Middle Earth: Shadow Of Mordor Video Game Review

Final Verdict - Definitely Worth Playing

Let me go on record saying I am not a fan of the Lord Of The Ring universe and have little knowledge of its extensive back story and lore. With that being said I went into reviewing this game with not much interest. What should have been a disadvantage turned into the games strong point, as it completely won me over and had me enjoying every second of playtime. This game boasts three main aspects of a game of its nature done well: the story, the combat system, and the gameplay mechanics. So lets travel to the mystical land of Middle Earth...

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is an action role-playing video game set in The Lord of the Rings universe, developed by Monolith Productions and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game takes a look at the family of Talion, a ranger of Gondor responsible for guarding the Black Gate of Mordor, as he is killed by Sauron's armies. Talion is somehow revived with "wraith-like abilities" and heads into Mordor to exact his revenge.  Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. In Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, the player plays as a ranger by the name of Talion who has wraith-like abilities. In this open world video game, players have the freedom to pursue side quests and roam around the world. The game takes place between the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. The story involves the Rings of Power, but the story is separate from The Lord of the Rings canon. 

What’s Good:

Graphics: I know I repeat myself a lot when it comes on to PC versions of multi-platform released titles but PC is truly the master gaming race. From the graphics to the customizability its just a better experience on PC. The PC version of this game comes with an option to install a HD texture pack to push the graphical capabilities of your system even further to increase the overall graphic representation of the game.

Story-line: The game finds a good balance between incorporating the more well known aspects of the Lord Of The Rings lore and starting a new non canon story that fits well into Middle Earths timeline.

Game Mechanics: Let us sing the praises of the new and innovative nemesis engine first and foremost. This innovative aspect of the game is the core of what makes Shadow Of Mordor truly shine as a game of the year candidate. For a full understanding of the Nemesis system check out this link for full details: http://www.ign.com/wikis/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor/The_Nemesis_System

Replay: The game has two main skill trees to help you shape your character as a specialist Ranger, wraith, or a hybrid of both. Furthermore you can choose to farm certain epic runes to come up with interesting builds for your character based on the weapons you get them for. Add to that the expansive and interactive open world

What Should Have Been Added:

I would like to have seen a mode where you are able to play as an Orc. I feel that would expand on the experience as a whole and offer a new dynamic for gamers to explore. I mean seriously with how awesomely ugly these guys look and all their varying strengths and weakness I think it would make for an added level of play.

Final Thoughts:

Solid game that even though borrows certain aspects from other well established titles also refines them while still bringing something new to the table with the Nemesis engine. Many games in the future will benefit hopefully from this system. This in turn will help improve on an already great game mechanic and refine it to further greatness. I encountered a bug that I hope is fixed later on where even after killing an Orc he could potentially come back to life if he wasn't decapitated and killed using certain key moves. In any case I have been mostly just streaming my gameplay having fun with the game so feel free to check out one of my stream archives below.

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