't hesitate and buy it.
    It could seems to be a clone of Assassin's Creed and Batman but it's not, it's MORE :)
  49. AWetJedi
    Oct 12, 2014
    9
    Having seen this years games get hyped up massively then fail time and time again it was refreshing to find a game that lives up or even surpasses the hype it was given.

    Personally I was worried about the nemesis system and thought it could either work well or simply become a novelty within the game that had no real use however it has proven to be the first of the two. To begin with I    Having seen this years games get hyped up massively then fail time and time again it was refreshing to find a game that lives up or even surpasses the hype it was given.

    Personally I was worried about the nemesis system and thought it could either work well or simply become a novelty within the game that had no real use however it has proven to be the first of the two. To begin with I was disappointed with it because of the lack of certain features that were shown in the previews but these actually became available later in the game which continued to impress me and again backed up my love for this game not being a disappointment like so many other titles this year.

    However I have had a few problems with the game and there are still bugs that need to be fixed but when you compare it to battlefield 4 on release, which has only this month had a major patch to fix most of these issues, it shines brightly.

    Overall I would recommend this game strongly! Even if you don't enjoy the LOTR films or other games then it is still an enjoyable experience and most importantly it's fun. Obviously there are a few character crossovers and the story mimics the timeline of the films but even with very little prior knowledge of the universe It will still be a great experience and hopefully will spur on a love for the films too.    … Expand
  50. velvetmeds
    Oct 12, 2014
    0
    This game is incredibly overrated, wtf are reviewers and users thinking? The game has good fighting/combat, though even that is entirely ripped off of Batman Arkham (which still does it better than this game), everything else is a yawn fest. Bland, empty, lifeless open world which is a chore to travel through, boring story, lots of useless padding of the kind that you find in many UbisoftThis game is incredibly overrated, wtf are reviewers and users thinking? The game has good fighting/combat, though even that is entirely ripped off of Batman Arkham (which still does it better than this game), everything else is a yawn fest. Bland, empty, lifeless open world which is a chore to travel through, boring story, lots of useless padding of the kind that you find in many Ubisoft games... damn. This game would have been a lot better with a more tight, focused experience instead of trying to do many things and artificially increasing play time. But i guess this is what gamers want nowadays, doesn't matter if it's boring or not, they just want it to take hours to play through. Quantity over quality mentality...which i disagree with.… Expand
  51. onux
    Oct 11, 2014
    10
    So I own AC and Batman, this has something much more over those two games. Yes its borrows from these and a others but brings new elements as well and really stands on its own as a new entry. Also many of the reviewers seem to have played for only a few hours, almost posted as soon as it was released. Its a deep game with many of the unlocks being available after your quite a few missionsSo I own AC and Batman, this has something much more over those two games. Yes its borrows from these and a others but brings new elements as well and really stands on its own as a new entry. Also many of the reviewers seem to have played for only a few hours, almost posted as soon as it was released. Its a deep game with many of the unlocks being available after your quite a few missions in.

    The story I find good, has some nice pieces of lore and the pacing is perfect and works to frame the action and purpose for being in the world.

    The graphics are really excellent, not just the textures, but the whole package. The character models and animation system is spot on, weather effects, day night cycles (playing at night with your branded army is surreal), its has flora and fauna with its own purpose. Combat is the best I've played, visceral.

    Sound design is incredible. Cant say much more, normally I'd turn down the music after a while, but its perfect here.

    So if being a complete badass in the LOTR universe, with procedural emergent gameplay and some of the best AI I've seen is for you, then get it.    … Expand
  52. vargolocke
    Oct 11, 2014
    4
    While i was playing Shadow of Mordor i was constantly thinking about Watch Dogs and their similar gameplay.
    They both are sandbox action adventures but that constant itch was too big for me.
    I like the saurons army hate and fear sistem but the tower forges and side misions are a pure W_D copy.
  53. Mind_Killer
    Oct 11, 2014
    9
    Optimization is great !

    Yes this looks like AC & Batman and I like it :)

    Story is short but you can expand your game play time by killing & control orcs.
  54. Axtton
    Oct 11, 2014
    10
    Graphics - 10/10
    Gameplay - 10/10
    Story - 10/10
    - Overall - 10/10

    EPIC!! This is Middle-Earth game that we need!! Combat system is so cool and to play with Wraith Powers is more cool!!!
  55. mithren
    Oct 10, 2014
    7
    So over all a good game. That said it does have some issues I can't overlook.

    Pros: Awesome graphics Fun new bad guy leveling system where if they kill you they'll be promoted and gain followers Combat can be varied (to an extent) and is heaps of fun at first. Cons: As mentioned above combat can get a little repetitive and is with a Batman Arkam Asylum. Though you can choose to    So over all a good game. That said it does have some issues I can't overlook.

    Pros:
    Awesome graphics
    Fun new bad guy leveling system where if they kill you they'll be promoted and gain followers
    Combat can be varied (to an extent) and is heaps of fun at first.

    Cons:
    As mentioned above combat can get a little repetitive and is with a Batman Arkam Asylum. Though you can choose to go all sneaky but this rarely works on bosses so you end up spending some time just charging in. Also you can kill an orc captain with a great looking finishing move only to discover him ALIVE again in another area of the map (I distinctly remember beheading him!)
    The story line was a bit cliche and not very gripping.

    Overall it was nice to see a game pushing the graphics, the game had an innovative bad guy system but lacked a solid story line which really was a shame which only left a lot of combat which started to get repetitive after only 1 day of playing.    … Expand
  56. LoganTM17
    Oct 10, 2014
    3
    This game, while with excellent mechanics, fun gameplay, and interesting story, managed to be the most incredibly disappointing game I have played in years. After playing for 3 days, I had the game break so badly that i had to close it through task manager and try again. When I opened it back up, my 12 gameplay hours had been reverted to 5 even though I had saved and quit every coupleThis game, while with excellent mechanics, fun gameplay, and interesting story, managed to be the most incredibly disappointing game I have played in years. After playing for 3 days, I had the game break so badly that i had to close it through task manager and try again. When I opened it back up, my 12 gameplay hours had been reverted to 5 even though I had saved and quit every couple hours. I went back and played the game again and got my progress back, and overall, I was extremely happy with the game, until 3 days later, it happened again. Except this time, the entirety of my play-through disappeared. I am done with this bugged game. This level of frustration is unacceptable for any AAA title. I'm better off saving the 34 GB of disk space this monstrosity hogs.… Expand
  57. NikosGr
    Oct 10, 2014
    10
    I am not a big lotr fan,i have seen the movies and liked them but never been extremely into it.but this game is really great,not only because its based on mordor and it has tons of lore,it just feels fluid has nice graphics and to me it is the best attempt at copying batman/ac combat .The nemesis system rocks!!!I was shouting on my pc when the buffed guy that i ran away from last time toldI am not a big lotr fan,i have seen the movies and liked them but never been extremely into it.but this game is really great,not only because its based on mordor and it has tons of lore,it just feels fluid has nice graphics and to me it is the best attempt at copying batman/ac combat .The nemesis system rocks!!!I was shouting on my pc when the buffed guy that i ran away from last time told me he would cut my leggs off,when i put him down,man it felt so right!!! :D.Havent complete the story,i love the side missions can keep you really busy and also the mounts are freaking cool.This game is something different that at first glance you would think is nothing special,try it !!!!… Expand
  58. FrodoBaggins
    Oct 10, 2014
    10
    Lord of the rings ended 11 years ago.
    we have not seen a new battle on Middle-Earth since then, and now! We can adventure where two Hobbits change the fate of time; of course it is however set before Lord of the rings, so there are still hoards of Uruk-hai and Orcs trying to kill you, but since you were banished from death, you have a good few years to sort them out.
    From taking on    Lord of the rings ended 11 years ago.
    we have not seen a new battle on Middle-Earth since then, and now! We can adventure where two Hobbits change the fate of time; of course it is however set before Lord of the rings, so there are still hoards of Uruk-hai and Orcs trying to kill you, but since you were banished from death, you have a good few years to sort them out.
    From taking on measly soldiers, to Saurons head guard, you will sure feel like you have done Middle-Earth justice once you enter, The Shadow Of Mordor.    … Expand
  59. Pengwin
    Oct 10, 2014
    5
    Opening a box of cereals is more challenging than this game. If you look for some dull entertainment and are confused with hitting more than one button, this is what you want to get.

