Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

 Xbox One
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 805 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 644 out of 805
  2. Mixed: 83 out of 805
  3. Negative: 78 out of 805
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  1. koelker12
    Oct 23, 2015
    7
    Have you played Batman: Arkham Asylum, City, Origins, or Knight? You have? Well guess what! You've played Shadow of Mordor as well!

    What I found so incredibly disappointing about this game after all the the good things I'd read from fellow gamers (not media outlets), was how incredibly derivative this game was of the Arkham series (which I did indeed like). Sure I knew that it used a    Have you played Batman: Arkham Asylum, City, Origins, or Knight? You have? Well guess what! You've played Shadow of Mordor as well!

    What I found so incredibly disappointing about this game after all the the good things I'd read from fellow gamers (not media outlets), was how incredibly derivative this game was of the Arkham series (which I did indeed like). Sure I knew that it used a similar free-flow, attack and counter fighting system, but what I didn't know was that it would be the EXACT SAME system copied and pasted from the Arkham games.

    Let me stress the point by saying that nearly every single button is mapped to the same exact move used in Arkham. X to attack, Y to counter, of course. But the B button will stun enemies with your cape, er, I mean ghost hand. A will allow you to jump up and over enemies carrying car doors and riot shields, er, I mean fierce orc-shields. Tapping left trigger will hit enemies with your batara-, I mean, knives. Tapping LB will engage detective mode, oh silly me, GHOST vision, so that you can see enemies through walls and other points of interest. Is your combo multiplier up? Well just hit Y+B to do a instant takedown, A+X to summon your bat(ghost)tornado and stun everyone around you, or use A+B to "disarm" your enemies by turning them to your side. Hold the right trigger to crouch and go stealthy using X for takedowns, etc etc etc.

    And off course to accommodate the same combat system, you need the same enemy types. So don't expect to see any orcs that wouldn't fit right into the streets of Gotham. Just remember to dispose of them the same way you took them out a hundred times before with Batman. The only new features include a bow and the climbing system seen in games like Assassin's Creed or The Saboteur. You even synch the map with vantage points. It's not that there's anything wrong with the combat, in fact in works rather smoothly, (though some of the quicktime prompts seem unfairly short and/or unresponsive), it's just that I felt like I was playing a reskin-mod of Arkham rather than the first entry in a new franchise. This game is the definition of safe when it comes to creating a "new" IP.

    The game looks decent considering it runs on last-gen consoles as well. The story has a cool premise but by the end it all just seemed kinda silly. The new characters are cliche and Gollum is thrown into the mix just for star-power and marketing. I didn't run into any glitches though, so that's always nice.

    The one bright point is the Nemesis system, and while I didn't think it was nearly as revolutionary as everyone else seems to, it's at least SOMETHING to set it apart from Batman. It's neat seeing their different weakness and quirks based on your past meetings or outside events. And setting the orcs against one another in the latter half of the game is satisfying.

