20 reviews
As a huge Tolkien fan (I absolutely love The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings books)I couldn't wait to get my hands on this for my PC. And I absolutely love it. The combat is basically the Assassin's Creed/Batman Arkham combat, but it seems to be a bit different. Not as slow-paced as AC, but not as fast as Batman Arkham. It's a perfect meet in the middle (Earth-see what I did there?). It has likable characters, great boss fights, great voice acting (anything Troy Baker does, is brilliant). The only downside is the overwhelming amount of enemies early on. Sometimes I just felt as if I couldn't defeat them all. Luckily from there on-out, it's good. I strongly recommend.
- JimmyWhimmyNutrinSon
- Jul 24, 2016
- Permalink
The Lord of the Rings game we deserved and the one we needed.
I always wanted a good RPG to take place in the LOTR universe and developers Monolith Productions delivered just that. The game is set in Mordor and takes place before the LOTR events. We are given control of Talion, a ranger, who after being sacrificed is merged with a wraith and together they must uncover the wraith's past and have revenge.
I'm a huge fan of LOTR and naturally every little reference, ever little thing related to it made me really excited. And because of that, I really liked some elements of the story. That being said, the story overall was lackluster. It started out great, but after that there were very few story missions and fewer still felt proper. This was my biggest gripe with the game. Not many characters in it, some were interesting, some were OK. I liked the protagonist and his companion. Companion's history was interesting.
The game really shines in the gameplay department though. I loved its combat system. Was like a modified version of Arkham games combat system. It was fluid, fun and really satisfying. Finishing off Uruks in gory ways was always entertaining. As the game progresses, you get newer and more powerful powers, allowing you to take down more and more Uruks at a time in various satisfying ways. The game was pretty easy though. There were very few places where I felt like I was properly challenged. And it got more easier as I unlocked better powers.
Apart from combat, the game featured climbing and free-running mechanics very similar to Assassins Creed. While it wasn't sometimes as smooth as the AC games and I occasionally got stuck at certain places, it was still a good addition. Just like AC, you could do a lot stealth kills and stuff, reminding you of your assassin days. And I really enjoyed it. Often times, the enemy groups were too large to confront head on, so thinning out the herd with stealth always made for a wise decision. The stealth also helped the game from being too repetitive as you can change up your fighting style from time to time.
The most amazing thing in the game though was the nemesis system. It made every battle and every death mean something. If any Uruk kills you in battle, He gets promoted in the ranks, gets more powerful and even remembers you when you try to fight him again. This made for unique feature unlike anything I have experienced in a game. It gave every Wandering Uruk a purpose other than just getting killed and it added to the stakes in every battle.
The game gets really fun in the second half, when you get to control Uruks. This added an extra layer of strategy and planning. I often took down tough warchiefs by taking control of their bodygaurd captains first and then relish the sight when they turn on him during the final encounter and do all my work.
The game has basically two large areas to free roam. The first one is a desolated barren place while the second one is a more greener and nice area. Both are fairly large but feel very similar and repetitive. Beside from this, the game doesn't have any interesting side quests, which lead to boredom after playing it for long stretches.
Graphics were great, game looked beautiful. Character models were highly detailed. Soundtrack was good, and I really loved the nice touch of Uruks chanting a warcheif's name when he is revealed, making a big entrance and all. Made them feel formidable and stuff.
Overall, it was a great RPG. Had tons of fun killing countless Uruks. Story could have been a lot better. Took me around 16 hours to finish it. Definitely a must play if you are into western RPGs and want good combat system and/or are a fan of LOTR world.
8.5/10
I always wanted a good RPG to take place in the LOTR universe and developers Monolith Productions delivered just that. The game is set in Mordor and takes place before the LOTR events. We are given control of Talion, a ranger, who after being sacrificed is merged with a wraith and together they must uncover the wraith's past and have revenge.
I'm a huge fan of LOTR and naturally every little reference, ever little thing related to it made me really excited. And because of that, I really liked some elements of the story. That being said, the story overall was lackluster. It started out great, but after that there were very few story missions and fewer still felt proper. This was my biggest gripe with the game. Not many characters in it, some were interesting, some were OK. I liked the protagonist and his companion. Companion's history was interesting.
The game really shines in the gameplay department though. I loved its combat system. Was like a modified version of Arkham games combat system. It was fluid, fun and really satisfying. Finishing off Uruks in gory ways was always entertaining. As the game progresses, you get newer and more powerful powers, allowing you to take down more and more Uruks at a time in various satisfying ways. The game was pretty easy though. There were very few places where I felt like I was properly challenged. And it got more easier as I unlocked better powers.
Apart from combat, the game featured climbing and free-running mechanics very similar to Assassins Creed. While it wasn't sometimes as smooth as the AC games and I occasionally got stuck at certain places, it was still a good addition. Just like AC, you could do a lot stealth kills and stuff, reminding you of your assassin days. And I really enjoyed it. Often times, the enemy groups were too large to confront head on, so thinning out the herd with stealth always made for a wise decision. The stealth also helped the game from being too repetitive as you can change up your fighting style from time to time.