    If you, on the other hand, enjoy a well-told story, deep characters, engaging atmosphere, challenging gameplay (like The Witcher 2, Portal 2 and other masterpieces), DON'T touch this game. I am a big    Opening a box of cereals is more challenging than this game. If you look for some dull entertainment and are confused with hitting more than one button, this is what you want to get.

    If you, on the other hand, enjoy a well-told story, deep characters, engaging atmosphere, challenging gameplay (like The Witcher 2, Portal 2 and other masterpieces), DON'T touch this game.

    I am a big LOTR fan and concerning the feeling of middle-earth this game does a good job. I desperately wanted to play this when I heard that the story was written by the same guy who wrote Red Dead Redemption, my all-time favorite game. But that was very misleading. The story is waaaay too short, super simple and unoriginal and the characters don't have ANY depth at all. Not even the 2 main characters get enough time to speak.

    The climbing is nothing special anymore, but still fun.

    The combat is incredibly boring, but the execution effects are nice.

    The orcs are plain awesome, but even five bosses at once are down in less than five minutes thanks to the easiest combat system since....i can't find any comparison. I don't know any game as simple as this.

    Pros:
    Massacring tons of well-looking Orcs

    Cons:
    Easist combat system ever
    Worst story I have ever played
    No character depth (except for the randomly generated Orc Captains)
    The land of Mordor got no atmosphere at all, everything looks the same.
    Even riding Caragors is boring.

    Good ideas, worst execution possible, unfortunately.

    Cheers from Austria.    … Expand
  60. umairaziz
    Oct 10, 2014
    10
    Enjoyment Level: Variable/Very good on ave
    Game play:9
    Graphics:9.5 Design: 8 It`s a fact SOM has made quite a leap in terms of graphics and has introduced many admirable combat mechanics which are must to enjoy the game yet we could n`t expect them from tiny minds at Ubisoft who are milking the same old cow by dressing it every time with a new costume, & their CG movies are always jaw    Enjoyment Level: Variable/Very good on ave
    Game play:9
    Graphics:9.5
    Design: 8
    It`s a fact SOM has made quite a leap in terms of graphics and has introduced many admirable combat mechanics which are must to enjoy the game yet we could n`t expect them from tiny minds at Ubisoft who are milking the same old cow by dressing it every time with a new costume, & their CG movies are always jaw dropping but they could n`t forge a similar character in-game. And lo! Monolith has done it. The body proportion, looks, everything is so killing except for environment which is almost same throughout. Here`re my mixed thoughts on it.
    PROS: it`s not been long since I started playing this game, So far only have acquired tier 4 skills. Was much curious between the sky-high claims by some and critics by others which made it sound a plain dead game. Could n`t believe anything unless I played myself. Also I was bothered by the claims that it resembles AC in many ways, Since i have also played AC black-F twice, i`d say Assassin C won`t even is a shadow of this Shadows of M.
    Animations: In AC: I was hating the way Edward would kind of act like he is wiping his chin with no innovative body profile animation whatsoever while the game was loading. SOM contains every very mature animation we expect from the AAA game to have and none of them are stupid like in case of AC. Did u notice how unrealistic it looks when Edwards` ship arrives Havana, and how incredible it is to have such next gen environment. I am playing it @1080P with most settings low except for textures and lightning & it still looks way more gorgeous than AC would do at highest. FYI: i am a fan boy to none, i only try to derive the old experience from current gen games, and mostly i find current gen games hollow compared to games i used to play many years ago. As far as copying animations from AC would concern, Not a big deal, Many great games borrowed good values from older and they shined even brighter. i.e Uncharted series took from Tomb raider, Gears of war etc, and was a remarkable game, wasn`t it? So by the fear that soon Shadows of Mordor would attract AC fan boys attention, folks would do such blames but won`t get anything.
    CONS: I don`t know, I am completely into it and not getting bored no matter what.
    However I would do a little complain that while killing Chiefs number of enemies are uncontrollable, I am not dealt with one & three others would attack at the same time while i am doing a finishing move, which is very annoying. It should be like it`s in Darksiders where you won`t be disturbed by others while you are slaying a critical foe. There are number of glitches, control freezes, and other concerns but they are rare and are covered by the great enjoyment value of this game.
    Giving 10 to balance unfair score.    … Expand
  61. CynicalJohnson
    Oct 10, 2014
    8
    Shadow of Mordor is a really good game when you take it for what it is. Sure, it totally butchers Tolkien's work in terms of lore yet most people don't seem to realise that the game is a spin-off and isn't supposed to be considered canon. You wouldn't criticize something like Metal Gear Acid for this, so why SoM? Also, despite the story in SoM being pretty straightforward andShadow of Mordor is a really good game when you take it for what it is. Sure, it totally butchers Tolkien's work in terms of lore yet most people don't seem to realise that the game is a spin-off and isn't supposed to be considered canon. You wouldn't criticize something like Metal Gear Acid for this, so why SoM? Also, despite the story in SoM being pretty straightforward and uninteresting, as well as the main quests being boring and tedious (especially when compared to the side quests which were for the most part very enjoyable) it doesn't cause the game overall to suffer too badly. Does it stop it from being a great game? Yes. Does it make it a bad game? No, certainly not. The combat is fun, free-flowing and satisfying without being too easy (especially when fighting captains and warchiefs) which is something that its supposed parent games, Assassin's Creed and Batman Arkham, are often criticized for. The nemesis system is unique and a great fresh new concept which I hope to see used more in new and diverse ways. One of the things that I love about SoM which I can't stress enough are the captains and warchiefs. The encounters are incredibly tense and exciting, especially when you come across a revenge target. The voice acting and dialogue are topnotch and only add to the tension of the encounters. I was also surprised by the variety of the Uruk/Orc lines that there are in the game. It was very rare that during my 25+ hour playthrough of the game that I heard the same thing twice and I genuinely felt as though I was facing a new captain/warchief for the first time whenever I encountered one, and not just a mashup of random cosmetics and voices. It truly felt as though every Uruk/Orc was unique. Overall, I would definitely recommend the game to anyone looking for a satisfying action game with no strings attached.… Expand
  62. gerszom
    Oct 10, 2014
    9
    Best action game in Middle Earth. Ubisoft should learn from them how to make an assassin game. Really enjoyable. Map maybe not so big, but it is fully staffed with actions. Gameplay isn't boring. If You like climate of LOTR this is the game You waited for.
  63. SirVault
    Oct 9, 2014
    10
    Game of the year so far for me. Absolutely incredible cutscenes, amazing story, great visuals. Recommended for anyone, especially those who like Middle Earth and its setting.
  64. boddhisativa
    Oct 9, 2014
    10
    As a life long Tolkien fan, I get sucked into trying almost every game that comes it set in his..........legendarium. Pretty much always ends in disappointment. To date the only real fun I have found in Middle Earth gaming are the Third Age mods for the Total War series. When I initially started to see press for this game, I was not impressed. The whole Talion/Wraith thing seemed to beAs a life long Tolkien fan, I get sucked into trying almost every game that comes it set in his..........legendarium. Pretty much always ends in disappointment. To date the only real fun I have found in Middle Earth gaming are the Third Age mods for the Total War series. When I initially started to see press for this game, I was not impressed. The whole Talion/Wraith thing seemed to be very un-Tolkien like, and the gameplay reminiscent of other offerings. Then, in what I think was a wise move, Monolith revealed the wraith as Celebrimbor. Now this was really intriguing. Then as more was revealed about the nemesis system, I decided to buy it.