    ME: Shadow of Mordor is not a bad game, but it's the most disappointing thing I've played since Destiny; another game that is actually pretty well put together, but fails spectacularly to meet the expectations it set forth. How people were praising this game as revolutionary and a GOTY contender is beyond me. Warner Brothers seems intent on running the free-flow combat "genre" it's created straight into the ground through over-exposure seeing as we now have 4 Batman games, Shadow of Mordor, and Mad Max. That's an average of one per year since 2009. So next time you want to (justifiably) critique other annual games such as COD, Madden and Assassin's Creed, think about Warner Brothers, too. Everybody's doing it. And while it makes sense from a business standpoint to stick to what works and what sells, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.    … Expand
  2. theinfinityline
    Sep 14, 2015
    6
    Far too short and repetitive. Starts off hard but by the time you are approaching the end you are practically invincible. Very limited replayability. The nemesis system is cool but still very early days, it needs a bit of work to make it feel like part of the game rather than a separate gimmick. The world is small and empty, combat is decent and satisfying. All in all a decent time killerFar too short and repetitive. Starts off hard but by the time you are approaching the end you are practically invincible. Very limited replayability. The nemesis system is cool but still very early days, it needs a bit of work to make it feel like part of the game rather than a separate gimmick. The world is small and empty, combat is decent and satisfying. All in all a decent time killer for a short while but completely forgettable.… Expand
  3. Mudgee
    Oct 27, 2015
    6
    Interesting concept but grew quite boring rather quickly. I can't speculate on other reviews, but I can give an honest opinion based on not being a LOTR fanboy. The fighting mechanics are good, not great. The storyline didn't phase me and the hype over the integrated intelligence system was rather basic once indulged into a bit deeper. I probably won't go back to play seconds on this.
  4. kamokool
    Jan 11, 2015
    6
    Not he best but not the worst. This is a game where to really enjoy it you have to be a huge fan of the 'Lord of the Rings'. The combat, stealth and climbing are on point and the nemesis system is really cool but other than that I personally didn't enjoy it that much.
  5. breakbacon
    Oct 7, 2015
    6
    Granted I'm coming at this game a year after it's original release, granted there are better games on the market currently, granted there is huge brand power behind this one. On the other hand this game is not that fun in regards to combat, unless you enjoy spamming the same commands over and over again. They took the quantity over quality approach and it shows. Aside from that there are aGranted I'm coming at this game a year after it's original release, granted there are better games on the market currently, granted there is huge brand power behind this one. On the other hand this game is not that fun in regards to combat, unless you enjoy spamming the same commands over and over again. They took the quantity over quality approach and it shows. Aside from that there are a number of special sequences that are actually fun otherwise it is pretty much the same generic vanilla game play over and over for 15-20 hours.… Expand
  6. JamesDeLuca
    Oct 14, 2014
    6
    Well, I hope Ubisoft won the lawsuit.

    If you look past the fact that tMiddle Earth is a blatant rip off of Assassins Creed; you see one major disappointment. This game truly could have been something special. But thanks to clumsy game mechanics, and a god awful camera that leaves you vulnerable to 50+ enemies; it is nothing more than a cheap piece of trash. I always wondered why    Well, I hope Ubisoft won the lawsuit.

    If you look past the fact that tMiddle Earth is a blatant rip off of Assassins Creed; you see one major disappointment.

    This game truly could have been something special. But thanks to clumsy game mechanics, and a god awful camera that leaves you vulnerable to 50+ enemies; it is nothing more than a cheap piece of trash.

    I always wondered why no one every tried cloning Assassins Creed, and now I know why.    … Expand
  7. opSTOOmus
    Oct 21, 2014
    5
    Honestly, I don't really get what everyone else is seeing in this game. I was recommended to play it on the basis that I am a fan of both the Batman: Arkham games and Assassins Creed as well. Whilst I understand why it was recommended it just came across as a very bland take on those games. The biggest problem I had with the game which no-one seems to have mentioned is how boring andHonestly, I don't really get what everyone else is seeing in this game. I was recommended to play it on the basis that I am a fan of both the Batman: Arkham games and Assassins Creed as well. Whilst I understand why it was recommended it just came across as a very bland take on those games. The biggest problem I had with the game which no-one seems to have mentioned is how boring and samey the map is. I get that it is set in Mordor, it is in the title but wow, everywhere just looks the same, like a blank Minecraft map. As the map is quite boring, that makes the climbing and 'parkour' a bit boring too. About 4 hours in, I was really not bothered about carrying on as I felt I had seen everything.

    Its not all doom and gloom though, the nemesis system is very clever but I just feel that this game is a showcase for something that can be used even better in another game. I would love to see it utilised somewhere else, but maybe with a tiny bit more creativity.

    I might have approached this game with the wrong sort of expectations but I tried and I just could not get what everyone else was getting out of it. I feel its like all the other games that Rockstar release in order to try out some ideas and features and see how well they can execute it only to use those ideas in Grand Theft Auto. This game is the testing ground for something I believe will be bigger and better in the future.