The most amazing thing in the game though was the nemesis system. It made every battle and every death mean something. If any Uruk kills you in battle, He gets promoted in the ranks, gets more powerful and even remembers you when you try to fight him again. This made for unique feature unlike anything I have experienced in a game. It gave every Wandering Uruk a purpose other than just getting killed and it added to the stakes in every battle.
The game gets really fun in the second half, when you get to control Uruks. This added an extra layer of strategy and planning. I often took down tough warchiefs by taking control of their bodygaurd captains first and then relish the sight when they turn on him during the final encounter and do all my work.
The game has basically two large areas to free roam. The first one is a desolated barren place while the second one is a more greener and nice area. Both are fairly large but feel very similar and repetitive. Beside from this, the game doesn't have any interesting side quests, which lead to boredom after playing it for long stretches.
Graphics were great, game looked beautiful. Character models were highly detailed. Soundtrack was good, and I really loved the nice touch of Uruks chanting a warcheif's name when he is revealed, making a big entrance and all. Made them feel formidable and stuff.
Overall, it was a great RPG. Had tons of fun killing countless Uruks. Story could have been a lot better. Took me around 16 hours to finish it. Definitely a must play if you are into western RPGs and want good combat system and/or are a fan of LOTR world.
8.5/10
- Spartan_1_1_7
- Jun 23, 2015
- Permalink
The game itself features the usual RPG set-up: you start with not so many abilities but the more you progress; you get stronger. At a certain point, rather far in the game, you're allowed to create your own army. This is when Shadow of Mordor took a turn for me and became one of my all-time favourites. Combine this with the Nemesis system which forges mini-storylines between you and your enemies and you have a golden cocktail. I can tell you, this game is a game you'll love. The sequel is even better and more expanded. But this, this is the start. Have fun in Mordor!
I just bought this game a few days ago. and I'm still not getting bored of it. This is possibly the most fun game I've played since The Last Of Us came out for Playstation 3! The graphics are absolutely gorgeous! And don't even get me started on the combat! The combat is so smooth and so fluid, yes I know it's EXACTLY like the Assassin's Creed combat and so is mostly everything to be honest, the sprinting, the sneaking, the climbing. But this game has one thing that no other game has, and this is what makes it special. The Nemesis System! It's absolutely magnificent! That's what makes this game great is that it could go on forever. The Nemesis System is basically a system of a mere twenty captain Uruks, they all have special names and power skills and ranking and weaknesses and strengths, and that's fun! If a Captain kills you, then they rank up and possibly get promoted, if YOU kill them then they obviously die but they can come back to life but they're just demoted to beginner and aren't in the system (nemesis branch of captains) anymore. but when you run into one, you'll know because they'll stare you down and say some rude thing "you weak peasant." some sort of comment. and then you can fight them yet again. Also, when you kill a captain you always get a Rune which you can apply to your sword, bow, or dagger. (depends on the rune because they're each meant for one of the weapons.) So overall, I give this game a solid 10/10 because the replay value is very high in my opinion. The graphics are beautiful! The combat and nemesis system are outstanding! and overall I think it was a well spent $50. I would recommend buying this game. Even if you're not into the middle age type of games like The Elder Scrolls, because in my opinion I hated those type of games until I bought this. So give it a try! Thanks for reading.
- jorgeheinrich31
- Jan 1, 2015
- Permalink
This game is fantastic at making you go "Oh I just need to quickly do this...oh well that's only a moment away might as well get it also......hmmm I am very close to this next thing".
If you want to get lost in a game and forget the world, this one will suck you right in.
The enemy system is such a wonderful concept, they come back and change and grow. Their hatred for you is never tiring and your joy at their deaths only increases.
The combat is so fluid and comfortable plus you can set things on fire.
If you have not tried this game, 100% you should very much consider playing it.
If you want to get lost in a game and forget the world, this one will suck you right in.
The enemy system is such a wonderful concept, they come back and change and grow. Their hatred for you is never tiring and your joy at their deaths only increases.
The combat is so fluid and comfortable plus you can set things on fire.
If you have not tried this game, 100% you should very much consider playing it.
Greetings from Lithuania.
I beat "Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor" (2014) main story (completed ~64%) in about 23 hours. It is very fun game, which has great combat system, interesting enemies ranking system, great graphics, sound design. Story was not bad at all, and i'm not "Lord Of The Rings" series fan although enjoyed every movie. There many said quests, but they are very repetitive, kill someone in some time and etc. (hate missions were there is a time limit). There are two main maps in the game, which aren't very big, but there is enough content to keep you involved, collect that, gather that and etc. During game play i stumbled upon two bugs, which made my to restart missions. But some fight can be helluva frustrating, when there is almost no chance it winning the fight or you hit those last chance buttons but sometimes unsuccessfully but you not by your fault.
Overall, "Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor" is very enjoyable game. It's game play and combat system is very similar to Batman series, which is good. Fights are always very brutal, and i had some fun in crushing some skulls. Game also features very interesting "after dead" enemy ranking system, which isn't very superb as it would like to show itself, but it is a fresh thing. All in all very cool game not without some issues.