    After finishing the game in 26hrs, at 60% total completion, I can say I am very impressed. The last open world game I played was GTAV ( on XBOX, SoM was played on PC ). I far and away enjoyed my time in Mordor than I did in Los Santos. Now, if you are concerned about story length, heres my take. Some folks have completed it very quickly. 9.5 hours is the fastest I have seen. In those cases the players blew through the main story quests almost exclusively. I am not sure this is a bad thing. If one chooses, it gives them the opportunity to do a quick play through that is story driven. It seems that when this approach is taken, the Nemesis system does not get much of a chance to develop powerful captains and chiefs. Folks who finish fast often complain its an easy game. Most others, who take there time to explore, complete side missions, etc, find it more difficult. In fact I see more complaints that it is too difficult than otherwise. I found out to be a reasonable challenge. One sure way to die quickly is to think this game can be played in the same styles as they games they are often compared to. It is extremely fun, extremely visceral, and addictive.

    Are the specs inflated? To a degree. My rig is a i7 4790, 250g SSD, 16gb ram, 770 2gb. The High texture pack has a recommendation of 3gb vram. I have no problem running high textures, with all high settings, with max frame rates of 80, with very rare dips to the min of 55. I don't even seen those dips. The benchmarks just tell me they apparently happen. When I watch the counter I never see it go below 70. Can I run the Ultra pack? Well yeah. It dips, stutters, and rarely is ever as smooth as it is on high textures. I have seen youtubes of guys with the same card saying "See, it can run it." They get they same kind of performance I do. The High settings are a more enjoyable experience imo. I can run most of the other Ultra settings however, but my min framerates dip to 43 or so. Thing is, I have found what many ( pro ) reviewers have. The Ultra textures do not look a heck of a lot different than the High. I can barely not a difference on my 21" monitor.

    How does it look? Fabulous. Especially the named Uruk. The look, and sound better than any other attempt has made to capture them in any medium, other than the original source of course. The Nemesis system scores big in achieving its goal. During my playthrough there where a couple of notable Uruks for me. Most notable the spear grunt who finished me off when I pressed an attack against a chief to far. That grunt eventually rose the ranks with my blood. Always showing up at the most in opportune times to do me in with his poison spears. In the end I never did kill him. I recruited him instead.

    How egregious was the story when it comes to the professors lore? Well, the best thing I could tell you do is go to youtube and watch the interview the dev. did with the guys fro theonering. net. A lot of effort was made to keep things within the lore. Have some liberties been taken? Some would scream "YES! It's blasphemy." For myself I am glad I gave it the chance. I enjoyed they story that was put forth. I found far less to be critical about with this game than any other Middle Earth offerings before. Certainly truer than the movies.

    So, my score? 9/10. A lot of fun, well executed. I am still playing after finishing, doing the challenges and taking care of lose ends in the campaign. I have some small gripes about things like occasionally getting stopped/stuck in the environment where one would not expect to, but those are rare, and hardly worth mentioning.

    So, why am I rating it 10? +1 to balance those who gave it a zero, but have not played it. Giving a game a 0-1-2-3 is ever rarely justified. More often its just an indication of the adage, "Unhappy people do unhappy things.    … Expand
  65. DangoFett
    Oct 9, 2014
    8
    Shadow of Mordor is a really good game when you take it for what it is. Sure, it totally butchers Tolkien's work in terms or lore yet most people don't seem to realise that the game is a spin-off and isn't supposed to be considered canon. You wouldn't criticize something like Metal Gear Acid for this, so why SoM? Also, despite the story in SoM being pretty straightforward andShadow of Mordor is a really good game when you take it for what it is. Sure, it totally butchers Tolkien's work in terms or lore yet most people don't seem to realise that the game is a spin-off and isn't supposed to be considered canon. You wouldn't criticize something like Metal Gear Acid for this, so why SoM? Also, despite the story in SoM being pretty straightforward and uninteresting, as well as the main quests being boring and tedious (especially when compared to the side quests which were for the most part very enjoyable) it doesn't cause the game overall to suffer too badly. Does it stop it from being a great game? Yes. Does it make it a bad game? No, certainly not. The combat is fun, free-flowing and satisfying without being too easy (especially when fighting captains and warchiefs) which is something that its supposed parent games, Assassin's Creed and Batman Arkham, are often criticized for. The nemesis system is unique and a great fresh new concept which I hope to see used more in new and diverse ways. One of the things that I love about SoM which I can't stress enough are the captains and warchiefs. The encounters are incredibly tense and exciting, especially when you come across a revenge target. The voice acting and dialogue are topnotch and only add to the tension of the encounters. I was also surprised by the variety of the Uruk/Orc lines that there are in the game. It was very rare that during my 25+ hour playthrough of the game that I heard the same thing twice and I genuinely felt as though I was facing a new captain/warchief for the first time whenever I encountered one, and not just a mashup of random cosmetics and voices. It truly felt as though every Uruk/Orc was unique. Overall, I would definitely recommend the game to anyone looking for a satisfying action game with no strings attached.… Expand
  66. The_Magnificent
    Oct 9, 2014
    5
    -Combat is fun | Abilities too powerful later
    He is god like from the start killing mass orcs as a "Ranger" and later on it is ridiculous since the enemies stay the same weak orcs. Where is the challenge?
    -The story is average at best | Side characters appear out of nowhere for a few missions You would think that the side characters have some sort of background. Every time one was    -Combat is fun | Abilities too powerful later
    He is god like from the start killing mass orcs as a "Ranger" and later on it is ridiculous since the enemies stay the same weak orcs. Where is the challenge?

    -The story is average at best | Side characters appear out of nowhere for a few missions
    You would think that the side characters have some sort of background. Every time one was introduced I was like... the hell are you and how did you come here through all the orcs.
    You can get some information about the dwarf and Hirgon/his wife by collecting artifacts but really. Their only purpose is it to unlock abilities and then they are gone. I thought I can recruit them or summon them for hard fights, the last mission at least but nothing.

