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. Death0fLove
    Sep 30, 2014
    10
    There's no two ways about it. I absolutely LOVE this game! I've only been playing for about 3 hours but I have to work tomorrow yet I cannot stop playing Shadow of Mordor. I love everything about this game and gladly look forward to sinking several hours into it.
  2. kylediesel
    Oct 18, 2014
    8
    Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a very fun game. The combat is addicting and balanced, allowing you to feel at times invincible and at other times completely overwhelmed. It is rarely unfair or frustrating, but you can easily get in over your head if you try to take on too much too early.

    Mordor takes the gameplay of the Batman: Arkham series and steps it up a notch. While it is a bit    Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a very fun game. The combat is addicting and balanced, allowing you to feel at times invincible and at other times completely overwhelmed. It is rarely unfair or frustrating, but you can easily get in over your head if you try to take on too much too early.

    Mordor takes the gameplay of the Batman: Arkham series and steps it up a notch. While it is a bit more forgiving than Arkham (you can press Counter at any time to cancel your current action, as opposed to being trapped into an attack once you start it) it is more challenging from the onset. Unlike Arkham, you can't just dive into a horde of men and start kicking ass. In the early onset, stealth is highly recommended as you will get overwhelmed. Where Arkham added new gadgets that added some depth to the gameplay, Mordor adds skills that are almost a necessity to survive, which I found far more rewarding.

    The story is fairly good, though I feel they settled for this instead of pushing for fantastic. The voice acting is superb, and I have a feeling that is why I felt emotionally vested in the experience. Like many games released these days, the story feels like it was cut short in favor of hitting a launch date. There are hints of backstory that are never fleshed out, enemies whose motives are almost entirely left to speculation, and the boss fights for the Tower and the Black Hand were an absolute wasted opportunity. There also wasn't much behind Talion discovering he was a resurrected with powers. He came to terms with it almost immediately "I'm cursed? How do I break this curse? Okay lets go then."

    The character models are very good, and I for one was very impressed with how varied the enemies looked. While their actions and motives were almost all the exact same, I did appreciate having to approach enemies in a different way to take them out, especially later in the game when enemies become immune to most things that aren't their weakness.

    The world is pretty, but after the first few hours I couldn't help but feel that it was utterly abandoned. I understand this is Mordor, but nothing but plains, ruins and Uruk strongholds loses appeal rather quickly. There are Outcast hideouts and Queen Marwen's stronghold, but these are only able to be visited in cutscenes. I feel that the game would have been greatly improved by being able to walk the streets of a city, allowing some respite from the near constant combat of the rest of the world.

    I'm not a huge Tolkien fantatic, but even I knew that this game basically threw out the lore book and just did its own thing. That's okay, I suppose, but considering this is one of the most beloved fantasies of all time I'm surprised there wasn't more care taken to stick to canon.