    Nice idea, but not for me. It might work for you though.    … Expand
  8. KnightFire919
    Oct 8, 2014
    5
    This game is a cross between Assassin's Creed and Ryse but not in the good way. The controls are clunky and not very fluid like similar games. I'm a big fan of this genre of games and was excited for this game but was pretty disappointed. It's just not that fun.
  9. wesker2012
    Oct 3, 2014
    6
    I couldn't get into this game. Stiff animations, horrible camera, felt like a bad ripoff of Assassin's Creed. Controlling the character is frustrating. Story is boring. Killing enemies is repetitive. Atmosphere and graphics are decent. Its really bizarre how blatantly this game copies off Assassin's Creed.
  10. Neelyry
    May 15, 2015
    7
    This game to me was great, but once the shock and awe of the combat wore off it really slowed. Got tired of the story fast, never really sucked me in. I beat at least 90% of the games I buy but was tired of this about half way through. Traded it in for GTA.
  11. usualben
    Oct 27, 2014
    7
    Some people will hate this game. Its slightly 'arcadie' with a big yellow 'Y' that tells you to block and some seriously super human parkor action. But, having said this, it was fun, and for a short while... even challenging. Despite it's stupendously boring protagonist the story is fine - its LOTR so we can't credit the writers, but its not an offense to old Tolk's. It also felt short soSome people will hate this game. Its slightly 'arcadie' with a big yellow 'Y' that tells you to block and some seriously super human parkor action. But, having said this, it was fun, and for a short while... even challenging. Despite it's stupendously boring protagonist the story is fine - its LOTR so we can't credit the writers, but its not an offense to old Tolk's. It also felt short so make sure u play it thoroughly or you may wish you had your money back. The animations in combat are smooth and brutal, and, as a result, you feel connected to the action as hordes of uglies come at you. Ultimately you end up as some sort of god which spoils the game by making it very easy in the latter stages and all but kills any end game value, but the nemesis system definately insprired me to a couple of hours of revenge driven murder and manipulation.… Expand
  12. MrTrelawney
    Nov 11, 2014
    7
    I've had the game for a couple of weeks now and find myself continuing to go back and play here and there. I enjoy the control scheme and the upgrading system but I don't find the story or setting quite interesting enough to want to marathon through it. I like LOTR but the two areas present in the game are just a little boring and lack enough sandbox game style life for to keep my interestI've had the game for a couple of weeks now and find myself continuing to go back and play here and there. I enjoy the control scheme and the upgrading system but I don't find the story or setting quite interesting enough to want to marathon through it. I like LOTR but the two areas present in the game are just a little boring and lack enough sandbox game style life for to keep my interest for longer than an hour or two at a time. That said, it is a good game that might just not be perfect for me.… Expand
  13. CenkAlp
    Oct 15, 2018
    6
    Hikaye = 5
    Oynanış = 7
    Grafikler = 7
    Sesler = 7
    Keyif = 7
    Atmosfer = 7
    Süre = 6
  14. Rumic
    Aug 4, 2016
    6
    Is not a bad game, but isn't the great game that people say either.
    completly much of the secondary mission and fulfill the campaing takes 22h that's really short for a game in which you do the same thing since it begins, only the 4 hunt missions gives fresh air to the game, even the history DLC is the same again with a diferent story.
    The game is a mix between the combat system of the    Is not a bad game, but isn't the great game that people say either.
    completly much of the secondary mission and fulfill the campaing takes 22h that's really short for a game in which you do the same thing since it begins, only the 4 hunt missions gives fresh air to the game, even the history DLC is the same again with a diferent story.
    The game is a mix between the combat system of the Batman Arkham saga and the travel and map system of the Assassin's Creed saga, all wrapped with a middle earth skin    … Expand
  15. Troublewalking
    Dec 1, 2017
    7
    This game could be a 10, but it certainly has it's flaws. The combat is lifted straight out of the Batman Arkham series. Which although good for groups of combatants, can be very wonky. Literally rolling into walls over and over. Refusing to jump off buildings. Chase imaginary targets etc. Though it gets the job done. It's story is great, it's leveling system is good. But the thing thatThis game could be a 10, but it certainly has it's flaws. The combat is lifted straight out of the Batman Arkham series. Which although good for groups of combatants, can be very wonky. Literally rolling into walls over and over. Refusing to jump off buildings. Chase imaginary targets etc. Though it gets the job done. It's story is great, it's leveling system is good. But the thing that really let's this otherwise great game down is it's over reliance on loot boxes. It is arbitrarily grindy, and will pump up it's difficulty (after a couple of hours of playing). These unnecessary additions are just to get you to buy loot boxes. It's not as bad as EA's games on it's loot box greed. But not too far from it. Sad really, as it destroys an other wise great game. And this is coming from a slight fan of Lord of the Rings, not a franchise fan boy. This game will give you your monies worth, but it will frustrate you with it's controls and loot boxes fascination.… Expand
  16. fubercake
    Mar 25, 2015
    5
    I love the movies and really tried to like this game. What I could not handle is the monotony. Kill some dudes, go after a boss. Boss kills you gets promoted. You kill boss, you get a special item and another boss takes their place.