    -The Boss fights are quicktime events, short and lazy-

    -Generic and repetitive missions-

    The mission design is always kill, kill, kill follow or collect some herbs/artifacts from the past.
    Almost forgot the boring slave missions which are always the same in its core.

    -Nemesis System nothing happens if you are good | The game is too easy-

    I never used the option advance time, my goal as a fighter of the evil is to destroy them and not sitting on a tower waiting for them to respawn. I expected a real time system to some degree or between missions at least in their greatly announced Nemesis System.

    There is nothing decent to do in the open world, everything is a setup for grinding power / Mirian by solving the same generic missions expect for the Gollum quests.

    There are no different difficulties, the replayability due to that is zero.

    Overrated average game. Stole everything from other games and still **** up. People praising it with 10/10 best game they played…. come on people have some dignity.    … Expand
  67. ultraviper
    Oct 9, 2014
    10
    This game is amazing. The main story is a little bland but I can't be bothered to care about that because I'm having too much fun with the nemesis system. It really says something about a game when some procedurally-generated orc captain has the potential to become one of the most hated and memorable game enemies for a player. Easily game of the year material. Also the game looks and runsThis game is amazing. The main story is a little bland but I can't be bothered to care about that because I'm having too much fun with the nemesis system. It really says something about a game when some procedurally-generated orc captain has the potential to become one of the most hated and memorable game enemies for a player. Easily game of the year material. Also the game looks and runs great on my midrange system at the default medium/high settings the game chose for me. No slowdowns, no crashes, etc.… Expand
  68. b00gjuice
    Oct 9, 2014
    10
    A very pleasant surprise! I rarely write metacritic reviews and only for those games that truly engage me. This is a fun game with a great balance of player challenge. It's great to "own' on some fights; but getting "owned" in other fights is also fun. The story is great and there are also lots of cool side missions to do.

    The graphics are outstanding. I love playing a game that fully    A very pleasant surprise! I rarely write metacritic reviews and only for those games that truly engage me. This is a fun game with a great balance of player challenge. It's great to "own' on some fights; but getting "owned" in other fights is also fun. The story is great and there are also lots of cool side missions to do.

    The graphics are outstanding. I love playing a game that fully utilizes my PC and the Ultra textures keep my Nvidia GTX Titan Black 6GB memory full at all times. The high textures also look great if you can't run the Ultra textures.

    All-in-all, this is one of the best, funnest, addicting games I've played since Skyrim.    … Expand
  69. ShadowofZexa
    Oct 9, 2014
    7
    if you take game of assassins creed and mix it with the combat system of arkham you will have shadow of mordor its a really fun game its just really really linear its not like a open world game like it claims its a repetitious mess however its still a fun game the stealth mechanics are done very well however i feel this game is overpriced it should of been a arcade title for $19.99
  70. UnkleBustakap
    Oct 9, 2014
    9
    The game is a lot of run with some randomly generated antagonists that give a unique feel to every play session. This adds to longevity and the graphics engine works quite well.

    Pros: Randomly generated content Interesting story Engaging antagonists Nice RPG elements paired with Assassins creed style gameplay Free roaming aspects are nice Cons: While gameplay takes getting    The game is a lot of run with some randomly generated antagonists that give a unique feel to every play session. This adds to longevity and the graphics engine works quite well.

    Pros:

    Randomly generated content
    Interesting story
    Engaging antagonists
    Nice RPG elements paired with Assassins creed style gameplay
    Free roaming aspects are nice

    Cons:

    While gameplay takes getting used to, it is easy to master and take on 100 enemies at once.
    Open world is used too openly, it's not exactly that
    Itemization is limited to upgrades only

    Overall, a great game, but a bit too easy with the instant counters. All you have to do is button mash attack and counter and the execute keys, and you'll probably kill the horde of orcs running at you.    … Expand
  71. Bloodish
    Oct 9, 2014
    8
    This game is so satisfying to play! The combat is fantastic, with a great variety of skills that all seem very useful throughout the game. The crawling around and parkour part of the game works to some extent, but will probably get you stuck in various places from time to time, often at the most stressful moments when you have 50 orcs on your tail. But other than that, the gameplay isThis game is so satisfying to play! The combat is fantastic, with a great variety of skills that all seem very useful throughout the game. The crawling around and parkour part of the game works to some extent, but will probably get you stuck in various places from time to time, often at the most stressful moments when you have 50 orcs on your tail. But other than that, the gameplay is simply fantastic, the nemesis system works even better than I'd thought, and every orc has such a potential for personality if they get the chance to shine.

    The story is interesting enough, but somehow seems neglected throughout the game, and gets really rushed towards the end, which is a shame.

    But overall I'd say that this is an awesome game, and I'm personally looking forward to story DLC or a sequel, simply so I can have a good reason to use more hours playing this awesome game.    … Expand
  72. Muuvinki
    Oct 9, 2014
    6
    Is this game worth 50$ price tag, you might ask? No not quite.
    While the game's combat system is good and rewards you for gaining experience and doing missions around the world killing the enemy is almost every time way too easy. There seems also to be little variety in missions and after you have killed war-chiefs around 4 - 6 times this killing starts to feel very repetitive and boring.    Is this game worth 50$ price tag, you might ask? No not quite.
    While the game's combat system is good and rewards you for gaining experience and doing missions around the world killing the enemy is almost every time way too easy. There seems also to be little variety in missions and after you have killed war-chiefs around 4 - 6 times this killing starts to feel very repetitive and boring. It's an average open world action game but you might want to wait out the sales before you buy this one.    … Expand
  73. elrofrost
    Oct 8, 2014
    8
    I like the game play. I like the death system. What I don't like at the many forced missions. What I mean by that, is many missions you are forced to play a certain way. Such as stealth. I enjoy stealth. What I don't enjoy is being forced to use. Hey, if i want to jump into a group of 30 orcs and fight it out (I'd die) then why not? It shouldn't matter how you archive your objective.I like the game play. I like the death system. What I don't like at the many forced missions. What I mean by that, is many missions you are forced to play a certain way. Such as stealth. I enjoy stealth. What I don't enjoy is being forced to use. Hey, if i want to jump into a group of 30 orcs and fight it out (I'd die) then why not? It shouldn't matter how you archive your objective.

    For an open-world game that said it was all about freedom. It's not.

    But the combat is fun. And killing orc never gets old. And the Nemesis system is fantastic. Add great graphics, a kick-ass sound track and this game deserves an 8. IF it didn't force me to play it a certain way it would've been a 10.

    Major props for the developers for trying something different then the usual "die-reload-save" process.    … Expand
  74. DrStrange
    Oct 8, 2014
    10
    I went into this game wearing boots and wool socks but the awesomness shot them off my feet and through the wall, which doesn't sound as impressive until you find out i live inside a tree. Its also helped my dating life as women find my score and orc killing abilities sexy.
  75. mweagle
    Oct 8, 2014
    8
    This game gives you the Assassins Creed gameplay in LotR style. And it works!
    With little expectation for this game due to the (over)hyped Nemesis system, I feared the worst: that they would focus too much on that and that the rest of the game would fall short. In some way it did, since the things you can do (killing, killing, hunting a bit, gardening the fields, killing, collecting    This game gives you the Assassins Creed gameplay in LotR style. And it works!
    With little expectation for this game due to the (over)hyped Nemesis system, I feared the worst: that they would focus too much on that and that the rest of the game would fall short. In some way it did, since the things you can do (killing, killing, hunting a bit, gardening the fields, killing, collecting stuff, killing, upgrading and killing) are basically the same every time. You are required to kill Uruk A, but it's up to you how easy you want to have that. You can make things easier for yourself by *ahum* "devouring the starters" before proceeding with the main course, so to speak. It's up to you. But although it it much of the same in this game, it does not get boring at all!

