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. Overload8
    Dec 6, 2014
    8
    Shadow of Mordor has a great story, but you feel tired after killing thousands of enemies, It`s not a bad game but i expected more lord of the rings..
  2. Cpt_Commander
    Dec 4, 2014
    8
    I have been addicted to this game since I bought it. The combat is super fun and the skill tree is great but most of my enjoyment comes from upsetting the structure of the Uruk army by hunting down captains and war chiefs than from the main story. My biggest issue with the game are the forgettable story and uninteresting and simple boss fights. I was hoping to have some great battle withI have been addicted to this game since I bought it. The combat is super fun and the skill tree is great but most of my enjoyment comes from upsetting the structure of the Uruk army by hunting down captains and war chiefs than from the main story. My biggest issue with the game are the forgettable story and uninteresting and simple boss fights. I was hoping to have some great battle with the Black Hand but *SPOILER* it ended up being a quick time event *END of SPOILER* This may be because I unlocked the entire skill tree and the special sword and knife abilities before beating the game but I imagine most people will do that. There were some low level captains that put up better and more interesting fights than any of the boss battles. This game would be a 10 if the story was more memorable and the boss fights were challenging but they aren't.… Expand
  3. BZGames
    Dec 1, 2014
    8
    The Game is fun and if I were to describe it I would say its Arkham Asylum In Middle Earth but the problem is the length, the story is 4-5 hours long but all the side missions and collectibles fluff it up to about 8 Hours, but the game has so much replayability so you will be getting what you paid for.
  4. cranknnutz
    Dec 1, 2014
    9
    This is a fantastic game. The story is good. The graphics are incredible. The combat is amazing. I'll have to admit that I was frustrated in the beginning due to a lot of deaths. Things change a lot once you get some experience, unlock powerful abilities, and find stat increasing runes for your sword, bow, and dagger. The balance of power definitely changes to your side as you startThis is a fantastic game. The story is good. The graphics are incredible. The combat is amazing. I'll have to admit that I was frustrated in the beginning due to a lot of deaths. Things change a lot once you get some experience, unlock powerful abilities, and find stat increasing runes for your sword, bow, and dagger. The balance of power definitely changes to your side as you start killing orcs in so many different ways. The game can still be very challenging at times, but in a fair way. I've played almost 20 hours and haven't hit 50% completion yet. I tend to explore a lot and kill everything in sight though. If you're only interested in the game for the main story, then it's worth it. However if you want to complete everything that the game has to offer, then this is an absolutely awesome game.… Expand
  5. JCOOL
    Dec 1, 2014
    8
    For the first few hours I was hooked to this games sandbox style action. Fun anc challenging gameplay along with the constant Orc ranking system as you slash your weigh to the top of the foodchain. Story really is nothing special but the only thing that I believe held this games back was the repetitive objectives.
  6. aramkiss
    Nov 30, 2014
    9
    This game is very addictive to play. Normally I like playing multiplayer only games only because single player games get boring pretty fast. In the case of SOM the key thing that makes this game unique is the Nemesis system. Basic idea of Nemesis system is game makes a unique set of enemies that you need to defeat in order to complete game. When your defeated by any of these enemies theThis game is very addictive to play. Normally I like playing multiplayer only games only because single player games get boring pretty fast. In the case of SOM the key thing that makes this game unique is the Nemesis system. Basic idea of Nemesis system is game makes a unique set of enemies that you need to defeat in order to complete game. When your defeated by any of these enemies the individuals grow more powerful and move up in rank. I did not realize the impact to the game until I started getting killed by these enemies. The other appeal of game is the LOTR themed. From reading the books it is pretty accurate. This game is close to Assassins Creed(AC) play wise. Personally AC was boring for me after 5 hours of play. I have done 15 hours and I am still totally hooked. I actually stopped playing Destiny for this game. the game is a pleasant surprise and high recommend.… Expand
  7. El3ment_514
    Nov 30, 2014
    9
    I would have scored this higher than a 9 if the last 2 boss fights were not a utter failure. Everything led up to meeting the big bad guys and there was no fighting between you and them at all. Almost as if they ran out of time and didn't know how to approach the end. Great game besides that. Controls and fighting are top notch. One of the best 3rd person action adventure games out.I would have scored this higher than a 9 if the last 2 boss fights were not a utter failure. Everything led up to meeting the big bad guys and there was no fighting between you and them at all. Almost as if they ran out of time and didn't know how to approach the end. Great game besides that. Controls and fighting are top notch. One of the best 3rd person action adventure games out.