    The surroundings and sounds of the world were pretty cool, but doing the same thing over and over and over and over lead me to sell this game used after    I love the movies and really tried to like this game. What I could not handle is the monotony. Kill some dudes, go after a boss. Boss kills you gets promoted. You kill boss, you get a special item and another boss takes their place.

    The surroundings and sounds of the world were pretty cool, but doing the same thing over and over and over and over lead me to sell this game used after a couple of weeks.

    I really don't understand why people like this game and I am a fan of the fighting adventure games such as batman, tomb raider, and others.    … Expand
  17. ToFewViews
    Nov 26, 2014
    7
    Lord of the Rings hasn't released a game in awhile so, We have "Middle-Earth:Shadow Of Mordor" to keep it all going. Shadow of Mordor has the same game engine as the Batman Arkham series so it will feel very familiar to some people. The game throws tons of enemas at you at once and gives you some fun and flashy moves to use in slaughtering your foes. The story is alright, It's nothingLord of the Rings hasn't released a game in awhile so, We have "Middle-Earth:Shadow Of Mordor" to keep it all going. Shadow of Mordor has the same game engine as the Batman Arkham series so it will feel very familiar to some people. The game throws tons of enemas at you at once and gives you some fun and flashy moves to use in slaughtering your foes. The story is alright, It's nothing amazing but keeps you interested.There was a very interesting system of Generals/Warchief you assassinate and progress through. On PS4 the game looks quite nice, big open spaces with tons of destruction and up close things don't lose there beauty. The addition of a Photo Mode in game is also nice,It give's people the ability to capture amazing kills.
    At launch the game had a few bugs but with a couple updates released it's smoothed out the game-play a lot. If you enjoyed the Batman games or the Lord of the Rings Universe you'll find this game quite enjoyable with it's fast paced and brutal combat.    … Expand
  18. tec-goblin
    Apr 18, 2016
    6
    This is a game about murdering orcs in various ways. The core combat and stealth mechanics are good, but it's a sandbox game with just a pretext of a story (making Assassin's Creed look like a literary achievement in comparison). After a little you've nothing new to do.
    Adding insult to injury, the world is the ugliest place in Middle Earth, giving you very few incentives to explore it.    This is a game about murdering orcs in various ways. The core combat and stealth mechanics are good, but it's a sandbox game with just a pretext of a story (making Assassin's Creed look like a literary achievement in comparison). After a little you've nothing new to do.
    Adding insult to injury, the world is the ugliest place in Middle Earth, giving you very few incentives to explore it. There's not much beauty to discover (in contrary to other sandbox games). In short, after 5-6 hours, you will run out of interesting things to do, unless you really like brutality and orcs.
    That said, the core mechanics are promising. I'd be interested in a sequel with more story and nicer setting.    … Expand
  19. cish
    Oct 20, 2015
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game was super overrated. Being in Mordor was cool (I'm a huge LOTR fan) and the Nemesis system was great but other than that this wasn't that fun. The missions felt very disconnected and uneventful. Only enjoyable mission was at the end battling Sauron.… Expand
  20. rub95
    May 14, 2016
    6
    Being honest, I really adored this game during the first 3 hours. It amazes you with those beautiful graphics, those exquisite executions, the good management of the controlls, an amazing nemesis system... but after that you only fin out that you'll be playing during 15 hours (if you finish side quests and main story missions) over and over again the same parts. The nemesis system is aBeing honest, I really adored this game during the first 3 hours. It amazes you with those beautiful graphics, those exquisite executions, the good management of the controlls, an amazing nemesis system... but after that you only fin out that you'll be playing during 15 hours (if you finish side quests and main story missions) over and over again the same parts. The nemesis system is a great innovation but ii feels way to rushed, it doesn't has the impact that it could have had but it would be nice to see it again in the future.
    The story is really simple, it doesn´t feels that great and has very chessy dialogue and the worst of all, the moment you really hope to happen is DLC. The side quests are very generic and don't bring the sensation of being interesting.
    In terms of gameplay is very similar to the arkham knight series, the combat is very fluid, it tends to be a little repetitive but is cool when you start making combos. The only real problem is that at the end of the game you're like god and you're untouchable.
    It would be nice to see a sequel if they improve the nemesis system (It has an amazing potential) and the story.