    Sure the game is a lot of killing easy targets and having the same tactic (with the occasional different moves) usually works but if you want, you can vary things up as you please, which keeps the game interesting. With all the different abilities and powers of Talion, which grow over experience and plot, you can keep switching up your tactics to make encounters more challenging and more fun. Plus, the game makes you feel like a god. And if there was anything I dreamt of during the LotR movies, it was doing just the stuff Talion is doing right now. Awesome! So gameplay-wise, the game is solid, fluent and controls are good enough. Movement is sometimes a bit tacky though, getting stuck on corners quite frequent.

    About the nemesis system: It sure is nice and works great, but it is as I feared: nothing more than a fancy boss-management system. And the bosses are not really that hard or different from each other. They are simply a little bit harder rhan the normal Uruks due to their health, but so far, neither the bosses nor the system itself impressed me. But it is a nice feature that adds a bit to the feeling of the game (like a re-encounter with a Captain which I burned the previous time, and he makes mentions of it). Verdict on this feature: nicely polished, but has little impact.

    Story is good enough for a hack 'n slash game that focusses on combat. Not bad, but not very deep as well. That might be, because the game is not very long in itself and can be finished within 8-ish hours if you really push it. Although the story aspect of being half man, half wraight is awesome and makes me feel like it as well, the rest of the story is not even bothering me. Sometimes, amidst 30 Uruks, I forget what I am actually killing these fine gents for.

    Graphics are what you can expect for a 2014 game. Some textures look rough and unfinished, but in the open terrains, the game really does look nice, with a lot of random Uruks and 'Wolfs' running around.

    Verdict: 8/10, because the hyped Nemesis did not deliver it for me, as did the depth of the story. But the fun, fluent and actionpacked combat makes up for it!    … Expand
  76. dallaen
    Oct 8, 2014
    9
    Hey Navlasop: If you actually did reviews for other games you would know advance copies given for review always come attached with those kinds of stipulations. Nothing new to be found in that article you link to.

    The game itself though is beautiful and plays very well. As a fan of AC and the Arkham series this is a great mix of the two and I hope they continue and expand it into the    Hey Navlasop: If you actually did reviews for other games you would know advance copies given for review always come attached with those kinds of stipulations. Nothing new to be found in that article you link to.

    The game itself though is beautiful and plays very well. As a fan of AC and the Arkham series this is a great mix of the two and I hope they continue and expand it into the future.

    I'm still a bit perplexed by those that say the game is to short or small in scope and they "Finished" it in 10-15 hours. At 10-15 hours I was 18% done with the game. I guess if you want to rush the story and get to the ending asap you could do it that fast but then you miss everything else in the game that makes this one a gem.    … Expand
  77. Ghostbuster15
    Oct 8, 2014
    9
    After playing this game for about 10 hours i have to say thaat im impressed. Despite the story being mediocare EVERYTHING else is interesting. I have to admit that the game borrows a lot of mechanics from other games. Its has the feeling of an AC with the fighting mechanic of Batman AC and some time it reminds me of the LEGENDARY The Last Of Us. The Nemesis System is AMAZING. It gives aAfter playing this game for about 10 hours i have to say thaat im impressed. Despite the story being mediocare EVERYTHING else is interesting. I have to admit that the game borrows a lot of mechanics from other games. Its has the feeling of an AC with the fighting mechanic of Batman AC and some time it reminds me of the LEGENDARY The Last Of Us. The Nemesis System is AMAZING. It gives a lot of replayability to the game and also creates the best dynamic moments/battles in a videogame yet( HELLO NEXT GEN). However with the whole game based on this system i thing it can get a little repetitive after some time. The soundrack helps you emerce more into this fanatastic and familiar word that JRR Tolkien created. I Absulutely recommend this game to everyone. If you are a LOTR fan u should have already bought the game. To everyone else this game is a good first look at next gen gaming… Expand
  78. GeekSquad
    Oct 7, 2014
    10
    This game is beyond perfect. It has the stealth that I want. A tough enemy. Different ways of killing the captain. A good interface map. And a highly optimized game. Job well done.
  79. navlasop
    Oct 7, 2014
    0
    Consolised.
    Linear Gameplay.
    Linear Power progression.
    WB's PR company trying to get it more shiney by any means they can. (Just google Shadow of Mordor Review Pressure Allegations)
  80. shakamaiden
    Oct 7, 2014
    10
    A truly remarkable game! It combines much of Assassins Creed good parts, with the Arkham franchise type of fights! The Nemesis system brings a whole new dynamic to the game, and dying, really, really matters!
  81. aciphex
    Oct 7, 2014
    9
    Immediately you notice this studios similarities between the games batman and SOM...the combat system is silky smooth albeit almost identical to arkham city...also, runes and weapon upgrades in my experience are almost useless leaving only upgrading skills and a decent story as a carrot to keep you going..however as an overall package ive been playing for 3 days and I'm still lookingImmediately you notice this studios similarities between the games batman and SOM...the combat system is silky smooth albeit almost identical to arkham city...also, runes and weapon upgrades in my experience are almost useless leaving only upgrading skills and a decent story as a carrot to keep you going..however as an overall package ive been playing for 3 days and I'm still looking forward to going back in… Expand
  82. defive
    Oct 7, 2014
    7
    A good game but not perfect with all the usual good and bad points of open world games. On the upside the graphics and overall immersion is great, however the controls in particular are quite poor - accurate melee targeting is a crapshoot at best as are the 'double button' attacks which can make combat quite frustrating, and the story is not exactly engaging. Having said that the NemesisA good game but not perfect with all the usual good and bad points of open world games. On the upside the graphics and overall immersion is great, however the controls in particular are quite poor - accurate melee targeting is a crapshoot at best as are the 'double button' attacks which can make combat quite frustrating, and the story is not exactly engaging. Having said that the Nemesis system is interesting and it's probably overall worth the money.… Expand
  83. EpicAdde
    Oct 7, 2014
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What can excite and disappoint gamers and make Tolkienists angry, at the same time? Shadow of Mordor, ladies and gents, Shadow of freakin' Mordor.
    First, we have a game that is the painfully obvious offspring of Batman Arkham Asylum and Assassin's Creed, both in gameplay and combat. I kid you not, gentle reader, if I say that this game by Monolith offers nothing new and original like its predecessors did.
    The combat is based on flashy moves (both swords and magic) and absolutely abusing the wraith arrow ("Elf Shot" or some drivel like that) and fighting the most stupid, slow and unchallenging AI we have seen since the GTA series. Only occasionally are you in any real danger, and that's when fighting bosses who either have an obscene amount of hit points or summons other NPCs to overhwelm you with numbers: but these can, in nine cases out of ten, be overcome by using stealth to assassinate them. I won't get too much into how they just let you go as well, 'cause that made no sense to me...
    The Nemesis system doesn't do it for me either, as it doesn't seem to make the game harder or deeper.