    Also if you do play this there are gift achievements/trophies. Getting these gifts will help you out in the game, so do those early on.    … Expand
  8. 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
  9. CaptainDahl
    Nov 26, 2014
    8
    The game engine is incredible!! Finally, something new and has delivery! The game does become a little slow after you master attack strategy. The upgrades of your weapons (runes) is interesting at first but you soon realize this almost has no bearing on your performance. Stick to the character upgrades and you will become unstoppable shortly into the game.
  10. MstrLckM
    Nov 21, 2014
    10
    This game is a great achievement for video games and will change the way games are made in the future. People complain that the game isn't long enough, but if you are a true LOTR fan, and if you like the game even a hint, you will purchase the DLC which will contain hours and hours of more campaign in addition to new locations/maps. The physics and animations of the game are incredible,This game is a great achievement for video games and will change the way games are made in the future. People complain that the game isn't long enough, but if you are a true LOTR fan, and if you like the game even a hint, you will purchase the DLC which will contain hours and hours of more campaign in addition to new locations/maps. The physics and animations of the game are incredible, gameplay practically flawless. You will enjoy slaying orcs for hours on end!… Expand
  11. VaasGG
    Nov 21, 2014
    8
    This is a very good game, there are bugs and issues but none that are game breaking. I found the biggest issues with the game are the camera and the ability to get Talion stuck because of either the climbing animation or simply not being able to move past a pillar because for some reason the game decided to derp out. My other issue is with how the game ends and the way it plays out. IThis is a very good game, there are bugs and issues but none that are game breaking. I found the biggest issues with the game are the camera and the ability to get Talion stuck because of either the climbing animation or simply not being able to move past a pillar because for some reason the game decided to derp out. My other issue is with how the game ends and the way it plays out. I won't spoil anything in terms of story or anything, I'll just say that because of how well the rest of the story is told it just feels like a disappointment. There are other reasons why the ending was not great, but again I don't want to spoil anything. The combat and flow of the game is exactly like Assassins Creed, from the way Talion moves, climbs, attacks, and parries it all feels like Assassins Creed with a Lord of the RIngs skin on it. In no ways is that a bad thing, but in my opinion it holds the game back because of the similarity. The story of this version of Lord of the Rings is fantastic, it's well written and voice acted everyone from the main characters to the Uruks, it's all well done. I 100% this game simply because I found that all the collectibles in this game helped add to the story of Talion and Celebrimbor. Also doing all the weapons challenges is fun, and frustrating at the same time. As you get further into the challenges they get harder and one dagger mission in particular (where you have to brand archers) is a pain in the ass. I don't think the challenges add anything to the weapons, in terms of damage up or anything like that. Again the collectibles are there to help add to the story, the hunting and survivalist challenges don't give you any reward either other then a achievement / trophy. Now moving on the the fighting, simply put it's so much fun to go around and kill Uruks, whether you're sneaking up on them and cutting their throat, picking them off one by one with the bow and arrow, or charging in with your sword drawn ready to send heads flying, it's all good. One of the best things in the game is when an Uruk kills you they level up. So if they were just some run of the mill Uruk he now becomes a Captain. If a Uruk with a title kills you they move up the ladder of command all the way up to Warchief, or they level up and get stronger. The more abilities you unlock in the skills tree the better and more fun combat becomes. Overall this is a very well made game, there are a few things that hold it back from being perfect, most notably the camera and certain animations, but besides that I've had one hell of a time in Middle Earth. If you're on the fence about this game I'll say this. If you like Assassins Creed but are tired of the same old locations from that franchise give this game a go, you won't be disappointed. Last thing length of the game. I've played 32 hours finished the story, completed all the weapons challenges, all the hunting and survival challenges and found all the collectibles… Expand
  12. Fallensoldier
    Nov 20, 2014
    9
    Great game! It looks great, It plays great, the story is interesting and keeps you wanting to play.
    Combat is fun and stealth is not that hard to turn to your game style of playing. It was very easy to pick this game up and start having fun right from the start. I would recommend this game to anyone looking for a fun and easy to use hack and slash game
  13. Flaggermouse
    Nov 18, 2014
    10
    This is more of a fight simulator than an RPG but there are quests and the captains are a challenge. I like how the ones with a power of one can kill you with a lucky strike and then advance in their ranks. It keeps you on your toes. Some times it is better to flee then to try and stick it out, some battles you are better off to retreat so as to fight latter. Graphics are intense, and runThis is more of a fight simulator than an RPG but there are quests and the captains are a challenge. I like how the ones with a power of one can kill you with a lucky strike and then advance in their ranks. It keeps you on your toes. Some times it is better to flee then to try and stick it out, some battles you are better off to retreat so as to fight latter. Graphics are intense, and run very smooth. If you like combat this is the game for you. It is a mix of Skyrim and Assassins Creed. I love it.… Expand
  14. AllThingTrivial
    Nov 17, 2014
    9
    Shadow of Mordor is a game well worth buying provided one can subscribe to the fact everything in the game is based around killing orcs. Luckily, the game makes this incredibly fun. I have played for near on thirty hours, finished the campaign and most of the main side activities and can safely say the game is excellent but decreases towards the end when the power to manipulate the enemiesShadow of Mordor is a game well worth buying provided one can subscribe to the fact everything in the game is based around killing orcs. Luckily, the game makes this incredibly fun. I have played for near on thirty hours, finished the campaign and most of the main side activities and can safely say the game is excellent but decreases towards the end when the power to manipulate the enemies becomes available.