    As for my personal rating, I'm giving this a firm 8 out of 10. This is, in my opinion, worth owning though depending on how much you enjoy the genre you may want to wait for a price cut.    … Expand
  3. 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
  4. SimpleReviewz
    Oct 26, 2014
    9
    Overall, us gamers have never really gotten a Lord of the Rings game that has truly blown us away in the best ways. If you have been in a coma waiting for one like that, WAKE UP. NOW. IT'S HERE. Middle-Earth Shadow of Mordor (SoM) is an amazing experience that should not be overlooked. It will definitely be in my Top 10 games for the year. Let's start with gameplay. SoM's combat systemOverall, us gamers have never really gotten a Lord of the Rings game that has truly blown us away in the best ways. If you have been in a coma waiting for one like that, WAKE UP. NOW. IT'S HERE. Middle-Earth Shadow of Mordor (SoM) is an amazing experience that should not be overlooked. It will definitely be in my Top 10 games for the year. Let's start with gameplay. SoM's combat system takes inspiration from games like Rocksteady's Batman games, but as its own, it is a damned good one. You will slash, shoot (arrows), throw (daggers), decapitate, and other awesome attack your devastating way through orcs. Early in the game, you will unlock executions, and to use them, you must get to a certain number in your combo. They are extremely satisfying with their brutal gore, and I always loved to see it happen. All the other combat animations were also spot-on. The story follows Talion as his family is murdered right at the beginning along with him, but he is risen by the wraith he will team up with. The story does get slighly deeper from there. In my opinion, the campaign missions definitely aren't the most enjoyable part of the game, but they were fun. The REAL entertainment is the nemesis system. To unlock more tiers in the skill tree, which also has neat and cool upgrades, you must gain power points. To get these, you must take down orc captains. The nemesis system has an interesting hierarchy that compels you to go out and take down these powerful beasts. With the nemesis system, every single death feels meaningful, so it rarely feels frustrating (more on that later). Here are the many outcomes of death: captain gets promoted, new captain is brought into the mix, one captain takes another captain down, and many more. I adored this nemesis system in every way. The graphics are very good and fit the universe of LotR. Early in the game, it can get occasionally frustrating. Another flaw I noticed is that the areas or environments aren't exactly unique, even though the second area of the game is slightly cool. Come on, this is LotR here. SoM is pure gaming entertainment to the fullest. It is worth at full price.… Expand
  5. 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
  6. SteveScoresEZ
    Oct 13, 2014
    10
    This game is absolutely amazing! Once you get used to the controls, fighting, and what to do in the game it's extremely enjoyable. The fighting feels great. When you counter, you stop what you're doing and stop the attack. It may not sound like a big deal but a lot of games don't have this. The enemy system is AWESOME! I love finding intel, getting rid of war chiefs and their body guards,This game is absolutely amazing! Once you get used to the controls, fighting, and what to do in the game it's extremely enjoyable. The fighting feels great. When you counter, you stop what you're doing and stop the attack. It may not sound like a big deal but a lot of games don't have this. The enemy system is AWESOME! I love finding intel, getting rid of war chiefs and their body guards, and controlling other captains and making them my own war chiefs to control! The steal system is great. If you have ever played Tom Clancy's: Blacklist, it is very similar to that. The graphics are stellar and the cut scenes are very good looking and have solid voice acting. If you are on the edge about buying this game, GET IT!… Expand
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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!
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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.
  16. 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
  17. tybyrd93
    Dec 26, 2014
    9
    Great game. I was skeptical because of all the comparisons to assassin's creed but Shadow of Mordor is a triumph of its own. The combat is similar to the arkham series, which is a good thing, and the game encourages you to take a different approach to every situation. The nemesis system is my favorite part of the game, it makes every fight and mission feel unique and purposeful.
  18. magicaspel
    Oct 14, 2014
    9
    The game where you display the true mordor this is a very good game, has excellent game play, good story, good graphics, in conclusion a game you cant miss
  19. BurnsyDelight
    Oct 27, 2014
    9
    Even if you know nothing about Lord of the Rings, you’ll be able to understand what’s going on in this game. They do an excellent job of opening the door to new Middle Earth fans at the same time as they create depth for the most hardcore of fans.

    Gameplay is entertaining and lengthy, the game is spectacular in looks and sound, and replay value is as high as any open world combat game    Even if you know nothing about Lord of the Rings, you’ll be able to understand what’s going on in this game. They do an excellent job of opening the door to new Middle Earth fans at the same time as they create depth for the most hardcore of fans.

    Gameplay is entertaining and lengthy, the game is spectacular in looks and sound, and replay value is as high as any open world combat game as we’ve ever played. This game is a must-play and a must-see, without a doubt.    … Expand
  20. 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
  21. 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.
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. PrattHat20
    Jan 13, 2015
    9
    Awesome game with very fun combat. The "nemesis system" is what really put this game over the top for me and kept me coming back to it. The story isn't all that great but I really enjoyed playing as Talion. Definately the best LOTR game I've ever played with tons of Easter eggs and cool references for fans of the franchise. Do not overlook this game!!!
  25. 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.
  26. JHM00
    Feb 22, 2015
    9
    This game is incredibly fun. The combat is amazing, the map is beautiful, and some of the characters are EXCELLENT!!! However, the game can get a bit repetitive, because it is basically only about killing orcs, and the story is a bit lackluster. However, this is a phenomenal game that is tons of fun to play, and achingly beautiful.
  27. tomenigma
    Apr 28, 2015
    10
    Having just finished this game I must say it is my favourite game of 2015 so far. The combat is awesome and final brutal kills are very satisfying (in the gaming sense of course). Nemesis system randomizes everything for you so no two players will have the same gameplay. Your dead empowers your opponents and you can make some enemies encounters very difficult if you do not plan yourHaving just finished this game I must say it is my favourite game of 2015 so far. The combat is awesome and final brutal kills are very satisfying (in the gaming sense of course). Nemesis system randomizes everything for you so no two players will have the same gameplay. Your dead empowers your opponents and you can make some enemies encounters very difficult if you do not plan your mission well. The stealth is very important and personal threats of your opponents are adding more layers to the game. If you like Assassin's Creed this game is for you. It is not as forgiving or easy as AC but this game will sink you in and in time you will master your combat skills making game much more enjoyable. My only beef with this game is that final two bosses fights were ridiculously easy to the point that I was surprised that the same devs who developed the 95% of game simply overlooked the final 5% of it to make the ending epic. There few bugs with camera but this game overall was great fun and worth every penny. I only could wish that Assassin's Creed could take Nemesis system and incorporate it there. I also hope for Shadow of Morder 2 to continue Tallion's adventurous fight against army of Sauron. Awesome job Monolith!… Expand
  28. Jammiemann
    Jun 7, 2015
    8
    Ok every one raged about this game saying its amazing and how perfect it is, its not perfect but its good. The world is big, the story is well done, but it feel very very batman arkham insert which you liked best like. The combat is smooth but allot of it is quick time events press y now to parry it feels like its holding your hand and it gets annoying. it does start to get a little dullOk every one raged about this game saying its amazing and how perfect it is, its not perfect but its good. The world is big, the story is well done, but it feel very very batman arkham insert which you liked best like. The combat is smooth but allot of it is quick time events press y now to parry it feels like its holding your hand and it gets annoying. it does start to get a little dull once you realize you are better of just stealth killing everything which is fun but in such a big world the sneak kill sneak hide gets very very tiresome.… Expand
  29. 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
  30. Anatoliy_DeVile
    Feb 15, 2021
    10
    Второе моё пришествие в Мордор и, кажется, не последнее. Однозначно не последнее, потому как игра затягивает с головой. Великолепный мрачный игровой мир Мордора, кишащий толпами орков и прочей зловещей живностью, которая не даст вам покоя ни на минуту. Очень интересная история игры с наличием весьма знакомых персонажей. Прокачка скилов героя радует глаз, и вот прямо хочется усилить его поВторое моё пришествие в Мордор и, кажется, не последнее. Однозначно не последнее, потому как игра затягивает с головой. Великолепный мрачный игровой мир Мордора, кишащий толпами орков и прочей зловещей живностью, которая не даст вам покоя ни на минуту. Очень интересная история игры с наличием весьма знакомых персонажей. Прокачка скилов героя радует глаз, и вот прямо хочется усилить его по максимуму, потому как открываются для нашего Талиона бесконечные возможности уничтожения орочьего отродья: различные приемы ведения боя, тактические заморочки, бонусные усиления оружия. Потому прохождение допов видится чем-то неотвратимым. Допы, к слову, здесь весьма любопытные. Помимо стандартных дополнительных миссий, которые можно найти на карте, также очень интересно отжимать капитанов армии Саурона. Претензий к игре у меня практически нет, разве что чутка кривое управление, но это так мелочи.… 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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