    Graphically, it's not very impressive. It's on par with AC in environments, but the general colour scheme is brown and grey, with the complete invert of super white and grey whenever you go into your Wraith form. By no means does it look bad, but I wouldn't stop to look at it.

    So what makes Tolkienists angry about this? First and foremost, it is because Monolith came out and said that this game is *canon*. Yes, they said it. They said that what they have created is as valid as anything written by Tolkien himself. I'll go over some of the bullsh*t here (this is what I remember from playing).
    1) Talion's resurrection. When Men die, they die: they can't come back. There is only ONE exception to this and that was Beren, who was brought back because Lúthien, an Elf, chose to share his fate (i.e. she traded her immortality and bond to Arda for the One God, Eru, to give her a brief lifetime with her husband). This was the only time it happened, and it required the creator divinity to intercede.
    2) The Wraith of Celebrimbor. Wraiths, by definition, are spectral, malevolent beings that are transformed into this by a great, evil power (Morgoth, the Nine Rings) or by invoking a curse (say, breaking an oath to a certain deity): the spirit of Celebrimbor, being an Elf, would not have become this. Not even Fëanor, arguably one of the most horrible Elves to have lived, was turned into this and he died at the doorstep of the First Dark Lord. Celebrimbor would have gone to the Uttermost West, there awaiting reincarnation. So Talion being resurrected by a wraith of an Elven smith makes no sense.
    3) The wraith powers. Needless to say, but I will anyway, is that those are pure gameplay additions. While it may be hard to convey in a game, the true power of being in both realms of the Seen and Unseen (like High Elves did) is that the darkness of the Unseen (Ringwraiths) have no power over you. If Monolith truly wished to make Talion akin to the High Elves, then simply resisting the Ringwraiths and Sauron would be more than enough.
    4) Minor details like dates (the abandonment of the Watch), Elvish (naming incorrect herbs) and not knowing the difference between "uruk" and "snaga".
    5) Celebrimbor's back story. Yeah... so apparently, in this game, Celebrimbor stole the One Ring from Sauron (never happened) and proclaimed himself Lord of Mordor (never happened), raised an army of Orcs (ahahaha, who wrote this?) and then fell to Sauron because the Ring betrayed him (not true either). Sauron then killed Celebrimbor's family (which is quite the deed, seeing as he never married because he loved Galadriel). What actually happened was that Celebrimbor held Sauron off at Eregion, where the other Rings were forged, until he was killed and what few Rings were left were taken by Sauron.
    6) Talion raises another Orc army. Because that makes sense for a Ranger to do?
    7) The chicks from Nûrn use Elvish names, which makes no sense either.
    8) Talion defeats Sauron in one on one battle. Guess we didn't need to destroy the One Ring, afterall! Thanks, Monolith.
    9) Sauron, through some weird sh*t with the Black hand and Celebrimbor's spirit, regains his physical form until Talion destroys it. Talion then convinces Celebrimbor to help him forge a NEW Ring of Power. I don't even know what to say at this point: it's the darkest pits out of fanficton.net at work here, not anything Tolkien wrote.

    Apparently, Monolith worked with Tolkien Enterprises (who, we know, are halfwits and moneygrubbers) and Peter Jackson (because he's so good with lore?) to make sure the canon fit. I don't know how they define "fit", but it is not this abomination of a story that takes the world you love and shoves it into a meat grinder.

    Is there anything to like about it? Why, yes, there is. It's fast-paced, gory, and rewards quick fingers. Strange... AC is exactly the same    … Expand
  84. Beanbag
    Oct 7, 2014
    7
    Shadow of Mordor is a mildly disappointing game, very happy I did not preorder. For the most part, it is a "good" game, being functional and pretty. The story is old hat, with our Hero seeking revenge for the murder of his family. It of course is set against the backdrop of Middle Earth from LOTR/The Hobbit, and features some appearances from major characters. It also features a "Nemesis"Shadow of Mordor is a mildly disappointing game, very happy I did not preorder. For the most part, it is a "good" game, being functional and pretty. The story is old hat, with our Hero seeking revenge for the murder of his family. It of course is set against the backdrop of Middle Earth from LOTR/The Hobbit, and features some appearances from major characters. It also features a "Nemesis" system, which is where the disappointment comes in. The system is not bad, it simply does not live up to the hype or perhaps to the expectations laid upon it. The Nemesis enemies are rarely much of a challenge and make little difference or impact on the game world. Defeating them is typically simple, only very rarely are they difficult and often that is only because they summon hordes of enemies to overwhelm you. Some iffy camera angles and half-baked "parkour" detract from the game, sometimes heavily.

    Much to the developers credit, I have not yet encountered a single major bug 20 hours into the game. All in all, Shadow of Mordor is worth playing, but not deserving of the hefty price tag of the collectors edition, nor is the season pass worth your money. Get it after the holidays when the prices go down.    … Expand
  85. SoxValkar
    Oct 7, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is fantastic. Absolutely. The lore within the game is rich, although it involves a lot of reading. But so be it. Lord of the Rings isn't exactly a childrens novel anyways.
    The "diplomacy" system within the game where you can execute high ranking orcs and have your own mind-controlled orcs take power instead is innovative and fun. I've spent a lot of time trying to advance my orcs in power to take higher ranks.
    The quests are also a lot of fun. A bit too much walking around, but fun nonetheless.
    A really fun feature of the game is that when you die the orc killing you remembers this, and will taunt you the next time you meet him. If you die a few times to the same orc, he will become a real nemesis. Not only within the game, but also in your mind. This game really makes you personally invest in the game.
    I've completed the game in 33 hours according to steam, and I miss only a few collectibles. So there is loads of gameplay for the money spent. I recommend this game.

    However, there is one caveat. And a big one. The final boss is a quicktime event. That is SO disappointing.

    However, the rest of the game is a solid 10/10, and only the final encounter has anything negative.    … Expand
  86. SAMCR0_
    Oct 7, 2014
    9
    When I first encountered this game on the front page of Steam, I scrolled past it like some of the other generic titles on offer, but returned when I heard from a friend about its unique combination of other games. Since buying the game, I am 10 hours in, and moving at my own pace, completing challenges, laughing at the orcs random conversations and collecting artifacts, and doing the oddWhen I first encountered this game on the front page of Steam, I scrolled past it like some of the other generic titles on offer, but returned when I heard from a friend about its unique combination of other games. Since buying the game, I am 10 hours in, and moving at my own pace, completing challenges, laughing at the orcs random conversations and collecting artifacts, and doing the odd main mission to progress through the game slowly, whilst not neglecting the myriad of side quests on offer.

    The games combat system is solid and free flowing, using the directional-strike-anywhere mechanics from Arkham coupled with the brutal execution moves, really adds a punch to the fights, and adding the shadow strike and spirit capability moves introduces an interesting element to an already accomplished fighting system.