    An interesting concept, it actually plays off against the - as far as my gaming experience goes - nemesis system as it is too easy to reduce the difficulty massively by simply gaining control of a few powerful Orc chiefs and though the obvious argument not to do it exists, the game will be played as presented. It takes discipline from the player not to trivialise the remaining fifth and the culmination of the campaign is vastly underwhelming. The campaign as a whole leaves much to be desired with elements still being tutorialised half way through and mismatched story elements of characters introduced and thrown away without any grounding or context making them glaringly obvious as story contrivances. However the story seems nothing more than a way to develop the skills and abilities in an organic fashion to grant absolute chaotic freedom in the core gameplay.

    The gameplay itself is standard timed counters, attacks, special attacks and careful manoeuvres to strategically position against enormous hoards of enemies but for me the fun came earliest when, grossly underpowered the emergence of a second or third powerful Orc chief or captain into the fight made it a case of either flee or see how long until death occurs. Usually the latter. Death itself as a purpose and regeneration is explained adding a nice degree of levity to the 'gaminess' and further allows organic development of the game world which can also occur through power struggles.

    This - and the nemesis system that supports it - is easily the best element of the game, finding a particularly annoying Orc who kills you over and over again allowing his friends to power level is frustrating and engaging in equal step. The variance of enemy types and abilities in terms of traits is enough to keep it interesting and the high number of orcs constantly on screen is a joyous combat experience as they level through the ranks. The nice thing is each person will have a unique experience.

    In conclusion, a great game with some small issues that lets itself down with a brief and unfulfilling story that rushes towards an underwhelming climax and a difficulty curve that is inverse to what it should be with the branding ability far too overpowered with the Orcs having no chance to break free and equally the player having limited control over how their minions handle the situation selecting at random from a rather too small suite of events without any context or sense. But despite these niggles and small complaints, the game holds attention with a reasonable sandbox and interesting environment design but crucially the one facet that everything is based upon - the combat - has been done excellently.    … Expand
  15. kmcguire
    Nov 13, 2014
    9
    The controls feel clunky at first but once you get used to it they are very elegant in design. The combat system is guided as your movements result in the direction of your attacks which provides some very cinematic like beautiful action. Each world is partitioned into sections and is medium sized in whole. You are able to freely move around each word and pursue various types of quests inThe controls feel clunky at first but once you get used to it they are very elegant in design. The combat system is guided as your movements result in the direction of your attacks which provides some very cinematic like beautiful action. Each world is partitioned into sections and is medium sized in whole. You are able to freely move around each word and pursue various types of quests in your own order. You can also simply freelance around exploring. The hostile NPCs will re-spawn fairly quickly meaning you never have trouble looking for a fight, but you may also run back into them if you back track through an area. You can employ stealth and frontal assault on your enemies or a mixture. The enemies do not have a very long range of sight so it is fairly easier to sneak around undetected which can seem a little unrealistic but in spite of this it is still enjoyable. The hierarchy system for the captains and warlords is likely a little simpler than you might expect however considering the limitations of today's systems it is still a very innovative and enjoyable experience to bend them to your will or acquire intelligence on other another adversary. The graphics are quite nice unless this is your first game you will likely not be blown away however they are very enjoyable and decently detailed. The different buttons and combinations of using the buttons will seem very complex and daunting at first but as you play they will become easier and more fluid in your usage of them. The story line is very good. The NPCs are very reminiscent of the game Skyrim and have lots of random voice overs that can give you something interesting to listen to as you covertly navigate a castle or roam the wild with NPCs near about. I would recommend this game to anyone who enjoys cinematic quality like battle sequences, open world layout of medium size, quest like system, innovation, good story line, skill systems, and non-linear game play.… Expand
  16. Tfort
    Nov 12, 2014
    10
    The second most unique game I have ever played is Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor(1= sunset overdrive) This game is absolutely incredible and was almost as challenging as the Dark Souls series on xbox 360. The graphics are beautiful enough to really capture what they want Middle Earth to look like. I love how the combat feels in this game which makes it seem like every enemy is a toughThe second most unique game I have ever played is Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor(1= sunset overdrive) This game is absolutely incredible and was almost as challenging as the Dark Souls series on xbox 360. The graphics are beautiful enough to really capture what they want Middle Earth to look like. I love how the combat feels in this game which makes it seem like every enemy is a tough battle. The storyline is wonderful and feels like it's coming straight out of a movie or book. It's worth a buy 100% regardless whether your a lord of the rings fan or not. It's in my top 10 games for sure that I have ever played… Expand
  17. FarmerJoe
    Nov 12, 2014
    8
    It's all average AAA gaming but the nemesis-system (why would they give it such a cheesy name) pushes it above and beyond what I expected.
    Nice to see a rather big-budget game succeed due to interesting new game-design!
  18. 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
  19. markusdevine
    Nov 11, 2014
    9
    Got this after reading some reviews and it does not disappoint. The action is smooth performing an execution kill is so satisfying. The story is a bit naf but overall it's a great game, hopefully a sequel is not too far away.
  20. Caste
    Nov 9, 2014
    10
    This game is awesome. It's like a perfect mixture of Batman latest games, inFamous and AC series.
    There are a lot of quests, achievements, skills, etc. A lot of things to do, all different and non-repetitive imo.
    The combat gameplay is awesome, quite similar to Batman's but better for me thanks to brutal executions and sound FX.
    Totally recommended :D
  21. corpal_hudson
    Nov 8, 2014
    10
    I was up until 4am playing this game. You'll be trying to do some part of the main mission but end up side tracked with killing random captains. It's easy to get lost in this game. There is so much to do. Weapon runes are fun. Stalking Orcs and them having them taunt you when you mess up and alert them is priceless. The orcs even chant their captain's name. A lot of attention toI was up until 4am playing this game. You'll be trying to do some part of the main mission but end up side tracked with killing random captains. It's easy to get lost in this game. There is so much to do. Weapon runes are fun. Stalking Orcs and them having them taunt you when you mess up and alert them is priceless. The orcs even chant their captain's name. A lot of attention to detail from the game maker here. If you are middle of the road on this title, buy it. It's one of the best games out right now as far as adventuring.… Expand
  22. nonchalantgamer
    Nov 5, 2014
    8
    Middle earth: Shadow of Mordor is a great LOTR game that introduces a great new system into play called the nemesis system. The nemesis system feels new and gives the world you play in some life and makes the enemies feel like they actually have personalities instead of mindless things to slaughter and its fun manipulating the system(branding)