I beat "Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor" (2014) main story (completed ~64%) in about 23 hours. It is very fun game, which has great combat system, interesting enemies ranking system, great graphics, sound design. Story was not bad at all, and i'm not "Lord Of The Rings" series fan although enjoyed every movie. There many said quests, but they are very repetitive, kill someone in some time and etc. (hate missions were there is a time limit). There are two main maps in the game, which aren't very big, but there is enough content to keep you involved, collect that, gather that and etc. During game play i stumbled upon two bugs, which made my to restart missions. But some fight can be helluva frustrating, when there is almost no chance it winning the fight or you hit those last chance buttons but sometimes unsuccessfully but you not by your fault.
Overall, "Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor" is very enjoyable game. It's game play and combat system is very similar to Batman series, which is good. Fights are always very brutal, and i had some fun in crushing some skulls. Game also features very interesting "after dead" enemy ranking system, which isn't very superb as it would like to show itself, but it is a fresh thing. All in all very cool game not without some issues.
A great action-RPG based in the Lord of the Rings universe. Wasn't expecting much from this one but it ended up being one of my favorites of the generation. Great gameplay and story propped up by TREMENDOUS graphics and character and environment design. Stellar game.
- Analog_Devotee
- Aug 2, 2021
- Permalink
Good game(Personally tho I kinda like the second game alittle better than this one)! Even tho it might not be canon, but if ya like The Hobbit/LOTR franchise then I think you'd like this one game.
- Eugenia123345
- Jul 19, 2019
- Permalink
MIDDLE EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR (2014) was definitely entertaining and as a hardcore, diehard Tokien fan, I'm glad to have a Middle Earth themed game to play. Since this game came out it has been both lauded and criticized, and I can honestly understand why. My opinion is often mixed as well. I tend to try to lean more on the optimistic side however, and remain just grateful to have a decent Tolkien-inspired game and honestly because I did truly enjoy the game, I will rate it accordingly.
As other reviewers have said before, this game had strong similarities to Assassin's Creed series, as well as other similar parkour action styled games with elements of stealth, adventure, fighting, (i.e. Assassins Creed series, Watch Dogs, inFamous, etc.) however the unpredictability of the AI for the Orcs made this game really fun and much more strategic. I enjoyed the premise of the battlefield being the main focal point, recruitment of orcs, building your own army, all the while analyzing and dismantling the enemy army. Uber cool. And the revenge aspect often made it more enjoyable as well.
While it can still be a bit repetitive, (Aren't most games when you think about it?) the graphics are pretty great, cutscenes are visually praisable, and the story is compelling enough to drive the player onwards WITHOUT overstepping too much outside of the Tolkien lore and world. I really appreciated that the writers didn't want to diminish or tarnish an epic masterpiece world by adding too much of their own. Not saying everying here is cannon, per say, but just that it didn't really feel overdone or too butchered. I enjoyed how the many collectables offered room to share lore and background to players that might not know about it. Lastly, while Talion as a character was alright, I really liked the persona and portrayal of Celebrimbor as a main lead far more.
Overall, this game was really fun and offered a decent ammount of play time. While, not perfect, it was still pretty great for a Tolkien / Middle Earth inspired game and I hope to get more sequels in the future, as long as they don't stray too far from the literature or take too many liberties with the source material.
As other reviewers have said before, this game had strong similarities to Assassin's Creed series, as well as other similar parkour action styled games with elements of stealth, adventure, fighting, (i.e. Assassins Creed series, Watch Dogs, inFamous, etc.) however the unpredictability of the AI for the Orcs made this game really fun and much more strategic. I enjoyed the premise of the battlefield being the main focal point, recruitment of orcs, building your own army, all the while analyzing and dismantling the enemy army. Uber cool. And the revenge aspect often made it more enjoyable as well.
While it can still be a bit repetitive, (Aren't most games when you think about it?) the graphics are pretty great, cutscenes are visually praisable, and the story is compelling enough to drive the player onwards WITHOUT overstepping too much outside of the Tolkien lore and world. I really appreciated that the writers didn't want to diminish or tarnish an epic masterpiece world by adding too much of their own. Not saying everying here is cannon, per say, but just that it didn't really feel overdone or too butchered. I enjoyed how the many collectables offered room to share lore and background to players that might not know about it. Lastly, while Talion as a character was alright, I really liked the persona and portrayal of Celebrimbor as a main lead far more.
Overall, this game was really fun and offered a decent ammount of play time. While, not perfect, it was still pretty great for a Tolkien / Middle Earth inspired game and I hope to get more sequels in the future, as long as they don't stray too far from the literature or take too many liberties with the source material.
- Jinxxa_Wolf
- Jul 18, 2023
- Permalink
The game is a few years old, but the design looks crisp, detailed and smooth, the voice acting is top notch and the cut scenes are nicely animated. It has a detailed open world, not too large, with many orcs abound. MANY orcs.
There are enjoyable main and side missions in the open world system, a lot of which are very challenging early in the game.
The first couple of hours of gameplay are about as easy as taking part in the battle of Helm's Deep with only Samwise Gamgee and his potatoes for help. For this reason, it's best to get some orc kills and side missions under your alive/undead belt before tackling harder orc captains and main missions. Some of these are solid without upgraded weapons and health, and if you don't have enough points to enhance your Ranger and wraith skills.
There are enjoyable main and side missions in the open world system, a lot of which are very challenging early in the game.
The first couple of hours of gameplay are about as easy as taking part in the battle of Helm's Deep with only Samwise Gamgee and his potatoes for help. For this reason, it's best to get some orc kills and side missions under your alive/undead belt before tackling harder orc captains and main missions. Some of these are solid without upgraded weapons and health, and if you don't have enough points to enhance your Ranger and wraith skills.
- MBsMidnightGeeks
- Mar 13, 2022
- Permalink
This game take you to Mordor prier to the evens of the hobbit. Her you play as a ranger witch has his soul boned to the Elvin creator of the rings of power on a quest for revenge for the murder of you wife and son. You are limited to Morrdor but there is still much to explore and you are able to go very close to the border of Morrdor. you fight uric with are like orcs but stronger. you are able to use meany ability in the game. You can ride animal and control uric. As well as combat based ability's like shooting Sprite arrows taking uric soils and stealth kills with swords and knifes. all in all it is a great game and I would highly recommend it
- lillyfinn-78479
- Jun 16, 2016
- Permalink
- schroederagustavo
- May 11, 2020
- Permalink
- strizbiz-99429
- Mar 25, 2023
- Permalink
I disliked how the game didn't risk more on some aspects and would just copy what happened in the Lord of the Rings. For instance, when Celebrimbor tells Talion that he feels Sméagol will play a role in the future, or when Queen Marwen is possessed by Saruman, or when Talion says "break the staff", it is reference after reference making the game feel unoriginal.
Another disappointing ideas are the side missions (weapon legend and outcast rescue), collectables (artefacts and ithildin) and the hunt and plant missions. The only point on doing them is to get Mirian (money) so you can upgrade stats, it would have been way much better to have skills unlock by completing those missions.
Interesting ideas are the nemesis system and how some enemies are able to pinpoint exactly how you killed them, or how the battle was interrupted last time they found you.
Talion is a good character, but the story feels a bit flat at times, could have been a much better game if it tried a bit more.
Another disappointing ideas are the side missions (weapon legend and outcast rescue), collectables (artefacts and ithildin) and the hunt and plant missions. The only point on doing them is to get Mirian (money) so you can upgrade stats, it would have been way much better to have skills unlock by completing those missions.
Interesting ideas are the nemesis system and how some enemies are able to pinpoint exactly how you killed them, or how the battle was interrupted last time they found you.
Talion is a good character, but the story feels a bit flat at times, could have been a much better game if it tried a bit more.
This game will get compared to the AC series and the Batman series. I can see the similarities to AC but I found it has more in common with the Batman series, especially when it comes to controls and upgrades. Perhaps it is the association with Warner Brothers. Unfortunately, while being better than Batman - Arkham Origins, it has numerous faults in common.
Not to say this is a bad game. It has excellent voice acting and scripting. The nemesis system adds definite difficulty and thus strategic planning on the players part. Lots of Middle Earth lore. Engaging playable characters.
The main reason why I compare this to Origins (aside from controls/gameplay) is that is has numerous glitches and small faults that make things frustrating. As said above, I have it on PS3, so it may be different on other platforms. I read quite a bit about this game and it got great reviews and little mention of these problems (even on PS3 specific reviews).
The glitches/tech issues. One of my main annoyances was the long delay from the pause/map screen to the return of the gameplay. Every time you pressed it regardless of action taken, it took 5-10 seconds to return to play. While sounding like a small thing (nitpicking just about), it really detracted from the flow of the game, from if you were checking a survival challenge or pausing during a hectic moment to gather your wits. I can't think of such a highly rated game that does this.
Another was the graphics - while great in some aspects (characters and cut-scenes), I saw many parts in the environment where it would flash about or be very grainy. Many commented on the quality of the graphics but I did not rate it as highly, especially when the frame rate slowed from time to time. And, unfortunately, this slowing wasn't as rare as you would hope. Most of the issues were from the environment, things like background settings just plonking themselves into frame often in poor resolution before it jarringly sharpened, things suddenly appearing/disappearing etc. The character animations were stable (though I did have a few times I dropped through the ground for no apparent reason, one time fighting a captain. Very frustrating). Often, within the Orc menu, I found it would shift a few times while sharpening the details on the Captain. And, this well could be my TV, but I found I had to get really close to be able to read the writing - details about the strengths/weaknesses, details about the artifacts etc, all were somewhat tiny and blurry. I have a HD TV and haven't had this problem before (My eyes are fine too). Small things but again, detract from the game.
Speaking of the environment, it is a large map with plenty of side missions (AC/Batman). But to me, it really all looked the same. Wooden, dirty, slave camps, ruins etc. I know the setting doesn't lend much but running across the environment, you can't tell where you are and makes it monotonous. You can't just look around and tell what area you are in very easily. So you have to always check the map. Which, when you have the constant delay from checking your map/marking waypoints and returning to play, it gets tiresome. Not to mention sometimes the scaling feels a little off. Sometimes climbing things, it feels like it's much bigger than it should be or compared to when you were climbing something similar moments before.
Big talk has gone into the Nemesis system. It is the major strength of the game, though has it's faults. It's great working out a captains strengths/weaknesses then planning a strategy to take them out and finally accomplishing it (it's hard - if you get overwhelmed, you'll probably die which will make the Orc harder to beat next time). But doing all that work/planning and killing captains seems to be hollow when 20 minutes later the Orc you killed is back in the line up and stronger. I understand why they eventually return but the quickness of their recovery does bug me and very much detracts from your play.
There are a few small other things, but really, this is a solid game. Honestly, not a 9 or 10/10 game like most reviews have said but 7/8 level. I've given it a 7 here mainly due to the tech issues and visual. Another small note - the musical score. While Middle Earth type (aka, Howard Shore orchestra style) often it is very over bearing in the wrong moments.
Not to say this is a bad game. It has excellent voice acting and scripting. The nemesis system adds definite difficulty and thus strategic planning on the players part. Lots of Middle Earth lore. Engaging playable characters.
The main reason why I compare this to Origins (aside from controls/gameplay) is that is has numerous glitches and small faults that make things frustrating. As said above, I have it on PS3, so it may be different on other platforms. I read quite a bit about this game and it got great reviews and little mention of these problems (even on PS3 specific reviews).
The glitches/tech issues. One of my main annoyances was the long delay from the pause/map screen to the return of the gameplay. Every time you pressed it regardless of action taken, it took 5-10 seconds to return to play. While sounding like a small thing (nitpicking just about), it really detracted from the flow of the game, from if you were checking a survival challenge or pausing during a hectic moment to gather your wits. I can't think of such a highly rated game that does this.
Another was the graphics - while great in some aspects (characters and cut-scenes), I saw many parts in the environment where it would flash about or be very grainy. Many commented on the quality of the graphics but I did not rate it as highly, especially when the frame rate slowed from time to time. And, unfortunately, this slowing wasn't as rare as you would hope. Most of the issues were from the environment, things like background settings just plonking themselves into frame often in poor resolution before it jarringly sharpened, things suddenly appearing/disappearing etc. The character animations were stable (though I did have a few times I dropped through the ground for no apparent reason, one time fighting a captain. Very frustrating). Often, within the Orc menu, I found it would shift a few times while sharpening the details on the Captain. And, this well could be my TV, but I found I had to get really close to be able to read the writing - details about the strengths/weaknesses, details about the artifacts etc, all were somewhat tiny and blurry. I have a HD TV and haven't had this problem before (My eyes are fine too). Small things but again, detract from the game.
Speaking of the environment, it is a large map with plenty of side missions (AC/Batman). But to me, it really all looked the same. Wooden, dirty, slave camps, ruins etc. I know the setting doesn't lend much but running across the environment, you can't tell where you are and makes it monotonous. You can't just look around and tell what area you are in very easily. So you have to always check the map. Which, when you have the constant delay from checking your map/marking waypoints and returning to play, it gets tiresome. Not to mention sometimes the scaling feels a little off. Sometimes climbing things, it feels like it's much bigger than it should be or compared to when you were climbing something similar moments before.
Big talk has gone into the Nemesis system. It is the major strength of the game, though has it's faults. It's great working out a captains strengths/weaknesses then planning a strategy to take them out and finally accomplishing it (it's hard - if you get overwhelmed, you'll probably die which will make the Orc harder to beat next time). But doing all that work/planning and killing captains seems to be hollow when 20 minutes later the Orc you killed is back in the line up and stronger. I understand why they eventually return but the quickness of their recovery does bug me and very much detracts from your play.
There are a few small other things, but really, this is a solid game. Honestly, not a 9 or 10/10 game like most reviews have said but 7/8 level. I've given it a 7 here mainly due to the tech issues and visual. Another small note - the musical score. While Middle Earth type (aka, Howard Shore orchestra style) often it is very over bearing in the wrong moments.
- Starbuck823
- Jan 11, 2015
- Permalink
This is the first game I have bought for the Xbox One and I have decided to review it as some of the previous reviews are a little misleading. The closest game I compare this too is Assassin's Creed. However for role playing fans it is definitely not the same. The reason for this is that the game is mainly run fight, run fight and in that sense it is more like Batman Arkham City. Also the world is not huge. I get the feeling that it was designed to play on the PS3 and Xbox 360 but then someone asked them to tweak it for the next gen of console. However the designers decided that making the world larger would be too much hassle so added things like characters that "learn" and ever more complex fighting routines.
The graphics and motion are slightly better than many PS3 and 360 games but when you consider the lifelike graphics of Far Cry 2 are approx. 8 years old the "slightly" better rendered imagery here is certainly nothing to shout about and no major leap forward. Also when you consider the hugely upgraded processing power of the Xbox One, this game has not even come close to the consoles capabilities. Do not forget that a slightly "dumbed down" version is also available to buy for both the PS3 and 360.
The game play, due to its combative nature, gets quite lame after a while and due to the comparatively "medium" size of the world becomes repetitive. That is to say that you do find yourself running around the same areas and streets over and over again attempting to complete very "samey" missions. On the upside unlike say GTA 5 the character development is rich you can find yourself fighting up to 30 different Orcs who all move differently and appear to have pretty distinct characters. However this can regress into a Dead Rising scenario where you are quickly over run and have to escape. Taking you back to running around the world again trying to complete other pretty similar fight type missions. Think Lego LOTR game.
The game is quite long I have been playing for about 20 hours at 41% of game completion and I am still enjoying it (even due to the repetition). The game approx. sticks to the LOTR mythos and if you are familiar with the universe you will meet many familiar characters and situations (most of which you end up fighting with or in). I would go so far as to say that this is the best LOTR game so far and I have played most of them. If they do another one or anything similar I would suggest they add more role playing elements on top of the fighting and also make the world bigger so we don't end up running round and round in circles a'la Lego game style! Would I recommend this game? Not to a role playing fan but to anyone else who likes LOTR's and obviously fighting. Would I rush out to buy a next gen console just to play this game hell no. Buy the PS3/360 version and save yourself some money.
The graphics and motion are slightly better than many PS3 and 360 games but when you consider the lifelike graphics of Far Cry 2 are approx. 8 years old the "slightly" better rendered imagery here is certainly nothing to shout about and no major leap forward. Also when you consider the hugely upgraded processing power of the Xbox One, this game has not even come close to the consoles capabilities. Do not forget that a slightly "dumbed down" version is also available to buy for both the PS3 and 360.
The game play, due to its combative nature, gets quite lame after a while and due to the comparatively "medium" size of the world becomes repetitive. That is to say that you do find yourself running around the same areas and streets over and over again attempting to complete very "samey" missions. On the upside unlike say GTA 5 the character development is rich you can find yourself fighting up to 30 different Orcs who all move differently and appear to have pretty distinct characters. However this can regress into a Dead Rising scenario where you are quickly over run and have to escape. Taking you back to running around the world again trying to complete other pretty similar fight type missions. Think Lego LOTR game.
The game is quite long I have been playing for about 20 hours at 41% of game completion and I am still enjoying it (even due to the repetition). The game approx. sticks to the LOTR mythos and if you are familiar with the universe you will meet many familiar characters and situations (most of which you end up fighting with or in). I would go so far as to say that this is the best LOTR game so far and I have played most of them. If they do another one or anything similar I would suggest they add more role playing elements on top of the fighting and also make the world bigger so we don't end up running round and round in circles a'la Lego game style! Would I recommend this game? Not to a role playing fan but to anyone else who likes LOTR's and obviously fighting. Would I rush out to buy a next gen console just to play this game hell no. Buy the PS3/360 version and save yourself some money.
I finished the game recently, and I do have to say that it was a game that you can enjoy.
When we saw the trailer, many of us already say the mechanics, and the climbing from Assassins Creed, and we were not wrong. The climbing, sneaking, distracting and fighting are a complete copy of the AC games. We even have bushes to hide in, stealth-take-downs from above and below, and that convenient counter-button. Thank goodness I know the AC series, that helped me get the hang of the game.
The game has it's lore-friendly moments. As a Middle Earth fan I know too much about the world and lore of Middle Earth so there were plenty of moments where i smiled all smug-like because I knew this detail, this artifact, this piece of back-story etc. On the other hand (and that hand is quite big), there are a lot, as in a lot, of moments that are not lore-friendly at all. I prefer not to give any spoilers, so i can't get into that too much. But prepare for some major flaws in the Middle Earth universe when you play this game.
There are also good points about the game. For one is the fact that it stays difficult. It is always fun to mow down 200 enemies with ease, but you always feel overpowered. Not with this game. Sure, at the end you are powerful enough to take down any enemy, but prepare to run when you fight 15 or more. Also the fighting mechanics are fast, and you need to pay attention if you don't want to die. No longer that single-button spam. The fights will keep you on your toes. The cut-scenes are also beautiful, and the environment looks amazing. The effects are nicely done and overall the game just looks really good. At least as good as AC IV.
If you are thinking about buying the game, think twice before you do it. If you are a Middle Earth fan like me, you will cringe a few times because of un-lorefrienly moments, but all in all it is a game that I can play without throwing it out.
When we saw the trailer, many of us already say the mechanics, and the climbing from Assassins Creed, and we were not wrong. The climbing, sneaking, distracting and fighting are a complete copy of the AC games. We even have bushes to hide in, stealth-take-downs from above and below, and that convenient counter-button. Thank goodness I know the AC series, that helped me get the hang of the game.
The game has it's lore-friendly moments. As a Middle Earth fan I know too much about the world and lore of Middle Earth so there were plenty of moments where i smiled all smug-like because I knew this detail, this artifact, this piece of back-story etc. On the other hand (and that hand is quite big), there are a lot, as in a lot, of moments that are not lore-friendly at all. I prefer not to give any spoilers, so i can't get into that too much. But prepare for some major flaws in the Middle Earth universe when you play this game.
There are also good points about the game. For one is the fact that it stays difficult. It is always fun to mow down 200 enemies with ease, but you always feel overpowered. Not with this game. Sure, at the end you are powerful enough to take down any enemy, but prepare to run when you fight 15 or more. Also the fighting mechanics are fast, and you need to pay attention if you don't want to die. No longer that single-button spam. The fights will keep you on your toes. The cut-scenes are also beautiful, and the environment looks amazing. The effects are nicely done and overall the game just looks really good. At least as good as AC IV.
If you are thinking about buying the game, think twice before you do it. If you are a Middle Earth fan like me, you will cringe a few times because of un-lorefrienly moments, but all in all it is a game that I can play without throwing it out.
- MegaGothmog
- Oct 27, 2014
- Permalink
Shadow of Mordor holds up well by modern standards with intuitive controls and consistently-paced gameplay. The stealth mechanics feel well-integrated and unforced. Instead of feature bloating like many modern games it finds what works and sticks to it. (+1) It does suffer somewhat being a product of its time graphically. The style isn't particularly distinct and the environment can be bland and monotonous. (0) Where other medias of LotR failing to interest me, I did find learning the lore and background of these characters to be interesting, though the main character is somewhat 2-dimensional (this could be intentional give the overall theme of the game). (+1) The music brought fourth the visceral and brutal nature of the gameplay and story, with voice performances that were serviceable. Being an early PS4 game it has to rely on the controller sound which could become repetitive but was overall one of the better uses of it during combat. (0) An easy game to trophy hunt and the collectibles aren't gratingly long, but I don't think there is much reason to return to this title after one finishes the story. (-1) It was refreshing to play a game where things weren't breaking or crashing constantly. Easy win for this game to create a simple and stable game. (+1)
Overall, while not pushing the envelope and borrowing from some established franchises, the Nemesis System made for a unique experience in both difficulty and gameplay, but seems like it could be expanded upon. (0)
Overall, while not pushing the envelope and borrowing from some established franchises, the Nemesis System made for a unique experience in both difficulty and gameplay, but seems like it could be expanded upon. (0)
I got all but 2 achievements, which took me close to 100 hours. The game is okay, but because of the time commitment, I ultimately regret playing it.
The pregression tracker and unique personalities of *every* enemy is crazy detailed, so I can see why the game was considered innovative, but I had completely exhausted my enjoyment of the system after 25 hours, at which point I only completed about 40% of the achievements. Despite my boredom with the game, I forced myself through another tediously repetitive 75 hours pushing for 100% completion, only to find that I will never be able to motivate myself to complete the final 2 DLC achievements, which each take players an average of 5-8 hours to accomplish.
Despite the enemy system's innovation, it's like they decided "Hey, this is a great idea, let's throw it out there as quickly as possible and don't give a hoot about anything else in the game." Not only was the story incompatible with Lord of the Rings canon, the story is also nearly non-existent. In 100+ hours of gameplay, there is only 1 hour and 15 minutes of cutscenes, which is insane for a game based on a franchise with the richest lore. Also, the gameplay is an *exact* ripoff of the Batman Arkham games. It's bizarre to see a game that's so innovative in one aspect and so unimaginative in every other aspect.
I can see why people like this game, at least for a couple dozen hours, but I genuinely have no idea how this game won Game of the Year. 2014 must have been a terrible year for video games.
The pregression tracker and unique personalities of *every* enemy is crazy detailed, so I can see why the game was considered innovative, but I had completely exhausted my enjoyment of the system after 25 hours, at which point I only completed about 40% of the achievements. Despite my boredom with the game, I forced myself through another tediously repetitive 75 hours pushing for 100% completion, only to find that I will never be able to motivate myself to complete the final 2 DLC achievements, which each take players an average of 5-8 hours to accomplish.
Despite the enemy system's innovation, it's like they decided "Hey, this is a great idea, let's throw it out there as quickly as possible and don't give a hoot about anything else in the game." Not only was the story incompatible with Lord of the Rings canon, the story is also nearly non-existent. In 100+ hours of gameplay, there is only 1 hour and 15 minutes of cutscenes, which is insane for a game based on a franchise with the richest lore. Also, the gameplay is an *exact* ripoff of the Batman Arkham games. It's bizarre to see a game that's so innovative in one aspect and so unimaginative in every other aspect.
I can see why people like this game, at least for a couple dozen hours, but I genuinely have no idea how this game won Game of the Year. 2014 must have been a terrible year for video games.
- JakeBrinkman
- Sep 15, 2024
- Permalink
Alongside watching Rings of Power, I thought I would go back and play another element of Middle-Earth lore with the game Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. It took me a while to do but I have now completed the game and its two DLC expansions and here is my review. The premise of the game sees a Ranger of Gondor and his family killed by the forces of Sauron, upon his resurrection he must team up with a shadowy wraith to get his revenge.
Characters The playable character is Talion and Celebrimbor who are bounded together through the story. Talion is the main protagonist and though he is voiced by the excellent Troy Baker I just found him incredibly bland. There is just no real development for him and his motivations are basic which made me not particularly care about him.
But Celebrimbor is more interesting voiced by Alastair Duncan he is more harsh and brutal then Talion. He has similar motivations, but it feels more personal due to his past relationship with Sauron and how he really wants to exact his revenge, you get a greater idea of this in The Bright Lord DLC.
Relatively late in the game we are introduced to The Dwarf Torvin played by Adam Croasdell and I found him an enjoyable companion. You go hunting with him and the banter between him and Talion is some of the more interesting dialogue, his role gets further expanded in one of The DLC Expansions.
The rest of the cast are incredibly dull, whether it is the one note villains that get no chance to develop or make you truly interested in taking them down. The allies of Talion offer little either and it seems like he dislikes all of them and you wonder why they even want to team up with him.
I mean Gollum makes an appearance here but it feels cheap and just an excuse to get a well known character into this game who plays a small and largely unimportant role.
Story The story is a bit of a mixed bag, I liked how Celebrimbor is bringing out the worst in Talion and forcing him to align himself with Orcs in order to get his revenge on Sauron. It is great seeing your forces grow and be able to take down the opposition and is easily the most enjoyable part of the game.
But the story lacks complexity and feels quite strange in the way it progresses. The story at its heart is a basic revenge plot and they cover it up with some fancy window dressing in gameplay mechanics and I just didn't care about Talion enough for it rise above its basic narrative.
Side Content This game has huge amounts of side content and it deserves a lot of praise for that. The amount of Orc captains that you can take down through the Nemesis system is amazing and shows the hard work that the developers went into to make that happen. Doing Missions to upgrade your weapons were pretty cool too and it was cool to see actual progress. The other smaller missions are fun too and alongside a long challenge mode and two long DLC Expansions, there is plenty to do here.
Gameplay The gameplay is really good even though it is basically an Arkham clone and it is really clear that the same people made this game. The main reason it is so good is the nemesis system as you go against and recruit Orc captains to weaken Sauron's army and strengthen yours. The action can get a bit repetitive but it is a lot of fun and trying to manage different scenarios is a welcome challenge. Though the final boss of the main game is really lacklustre and way too easy but the final boss in The Bright Lord DLC just about saves it.
Graphics The game has okay graphics, I love the different designs for the Orcs and the fortresses that you have to storm, with the cutscenes being well rendered and good on the eye. But the actual maps that you play on are pretty dull and I understand that they are going for the darker and grittier look but it doesn't quite work for me.
Overall Overall, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor is a good game and I enjoyed it. If you are a fan of the lore then I would say give it a go and because of its huge price drop this is a game that is worth playing.
Rating - 7/10.
Characters The playable character is Talion and Celebrimbor who are bounded together through the story. Talion is the main protagonist and though he is voiced by the excellent Troy Baker I just found him incredibly bland. There is just no real development for him and his motivations are basic which made me not particularly care about him.
But Celebrimbor is more interesting voiced by Alastair Duncan he is more harsh and brutal then Talion. He has similar motivations, but it feels more personal due to his past relationship with Sauron and how he really wants to exact his revenge, you get a greater idea of this in The Bright Lord DLC.
Relatively late in the game we are introduced to The Dwarf Torvin played by Adam Croasdell and I found him an enjoyable companion. You go hunting with him and the banter between him and Talion is some of the more interesting dialogue, his role gets further expanded in one of The DLC Expansions.
The rest of the cast are incredibly dull, whether it is the one note villains that get no chance to develop or make you truly interested in taking them down. The allies of Talion offer little either and it seems like he dislikes all of them and you wonder why they even want to team up with him.
I mean Gollum makes an appearance here but it feels cheap and just an excuse to get a well known character into this game who plays a small and largely unimportant role.
Story The story is a bit of a mixed bag, I liked how Celebrimbor is bringing out the worst in Talion and forcing him to align himself with Orcs in order to get his revenge on Sauron. It is great seeing your forces grow and be able to take down the opposition and is easily the most enjoyable part of the game.
But the story lacks complexity and feels quite strange in the way it progresses. The story at its heart is a basic revenge plot and they cover it up with some fancy window dressing in gameplay mechanics and I just didn't care about Talion enough for it rise above its basic narrative.
Side Content This game has huge amounts of side content and it deserves a lot of praise for that. The amount of Orc captains that you can take down through the Nemesis system is amazing and shows the hard work that the developers went into to make that happen. Doing Missions to upgrade your weapons were pretty cool too and it was cool to see actual progress. The other smaller missions are fun too and alongside a long challenge mode and two long DLC Expansions, there is plenty to do here.
Gameplay The gameplay is really good even though it is basically an Arkham clone and it is really clear that the same people made this game. The main reason it is so good is the nemesis system as you go against and recruit Orc captains to weaken Sauron's army and strengthen yours. The action can get a bit repetitive but it is a lot of fun and trying to manage different scenarios is a welcome challenge. Though the final boss of the main game is really lacklustre and way too easy but the final boss in The Bright Lord DLC just about saves it.
Graphics The game has okay graphics, I love the different designs for the Orcs and the fortresses that you have to storm, with the cutscenes being well rendered and good on the eye. But the actual maps that you play on are pretty dull and I understand that they are going for the darker and grittier look but it doesn't quite work for me.
Overall Overall, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor is a good game and I enjoyed it. If you are a fan of the lore then I would say give it a go and because of its huge price drop this is a game that is worth playing.
Rating - 7/10.
- alindsayal
- Oct 14, 2024
- Permalink