    The climbing and stealth elements we are all used to in Assassins Creed have also been mixed in here, which makes for even more freedom and fun, running across ruins and rooftops whilst orcs throw axes and whatever they can get their hands on to knock you off, whilst shouting obcenities at you, really makes this a different and enjoyable experience. This coupled with the fighting really makes you feel you have more control than ever over the character, which in turn makes the game much more enjoyable and pleasurable to play.

    The third, and probably most noteworthy feature is Saurons army and the Orcs. Each one is created with random parameters, so they all look different, and all have different goals and aims in their lives, as well as varying personalities, strengths, weaknesses and fears, some even come back after you if you don't cut their head off, I've had one wanting revenge for scarring his face when I took him out.

    The graphics and audio score are also top notch, the level design is a little weak, most areas looking the same with ruins and bonfires around, although this does give you the feel of dark Mordor, along with Orcs standing with torch in hand supervising all the slaves working hard to set the scene. All of these things contribute to making you think the world is revolving without you, everything is living and does what it pleases.

    One of the only remarks I have regarding negatives, is the narrow focus on the inhabitants of Middle Earth, only two species seem to have been documented in the game, humans and orcs, more scope with races of people would add yet more life to the game, but doesn't affect your enjoyment if you don't contemplate it.

    By the time the nemesis system gets stale, players will have gotten their money out of the game, and its treasure trove of laughs, gore and violence.

    Finally, I have a question for the 1's and 0's here: Do you actually like any games ? It just seems to me that you're too busy being pedantic about every game, you don't actually enjoy playing them. This game really doesn't warrant "Grinding through hordes of generic orcs" and "medicocre graphics", I don't care what your opinion is, this game offers new and unique features, so I'm sorry, you're wrong, and its plain to see.

    Play it for more than 5 minutes, and stop rating the game because you're rubbish at it, give it the score it deserves.    … Expand
  87. Cloud981
    Oct 7, 2014
    9
    In the past i've always wondered what would it be like to implement that Batman series great counter fighting into some middle age game with swords!!! I finally have my answer. Awesome fighting mechanics and fluid free roaming is what keeps me coming back to this game over and over again,although the story is nothing special ;) Stolen or not, it does not matter,i'm a great fan of AssassinsIn the past i've always wondered what would it be like to implement that Batman series great counter fighting into some middle age game with swords!!! I finally have my answer. Awesome fighting mechanics and fluid free roaming is what keeps me coming back to this game over and over again,although the story is nothing special ;) Stolen or not, it does not matter,i'm a great fan of Assassins Creed series and think that Ubisoft could learn a lot from these guys :)… Expand
  88. Zuthilios
    Oct 6, 2014
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. SPOILERS

    I'm sorry, but the ending is just incredibly awful.

    Not the story, but the gameplay. They built up the Tower to be one of the greatest characters I've ever seen out there, the build up to his fight, the suspense, his sheer presence was absolutely AMAZING. And then it took all but 3 minutes if not less to kill him, it was just, so... disappointing.

    Then you don't even get to fight the Black Hand and suddenly Sauron appears out of no where and then you kill him with... I can't even think of a way to capitalize on this point because it's just so weak... 3 quick time event buttons, the end.

    This game was brilliant, but the ending was just such an unbelievable let down, I'm sure it'll be finding its place pretty high up there on a top 10 worst endings list sometime.

    P.S. I also went around afterwards to find all the collectibles and that was also ridiculously disappointing, don't bother, nothing happens.    … Expand
  89. AngryRoach
    Oct 6, 2014
    6
    Overrated. Story was 7 hours long and it was far from amazing. Your typical cheesy love story based on the tolkien world. You can 100% the game in 20 hours. Combat is Left click, Right Click and F to win. The game looks good and the graphics are good thought, altough some ground textures look like trash.
  90. fusrodah
    Oct 6, 2014
    10
    A must have for the fans of the LOTR series who also happen to love both Assassin's Creed & Batman: Arkham series. Well, if you like neither of them, don't even bother.
  91. ayon13
    Oct 6, 2014
    9
    The game is great. Graphics awesome.Storyline,combat,stealth,skills are okay but the there should be more main missions and those have to be more interesting and more difficult.
  92. AlienHP
    Oct 6, 2014
    9
    Grande gioco per quanto visto finora, sicuramente il migliore con ambientazione il mondo di Tolkien.
    Sistema di combattimento rodato ed affascinante, molto simile a quello di Batman: Arkham City.
    Il fatto che i nemici si ricordino di te è qualcosa di assolutamente nuovo ed incredibile, come il fatto che ogni orco che sentirete parlare, cambierà a seconda di come vi comportate.
  93. TheBudworth
    Oct 6, 2014
    9
    This is everything Assassin's Creed tried to be. This game opens with a strong and dark intro and finishes even stronger. The fluid combat system and the robust free-running all adds up to make a beautifully well designed game. The open world is full of things to do and explore. You can defeat armies of Uruks whenever you please and the fantastic Nemesis System adds a lot more depth into combat.
  94. c6h12o6free
    Oct 6, 2014
    10
    Every once in a while, a game comes along that is so beautiful, so enthralling, and so much fun that it makes me question why I ever wanted to leave the house. Shadow of Mordor is like that.

    I found myself caught up in the power struggles, branding and dominating every captain I could find, and playing it like it was my own personal revenge quest. It plays a lot like the WB    Every once in a while, a game comes along that is so beautiful, so enthralling, and so much fun that it makes me question why I ever wanted to leave the house. Shadow of Mordor is like that.

    I found myself caught up in the power struggles, branding and dominating every captain I could find, and playing it like it was my own personal revenge quest.

    It plays a lot like the WB Batman:Arkham games, and that is an excellent thing. The combat is fun and challenging once you've got a little time in, and the story is top notch. The stealth mechanics, gameplay, and graphics are unbelievably good.

    The Nemesis system is the best innovation I have seen in recent years for an open world action/adventure/RPG. Brilliant.,    … Expand
  95. farney308
    Oct 6, 2014
    10
    Its good to see that studios like this still feel the need to take a risk and innovate.. What we all figured would be some sort of gimmick is actually an incredible system that works behind the scenes even when you think it isn't.. Follow the in game story yes, but make your own story using the nemesis system and your suddenly in a whole new world!! Graphics are what you expect nowadaysIts good to see that studios like this still feel the need to take a risk and innovate.. What we all figured would be some sort of gimmick is actually an incredible system that works behind the scenes even when you think it isn't.. Follow the in game story yes, but make your own story using the nemesis system and your suddenly in a whole new world!! Graphics are what you expect nowadays from a AAA title along with the sound.. The gameplay has the best elements with almost assassins creed style assassination manoeuvres :)… Expand
  96. WillpowerGames
    Oct 6, 2014
    10
    The Nemisis system blows me away, I love it. I hope more games in the future adopt this feature and tweak it further. The game looks great, plays great, and has such a great vibe going for it.

    The story is a good setup, I found it interesting. The weapon upgrade system, and skill system is typical for what you might find in a modern RPG, but I enjoyed it. What is great is you can    The Nemisis system blows me away, I love it. I hope more games in the future adopt this feature and tweak it further. The game looks great, plays great, and has such a great vibe going for it.

    The story is a good setup, I found it interesting. The weapon upgrade system, and skill system is typical for what you might find in a modern RPG, but I enjoyed it. What is great is you can follow the story or write your own with the nemisis system. I find myself just having a blast hunting down captains I took a special hatred for, or who killed me hours earlier and got promoted to legendary status.

    I can't remember a game that made me smile when I failed at something. But I found myself chuckling and smiling over a lone archer that got a lucky shot, some random Uruk that had no name until he sniped me in the back with an arrow, and his promotion to Captain as a result of my death. I go forth to get my own revenge on him later.

    I look forward to the [inevitable] sequels. I really am enjoying this game and it's open world feel.    … Expand
  97. skarr
    Oct 6, 2014
    8
    The gameplay is absolutely fantastic. The PC (port?) version works flawlessly with keyboard and mouse. What else is there to say?...oh yes the graphics are a gem ! A must have game for the Action fans!

    The story is okay, the ending is absolute crap! but don't let that stop you from getting the game, it's quite entertaining to single handedly be able to take on a whole Orcish army. The    The gameplay is absolutely fantastic. The PC (port?) version works flawlessly with keyboard and mouse. What else is there to say?...oh yes the graphics are a gem ! A must have game for the Action fans!

    The story is okay, the ending is absolute crap! but don't let that stop you from getting the game, it's quite entertaining to single handedly be able to take on a whole Orcish army. The nemesis system, or whatever they call it is actually quite good, but needed more development. I would have wished the game had a loot system a-la-diablo instead of just the runes with actual gear to hunt for, that would have increased the game longevity. We can't get everything :(    … Expand
  98. Add1cted
    Oct 6, 2014
    9
    Yes. This is assassin's creed gameplay skinned into middle earth. The Nemesis system is outstanding, really great fun and at times challenging. Gameplay becomes a little easy at times, but overall this is a rare gem in being a £30 AAA game that plays well on release and is worth the money.
  99. captainkane
    Oct 6, 2014
    9
    Shadow of Mordor is fantastic. Buy it. Now. It’s the best new title I’ve played all year. Monolith producers said they wanted to deviate from the established Lord of the Rings universe. Instead, they created a fresh game that feels like a world unto itself all the while injecting the fantastic lore of its source material. I’m fond of Monolith because it developed FEAR, one of the bestShadow of Mordor is fantastic. Buy it. Now. It’s the best new title I’ve played all year. Monolith producers said they wanted to deviate from the established Lord of the Rings universe. Instead, they created a fresh game that feels like a world unto itself all the while injecting the fantastic lore of its source material. I’m fond of Monolith because it developed FEAR, one of the best shooters of all time. My fondness for them is now greater as SoM might be one of the best open world fantasy games yet.

    The low review scores are puzzling, such as Destructoid’s 6/10. Really? In fact, Detructoid gave SoM its lowest AAA score this year. How silly. Wolfenstein is a buggy, unoptimized mess with an absurd, stupid story. Watch Dogs had a horrific launch and its driving mechanics are terrible. Titanfall and Destiny lack depth and both have lackluster graphics. Yet, SoM is worse than all these games? Hell no!!

    So why am I enjoying SoM so much? Well, it’s beautiful. Admittedly, SoM doesn’t possess the Witcher 2’s wow factor, which is 3 years older and still one of the best looking games to date. But that’s a high bar to reach. Monolith made wise decisions regarding lighting, color palette, and environment design to create a desolate landscape. The cut scenes and voice acting are superb. Character models are detailed and realistic, and Uruk’s faces convey lifelike fear when grabbed. Enemy behavior is definitely orcish. The game runs silky smooth, and that’s saying a lot since it just launched.

    Even better, there are tons of graphic’s options. PC gamers rejoice! Players can even lock frame rates at 30, 60, or 100. However, most options have barely perceivable impacts visuals, but at least they’re available.

    Combat is excellent. SoM blends together the best elements of Batman and Assassin’s Creed. So the learning curve is slight for anyone who played those games. The mechanics are easy to master and I love running around wrecking stuff. It's not merely a Batman clone as others claim. Swordplay is more intricate and smoother. Takedowns are widely varied in addition to being awesome, gory messes. Combat has an eerie, Sith-like quality about it. Also, the game is less forgiving than Batman. The open world is littered with elite enemies. Running blindly into a group of baddies will get players killed quickly. And enemies form into mobs, so expect to get overwhelmed. A lot.

    The nemesis engine is underrated. By gaining intel, players can discover weaknesses and locations of enemy captains. Players can exploit weaknesses to dispatch those enemies efficiently. The importance of this grows as captains become more powerful. I’ve killed many captains in a single move simply by utilizing the nemesis engine and planning my attack. The system is new, innovative, and well-implemented. Better yet, it incentivizes gaining intel and employing strategy. I applaud the developers for this and hope to see it in the next SoM release.

    The leveling system is deep as it is straightforward. Players can upgrade a variety of passive abilities and unlock new combat moves. Weapon runes add enhancements which can be swapped out for any combat scenario. Leveling is extremely important because enemies get deadlier as the game progresses and mob control is insanely important. Overall, it’s an excellent system that doesn’t overwhelm players with too many options.

    So what’s the bad? The graphics are good, but not good enough to justify massive VRAM usage. Unfortunately, a 3Gb gpu is the minimum players need. Ultra textures cause major problems because SoM is a hog. Turn ultra off to boost performance tremendously. I downgraded textures from ultra to high to medium and was still pleased with the outcome. The game automatically locks fps to 30 frames when enemy mobs form. The drop is immediately apparent. This probably benefits gamers with less powerful rigs by preventing the game from crashing since mobs can get HUGE. The game is also a whopping 40Gb. Sheesh.

    The open world is gorgeous, but it’s a bit small. And the unchanging scenery is SoM's glaring fault. The game is slightly larger than Arkham City, and that’s disappointing. This is next gen! Developers need to create epic, massive worlds for us to play in. Fortunately, there is still plenty to do. Side missions are varied and challenging. Players can even avenge fallen gamers! Definitely more exciting than the ridiculously mundane Riddler challenges from the Batman series.

    SoM is the most fun I’ve had all year. Low scores aren’t justified considering the ample features AND polish. I guess Monolith didn’t send Destructoid a check. Better yet, Monolith catered to PC gamers by delivering a smooth launch and offering tons of graphic options. The outstanding visuals, excellent combat, smooth launch, and innovative nemesis engine push this game above its competitors. And best of all, NO TACKED ON MULTIPLAYER!! All this at $10 less than other triple-A games.    … Expand
  100. Shaileen
    Oct 5, 2014
    10
    Many people compare this game to Assassin's Creed and the Batman Arkham series, calling it Arkham Creed or so. That's unfair. I've played both series, Batman is my fav among both DC and Marvel characters, and last but not least, i'm in love with LotR since i was a child. All that said, believe me when i say that Shadow of Mordor is a masterpiece. Huge game polish, almost perfect PCMany people compare this game to Assassin's Creed and the Batman Arkham series, calling it Arkham Creed or so. That's unfair. I've played both series, Batman is my fav among both DC and Marvel characters, and last but not least, i'm in love with LotR since i was a child. All that said, believe me when i say that Shadow of Mordor is a masterpiece. Huge game polish, almost perfect PC optimization, awesome graphic, good OST, enjoyable story (if LotR fan, else meh) and most of all: a truly enjoyable game, because of his combat and nemesis system, far better than any other games one can compare this to.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

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