    Game-play- The game play is great here and    Middle earth: Shadow of Mordor is a great LOTR game that introduces a great new system into play called the nemesis system. The nemesis system feels new and gives the world you play in some life and makes the enemies feel like they actually have personalities instead of mindless things to slaughter and its fun manipulating the system(branding)

    Game-play- The game play is great here and the combat is very fluid and fun, and although simplistic, there are a solid variety of skills to use during combat. The beginning and middle parts if the game feel challenging which is good but towards the end you might feel overpowered but its so fun to lob off heads it doesn't matter. Also the amount of content in the game is great with hunting/survival challenges to complete, collectibles to uncover, slaves/legends missions to do, and the pieces of the ilithin to obtain. What i love the most about the extra stuff is that the collectibles and illithin give great amount of lore to dive into for big time LOTR fans such as myself.

    Story- The story was surprisingly good in this game and i found myself invested in the multiple characters within it and also as the overall plot progressed nicely and had a LOTR vibe to it. on top of that the voice acting was spot on. the only gripe i have is the ending was a let down to be honest.

    Presentation- the graphics are very smooth and although they arent next gen looking graphics they don't do the game a disservice or ruin the experience. the music score is good to and featured themes that sounded like it belonged in a LOTR setting and really adds intensity to the experience    … Expand
  23. He_Never_Helps
    Oct 31, 2014
    9
    Tons of cool ideas. Good execution. Frankly, not a lot to complain about, unless it makes u feel good to complain.

    The story is quite good. Not "As written by JRR Tolkein" good, or Xenosaga 1-3 good, but solid and pretty compelling. Depending on the ending (i'll let u know) i might even say it's Witcher good (although the witcher's story is far more expansive and emotional, and the only    Tons of cool ideas. Good execution. Frankly, not a lot to complain about, unless it makes u feel good to complain.

    The story is quite good. Not "As written by JRR Tolkein" good, or Xenosaga 1-3 good, but solid and pretty compelling. Depending on the ending (i'll let u know) i might even say it's Witcher good (although the witcher's story is far more expansive and emotional, and the only game i've ever seen where the romance and eros isn't...just frkn ridiculous) and that's high praise.

    If i HAD to make a complaint, it would be that they didn't take their lore from the Silmarillion. No one has ever made the Sil' palatable to a mass media market, probably because it's not so much a collection of stories as it is a collection of grand historical essays about a fictional world, but that's precisely why it's absolutely perfect for an action/rpg videogame.

    Hell, a well executed Silmarillion game might even make hordes of new gamers, the way The Legend of Zelda, FF7, or Oblivion did. Some experiences are just...medium transcendent. They show non-gamers, in a clear and unimpeachable way that video games have grown WAY past whatever they previously believed games to be.

    Kinda like the first time your mom saw a back-up parking camera in a car. :) "zOMFGBs, i don't hafta turn around!"

    Tolkeinian scholars and hXc Middle Earth fans, even those without a passing interest in videogames, would be absolutely floored to see that a full-blood Silmarillion game is even possible.

    Granted, where Shadow of Mordor is one game, the Silmarillion would probably have to be a trilogy, at minimum. But hey, many of gaming's best stories come in 3's.

    (Or dozens's, if yer final fantasy or MegaTen or Street Fighter, &c.)    … Expand
  24. qtaz101
    Oct 30, 2014
    8
    I dont know all of the lore in LOTR so I cant speak on that, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed the game. It was somewhat short and some parts could have been stretched out, but all in all a good game. The Nemesis system made the game personal, and when you were defeated by an enemy it made me feel like I had a personal vendetta against the enemy that killed me. Has its weak points butI dont know all of the lore in LOTR so I cant speak on that, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed the game. It was somewhat short and some parts could have been stretched out, but all in all a good game. The Nemesis system made the game personal, and when you were defeated by an enemy it made me feel like I had a personal vendetta against the enemy that killed me. Has its weak points but again, a great game.… Expand
  25. Seanygoodtimes
    Oct 30, 2014
    9
    When you simultaneously combine superb button mashing and stealth combat set in a gratuitously violent version of Middle Earth, it’s going to be tough for me not to fall in love with that game. Shadow of Mordor delivers as one of the best games of the year.

    WHAT THE GAME DOES WELL The game chains together stealth, hand-to-hand and long range attacks to combine fast, fun and seamless    When you simultaneously combine superb button mashing and stealth combat set in a gratuitously violent version of Middle Earth, it’s going to be tough for me not to fall in love with that game. Shadow of Mordor delivers as one of the best games of the year.

    WHAT THE GAME DOES WELL
    The game chains together stealth, hand-to-hand and long range attacks to combine fast, fun and seamless button mashing action as good as any game I've ever played. Any of the 3 combat categories would be fun by itself, but the fact that the game pulls of all 3 unique fighting styles simultaneously is what makes it a great game. The combat flows very well (similar to that in the Arkham Batman series) and while the fighting can get challenging, it is never due to the stiff controls or difficult combos to execute.
    The RPG system works well and reigns supreme in the realm of button mashers and will keep you feverishly invested in leveling your character up. Your abilities break down into 2 categories, Ranger and Wraith. Both ability types play well together and are essential to taking on the more and more enemies the game throws your way.
    You also level up your weapons by killing Chief Uruks that appear all over the map and collecting the runes they leave when defeated. The more difficult the chief, the better the rune and the more chiefs you kill also unlocks new tiers of Abilities you can purchase.
    There’s a little bit of a mini-game component called Sauron’s Army and it allows you to move Chiefs that you have turned into spies up the hierarchy to becoming a war chief. If that sounds a little confusing, that’s because it initially is. The good news is that the game does eventually walk you through exactly what you need to do and it’s a lot easier then it initially sounds. Sauron’s Army is at least something different to do in an action game and it ends up being a moderately enjoyable feature.

    WHAT THE GAME DOES EVEN BETTER
    One of the bad guys you can defeat in the game is named Kaka.
    You can stealth kill an Uruk in the face while he visibly takes a pee.
    It is a good thing for your character to consume brightly colored mushrooms and pipe weed. You know, just like in real life.

    WHAT THE GAME COULD IMPROVE
    The overall story is a little disappointing especially with the LOTR/Hobbit pedigree. The story starts off in muddled and confusing fashion and does very little to pique my interest of where this tale is taking me. Combine that story with a gruff and emotionally bland protagonist and it creates a character I never get emotionally invested in and that’s a shame for a game of this stature.
    While the main character is quite handy with the sword, bow and dagger, he must not have had any more time in his schedule for developing his ability to ascent buildings. Just like in the Assassins Creed series, you can scale all the buildings in the game, and also just like in the Assassins Creed series you will want to swear and throw your controller at the screen because of the sudden brain farts your character develops when he is confronted by his biggest challenge in the game, climbing. Thankfully this doesn’t happen enough during the play through to ruin the experience.
    While the graphics aren’t bad, there’s also nothing amazing about them. Specifically the backgrounds leave much to be desired. On the Xbox One version I was hoping for visuals that would rival the movies, but this must be the part of Middle Earth that they refer to as “fly over country”.
    OVERALL
    This game does the Action-RPG genre proud. Rarely do button mashing games feel this rewarding to play. The game easily survives its few minor issues because they never come close to affecting how fun it is to play. The best game I've played so far on Xbox One and one of the best Action RPG games ever. Shadow of Mordor is a must play and has earned the title of My Precious.
    9.5/10    … Expand
  26. LUFCXI
    Oct 30, 2014
    9
    Whats not to like. LOTR material, combat style is excellent and the transition from striking to parrying is close to flawless as you're going to get in a game. Reminds me of the fighting style of Batman AA just the climbing ability of the Assassins Creed. One of the most non repetitive games out on Next Gen as every fight sequence is different.

    The ranking system of enemies is a    Whats not to like. LOTR material, combat style is excellent and the transition from striking to parrying is close to flawless as you're going to get in a game. Reminds me of the fighting style of Batman AA just the climbing ability of the Assassins Creed. One of the most non repetitive games out on Next Gen as every fight sequence is different.

    The ranking system of enemies is a fantastic feature and I feel should try and be utilized by more devs in future games.    … Expand
  27. contabogs13
    Oct 29, 2014
    9
    Great game, fantastic gameplay, extracts the best of Arkham asylum and assassins creed, too much gore, great graphics, the history mode goes as a "virtual" requirement, since once you have damm nemesis, you shall want to kill it as many times you could¡¡ I am really enjoying the game and the view in mordor. this is really a must have game in the next gen consoles.

    I own an Xbox One and    Great game, fantastic gameplay, extracts the best of Arkham asylum and assassins creed, too much gore, great graphics, the history mode goes as a "virtual" requirement, since once you have damm nemesis, you shall want to kill it as many times you could¡¡ I am really enjoying the game and the view in mordor. this is really a must have game in the next gen consoles.

    I own an Xbox One and this game is simply awesome, I think it will also be an awesome game on PS4, so buy it there is no reasons to no have this game on Xbox One or in PS4¡¡    … Expand
  28. armandothegreat
    Oct 28, 2014
    8
    This is a good game. There's a lot of similarities in the gameplay to Assassin's Creed and the Batman Arkham games. The concept of power on this game is neat, but I think it could be done better (so your power actually directly affects which captains and warchiefs you could have a chance against). I still think AC IV is the best open world adventure game on xbox one so far, but this is aThis is a good game. There's a lot of similarities in the gameplay to Assassin's Creed and the Batman Arkham games. The concept of power on this game is neat, but I think it could be done better (so your power actually directly affects which captains and warchiefs you could have a chance against). I still think AC IV is the best open world adventure game on xbox one so far, but this is a fun a game with a neat story tied in (supposedly sometime between events of the Hobbit and LOTR - that I had to look up since it wasn't really made clear at the beginning of the game).… Expand
  29. R3cKi
    Oct 28, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A surprisingly good "Ubisoft-open-world-style" game in the Middle Earth setting.
    Nice Batman like combat system that getting way too easy at the second half of the game because of different skills and runes.
    Also the "Wraith Stun" attack (B) is too powerful and most ork bosses get down in less then a minute after three combos.

    Nevertheless the fighting is quite entertaining thanks to the excellent animations, the badass-swagger-ork-bosses and the final decapitation of them.

    badass-swagger-ork-bosses?
    yeah, the first time you face a "Warchief" surrounded by his loyal "Captain" and "Grunt" coming on stage in a slowmotion with his own war choir repeatedly shouting his name - you know **** is getting real.
    The new "Nemesis" system with the three different rankings plus personal ork level is a quite interesting feature.
    Its a big atmosphere bonus and the first time you get right in the social environment of the orks.
    So the ork leaders are permanently fighting against their selfs to become a warchief.
    The player is able to interrupt or manipulate those fights but sadly this whole nemesis system doesnt nearly reach its full potential.
    Thats a real shame because you can force bosses to work for you in the second half of the game and help him to rank up.
    But in the end its just some exp bonus.
    An example: a friend of mine only killed 8 warchiefs and controlled the 5 needed warchiefs to continue story in his whole playthrough.
    Myself killed 29 and i captured every warchief and grunt in the second map and it didn't change a thing in economics or game world.
    But I had still a lot of fun with the system.

    Story is way too short, and the game ends when you think its growing momentum - but again i had a lot of fun and you can easily spend 30 hours when you also look for the collectibles or do the short fighting side missions (dagger sneak / sword fight / bow shoot)

    Graphics are great and sound is epic without an excuse. Nothing more to say about that.

    Neither is the pakour climbing as good as in assassins creed nor is the fighting as solid and challanging as in Batman but the control of Shadow of Mordor fits good.

    I dont like the fact the game is getting too easy in the end and the nemesis system could be a lot bigger.
    (own a area and get ressources and defend it in a big battle with 30vs30 orks and stuff like that)

    8/10 for a fun ork shredder that missed the full potential to be more than assassins creed middle earth.    … Expand
  30. 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
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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

All reviews »
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.
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