    Pros: Nice graphics, Good controlls, interesting nemesis system

    Cons: Story, Dialogue, Characters, Repetitive side quests, Unbalanced progression    … Expand
  21. Aginagala
    Nov 5, 2017
    7
    An extremely enjoyable game with a new Nemesis system concept that I found very engaging. The story was however mediocre, and characters aside from the main weren't memorable. Moreover, the worlds themselves were not that big and didn't offer too much variety and replay-ability. But that did not stop me from playing the hell out of this game and getting every captain on my side just forAn extremely enjoyable game with a new Nemesis system concept that I found very engaging. The story was however mediocre, and characters aside from the main weren't memorable. Moreover, the worlds themselves were not that big and didn't offer too much variety and replay-ability. But that did not stop me from playing the hell out of this game and getting every captain on my side just for the fun of it.… Expand
  22. MichaelMunoz
    Dec 21, 2017
    6
    Since I'm playing this game in 2017, I missed all the hype which is probably for the best. Through my 30 hours of playing this game I must say: I'm glad I'm done. The combat is suprisingly fun and likely the best aspect of this game, but I've got a multitude of issues. Story telling: aweful, very basic and could've been so much more. Repetitive missions, bland and somewhat ugly world,Since I'm playing this game in 2017, I missed all the hype which is probably for the best. Through my 30 hours of playing this game I must say: I'm glad I'm done. The combat is suprisingly fun and likely the best aspect of this game, but I've got a multitude of issues. Story telling: aweful, very basic and could've been so much more. Repetitive missions, bland and somewhat ugly world, protagonist is shallow with not so great voice acting, and a nemisis system that doesn't really do much during the majority of the game. All this game really has going for it is the combat, which isn't nearly enuogh to lift this game up from it's grave of wasted potential. If free time is a rarety for you, don't waste it with this game.… Expand
  23. Filmanwalt
    Oct 8, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Middle-earth Shadow of Mordor Review Date 26.02.2020

    I started the game again after a long time (had about 24 hours of playing time) and ended the whole thing after 35 hours today. A great game in the guise of Lord of the Rings, but not always convincing.

    story

    Most of the time I had fun with the cutscenes and individual story sections, but none of that was outstanding now. The last two "fights" in the story are pretty lame.

    Gameplay

    I finished the game because it was very repetitive but not quite as motivating at the same time.

    But had my weapons fully armed except for the dagger. I just don't like stealth mechanics that much and what annoyed me even more was that you were forced to stealth during individual story quests.

    In addition, the moment was when u could control a Uruk..very cool.. Unfortunately, this was not implemented that well in infight (friendly fire, etc. makes life difficult in the sometimes confusing fights).

    The highlight is definitely the Nemesis system here there was one or the other almost godlike Uruk at the end: D.

    graphic

    Looks okay even if the first area is very dreary. A bit of variety would have been good here (more areas). The opponents are presented really cool and are well synchronized, but unfortunately the voice repeats itself very often here.

    Conclusion

    Good title in the Lord of the Rings setting, but with a few weaknesses. 7/10 severed heads.    … Expand
  24. Mohmelianirma
    Apr 29, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. لعبة جيدة للأشخاص الذين قامو بلعبها اثناء اصدارها فقط
    اعطيتها هاذا التقييم لأني لعبتها سنة 2019    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best Xbox One Game of 2014
11
#11 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2014
10
#10 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. Hyper Magazine
    Dec 2, 2014
    90
    Addictive combat with a multitude of variants and silky smooth gameplay make this hard to put down. [Issue#255, p.51]
  2. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Nov 8, 2014
    90
    An open-world classic driven by systems over story. [Issue#117, p.76]
  3. Pure Xbox
    Oct 21, 2014
    80
    The much talked-about Nemesis System also plays a big role in injecting personality and connecting the player to the game world.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »