Middle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor™

Most excellent game. This was my 2nd playthrough so didn't bother with the side objectives. Hence the short playthrough. My 1st was on ps spent 50hrs doing everything years ago

The nemesis system is just phenomenal on it's own and with the amazing story of the Lord of the Rings this is a really amazing game to experience.

I had SO MUCH FUN playing this game! The combat and stealth are fantastic!!! Every time I'd play, I'd be like "one more duel, one more main mission, one more side quest" and then it'd be 3AM. Amazing story, setting, and characters. The Nemesis System made interactions with NPCs feel alive and consequential; I need more games with this mechanic. This is a must for LOTR fans and epic fantasy lovers <3

I will NEVER forgive Warner Bros. for owning the patent to the Nemesis system and then never doing anything with it ever again beyond these games. Absolutely phenomenal games that I can't recommend enough!

even tho i have not watch a single thing of lord of the rings this game is still amazing to play love the combat feel like in the batman arkham series

Got this game during the Steam Spring Sale (2025) and I thought it was gonna be lame, I am pleasantly surprised. If you're playing with M&K controls, its a bit funky at first but it gets easier. Luckily you can remap the key bindings, but I promise, its good the way it is. It's very satisfying to play. There's a decent amount of side missions. I highly recommend this game from someone who doesn't play these types of games. The movement if fluid and easy to grasp but still challenging at times. I've sank 15 hrs in this game and im only 38% done.

Here's the deal: Shadow of Mordor is like Assassin’s Creed had a wild night with Arkham combat, and the result was an orc-smashing power trip in Middle-earth. The Nemesis System is the real MVP—turning random Uruks into your personal arch-nemeses (or unwilling minions). The combat? Satisfyingly brutal. The parkour? Surprisingly smooth. The story? Well… it's there, but let’s be honest, you're mostly in it for the epic revenge arcs and stylish decapitations.

Shadow of Mordor is not bad, not great, it's just mediocre. Wish I could give it a neutral recommendation.

The combat is the best part, a reskin of Batman Arkham’s system but with some solid additions that make slicing through Uruks satisfying. Unfortunately, the stealth is laughably poor, the enemies have the awareness of a brick, and the parkour is clunky at best. Expect to get stuck on objects or fail jumps that should be simple.

The quests are repetitive and forgettable, the characters are shallow, and the protagonist is as dull as a rusted sword. His connection with the Wraith lacks depth, and even when the story tries to introduce twists, they lose impact within minutes. The plot is basic, with little meaningful development.

On the technical side, I encountered no bugs or glitches, which is a plus. However, the pre-rendered cutscenes are bafflingly terrible. Low resolution, jagged edges, and inexplicably running at 15 FPS. It’s like watching a bad YouTube upload from 2008.

That said, the game nails the fan service. If you’re a Tolkien fan like me, you’ll enjoy roaming Mordor and decapitating orcs, then it will be fun for you. The Nemesis System is a cool touch, but everything else is average. Worth a play if you love Middle-earth, but don’t expect a masterpiece.

it's really good, the fighting is really well put together, the graphics are amazing and the story is very fulfilling. one problem though. i try doing a few early game missions and half of the bosses show up, no joke. half of all the bosses out of nowhere.

Assassins Creed parkour with Arkham Asylum combat, what's not to like? Fun core loop, the orks had a ton of personality and the whole system behind them was really good. Got a little dull near the end once your abilities get levelled up and the last two bosses were really anticlimactic, but hey still a good game.

This game sure is a lot of fun. Not only does the combat look super cool, but you feel super cool while engaging in it. I'm also impressed by how good the graphics look, as well as how well it runs. Not the most lore-faithful game, but definitely a must-try for any fan of the LOTR franchise that just wants to drop into the universe and kick some ass.

With the Nemesis system, this game is literally everyone's own unique Game of Thrones with orcs (Betrayals, Great Epic orc Battles, Epic moments and etc). Greatly recommend!

An exceptional open-world game, with flow-state combat and fun stealth mechanics.

The Nemesis system is a blast, and it's always fun to hear the background chanting of whatever random name is coming to fight you. Every boss is a dice roll of strengths and weaknesses, and it creates a lot of fun chaos as you adapt to that particular subset of talents.

Let me tell you though, once you've unlocked and experienced your first combat execution, you will not put this game down. There are just so many variations that it is pure joy to smash through hordes of orcs just to witness them.

An easy recommendation and a must-play if you own a Steam Deck, as this runs at a beautiful 60 fps on it.

A masterpiece. Must have for RPG and LOTR lovers

Thankyou Monilith for your contribution in gaming. Unfortunate that we won't be seeing Nemesis system again anytime soon.

Pro's
- True to LOTR lore
- Nemesis system
- Amazing gameplay
- Combat is smooth, just like Arkham games. Every execution is smooth.
- Well written characters and dialogues
- Graphics still looks lood

Con's
Nothing of sorts that takes you away from the game.

---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☑ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS

---{ Gameplay }---
☑ Very good
☐ Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't

---{ Audio }---
☑ Eargasm
☐ Very good
☐ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf

---{ Audience }---
☐ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☐ Grandma

---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☐ Decent
☑ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{ Game Size }---
☐ Floppy Disk
☐ Old Fashioned
☐ Workable
☑ Big
☐ Will eat 10% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data

---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☐ Easy
☑ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls

---{ Grind }---
☐ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☑ Isn't necessary to progress
☐ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding

---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☑ Lovely
☐ It'll replace your life

---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☑ Average
☐ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond

---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☑ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money

---{ Bugs }---
☑ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☐ 8
☐ 9
☑ 10

---{ Author }---
☑ https://vojtastruhar.github.io/steam-review-template

I jumped into Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and honestly, it was a wild ride. From the very start, I was hooked by the mix of action, stealth, and all that epic fantasy vibe. Overall, I'd rate it about an 8.3 out of 10.

Gameplay (9/10):
What really blew my mind was the Nemesis system. The fact that enemies could remember my moves and adapt just made every fight feel personal and fresh. Sure, there were moments when the enemy AI got a bit too predictable, but the dynamic combat and stealth mechanics kept things exciting for me.

Visuals (8/10):
The game world is packed with detail. I loved how the lighting and shadows could flip the mood from chill to creepy in no time. Even though some textures didn’t feel as sharp as what you might see in today’s games, the overall look and atmosphere pulled me deep into Middle-earth.

Story (7.5/10):
Playing as Talion, I got drawn into a tale of revenge mixed with a dash of inner conflict. The story definitely had that epic, Lord of the Rings feel I adore, even if it wasn’t the deepest narrative I’ve experienced. It did its job of setting the mood and keeping me invested.

Audio (8/10):
The soundtrack was epic and really ramped up the intensity during battles and exploration. I did notice some sound effects getting a bit repetitive over time, but overall, the audio design added a ton to the experience.

Replayability (8.5/10):
Every playthrough felt a little different thanks to the Nemesis system and all the side missions. It made me want to dive back in and see what would change.

RIP Monolith. This game you made is one of my favorite games, and my favorite Lord of the Rings game, of all time. Despite not being exactly canon and changing some things, this game still is very faithful to and very respectful of the source material of the great works of J. R. R. Tolkien, more so than any other recent or even upcoming so-called "LOTR game" lore vandalization-fest will ever be. Thank you for creating and sharing this amazing LOTR game experience with us.

Amazing game

[hr][/hr]
Playing this game on Steam was an obligation and a cause of nostalgia to me as I played this almost a decade ago. But for what its worth, this is one of the best games out there.

I have never been a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings series, in fact back when I played it for the first time I didn't even know the lore behind LOTR so I couldn't understand most of the references, I was only aware that the setting of this game is in the LOTR universe. This year I finished the trilogy so coming back to this game was a gamechanger to me as now I was way more informed about the lore and I could catch majority of the LOTR references and plot points in this game. In a sense I enjoyed this game this time better.

The game itself is well designed, its side quests and main missions are not too far off and so its quite easy to follow. There are many challenges in the game as well so that keeps the game mechanics from getting monotonous. The graphics is really good (both today and for its time as well) and the character designs are super sick. The combat in the game and skills are one of the best I have ever seen, although the movement is not as fast paced as to my liking (its not a dealbreaker). The soundtracks in the game completely complement the setting of the game and the plot is damn good (I believe its set between Hobbit and the trilogies ).

The biggest game mechanic and perhaps the only one of its kind is the Nemesis system where the enemies would interact with you based on your previous interaction, if killed will develop a grudge against you and automatic promotion (after they kill you) to certain ranks based on their reputation is the best aspect of this game. Monolith absolutely cooked with this one and its a shame it was never introduced in any other games (heard WB patented it so its a bummer).

All in all, this is a damn great game to experience and for every penny it gives you the joy of living in the Tolkien verse and how it feels to best the closest allies of Sauron.

🎮 Gameplay
🔲 Excellent
✅ Good
🔲 Average
🔲 Poor
🔲 Staring at Walls is better

🌄 Graphics
🔲 Beautiful
✅ Good
🔲 Decent
🔲 Bad
🔲 Paint.exe

🎵 Audio
🔲 Eargasm
✅ Amazing
🔲 Good
🔲 Not too Bad
🔲 Bad

📖 Story
🔲 No story
🔲 Text or Audio Floating Around
🔲 Average
✅ Good
🔲 It will replace your life

🛡️ Difficulty
🔲 Just press "A"
🔲 Easy
🔲 Average
✅ Easy to Learn / Hard to Master
🔲 Difficult

🔁 Replayability
🔲 No replay value
🔲 Maybe Once
✅ A few times
🔲 Many Times
🔲 Infinitely replayable

⏳ Length
🔲 Short (4 to 10hr)
🔲 Average (10 to 25hr)
✅ Long (25 to 50hr)
🔲 Very Long (50 to 150hr)
🔲 To infinity and beyond

🖥️ Hardware Requirement
🔲 Check if you can run paint
✅ Potato
🔲 Decent
🔲 Fast
🔲 Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

🪲 Bugs
✅ Never heard of
🔲 Minor bugs
🔲 Can get annoying
🔲 Game-breaking bugs
🔲 The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

💸 Worth Buying
🔲 It’s free!
✅ Worth the price
🔲 Minor sale (<30%)
🔲 Major sale (>70%)
🔲 You could also just burn your money

📝 Rating
🔲 1
🔲 2
🔲 3
🔲 4
🔲 5
🔲 6
🔲 7
🔲 8
✅ 9
🔲 10

Description:

Shadow of Mordor is a third-person action game set in J R R Tolkien's Lord of the Rings universe.

The game features good graphics, a solid soundtrack and a great open world core loop where you farm orcs to progress through the story.

The combat is good for an action game and slowly turns into a power fantasy as the player levels up. Enemy variety is fairly limited but the "trait" system for commanders along with the fantastic "nemesis" system makes the gameplay fun for many hours.

The writing while decent is not cannon to the books but the atmosphere is solid. The soundtrack and audio ques of various weapons and attacks is also superb

The weak aspects of the game are the lore inconsistencies and lack of enemy variety which holds the game back from infinite replay-ability. The core loop could have been much more fun if these aspects were better.

TLDR: Shadow of War is a solid action game for fans of the franchise but even better for newcomers to the LoTR universe!!

Gameplay mechanics is really addicting, the rest is mid. Buy on sale.

Now why exactly can't I just post the "thumbs up" nonsense so they know I recommend the game? Is it really that important to tell them why I recommend the game? I'm sure that if enough people say they recommend it, anything I say would just be redundant and the reader would simply glance at the "thumbs up" anyway. So why should I say anything about the game when the "thumbs up" has already said enough?

I absolutely love this game, the graphics are amazing, the combat is amazing, the story is amazing. it is an amazing game. but i cannot support WB games anymore. they nuked monolith and the nemesis system is patented until 2036.

in short fuck you wb and rip monolith, you will be sorely missed.

Good game, makes a lot of fun. Should play if you enjoy cool fights against crowds.

Thank you Monolith for two of the most amazing games I've ever played.
It's truly sad that Monolith is shutting down,
I wish we had more Middle Earth or LOTR games from you guys.
If anyone haven't play these two Middle Earth games, you must try. They are AMAZING.

I honestly never was a fan of the LOTR universe, but loved this game. It seemed cool, and my friends said "It is similar to Assassins Creed, but better", so I tried it. It is good, but the more I played, the more tilted I got from fighting 200 orcs at a time in each stronghold.

⭐ Rating: 7.5/10 ⭐

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is an action-packed open-world game set in the Lord of the Rings universe. Developed by Monolith Productions, it combines fluid combat, stealth mechanics, and the innovative Nemesis System, which makes enemy encounters feel dynamic and personal.

Pros:
✅ Nemesis System – The highlight of the game, allowing orc captains to remember past encounters and creating unique rivalries.
✅ Combat & Movement – Feels smooth and satisfying, heavily inspired by the Batman: Arkham series.
✅ Middle-earth Setting – A dark and gritty take on Mordor, with plenty of lore for LOTR fans.
✅ Satisfying Stealth & Parkour – Taking out enemies from the shadows or scaling ruins is enjoyable.

Cons:
❌ Repetitive Missions – Side activities and objectives can feel a bit grindy over time.
❌ Weak Story – The plot is decent but doesn’t stand out compared to the LOTR source material.
❌ Lack of Variety – Environments feel somewhat limited, with mostly barren Mordor landscapes.

Final Thoughts:
If you enjoy fast-paced combat, open-world exploration, and the Lord of the Rings universe, Shadow of Mordor is a great pick. While the story isn't groundbreaking, the Nemesis System makes for some unforgettable battles. A solid game, but can get repetitive after a while.

Recommended? ✅ Yes, especially on sale!

Its 2025.
They still have not made a better "LOTR" product since they made Shadow of War and Mordor.
Recomended for easy fun and action combat. :)

Lots of fun with a decent story. Get this and the sequel to really see some good growth in experience.

I loved the stealth mechanics and the combat mixture of the game anyone who want some stealth with lots of action then this the game for you....

Finally beat the game that has been sitting in my library since its release. I would have to say it is a good game. From the story play thru and the extra game modes that the game posses. IF the GOTY edition is on sale its a total steal. I can't wait for the sequal that's already in my downloads.

One ring to rule them all! Lord of the Rings is a rich series that has been beloved though out the decades. So you would think there would be more games about the universe would spend it. Normally it’s just an RPG retelling the movies. However this is not the cause. We get awesome back story about Celebrimbor and Suaron kinda why whole ring was made. Now you play as new character named Talion who shares his body with Celebrimbor. The game plays like a speed up assassin creed game where stealth is a good option but does not punish you that much if you want to go down a war torn path. I heard by others it’s the best “assassin creeds game”, but it just feels too different to me to say that. I think the part most people remember this game for is the Revenge system. If an orc kills you or flees in battle. He will remember who you are an attack when he has the chance and is possible for him to rank up in the orc army by doing so. It’s great game for what the developers were going for but it does feels like there not as much to do with missions can feel a little repetitive. Even if you not a fan of LoTR I would still look into for the battle mechanics. Never know you might find the one ring to rule them all with! 8/10

I've played this game a lot more than 7 hours haha. I played on console back when it first released and I'm trying it on PC now. It was a blast on controller and it's been a learning curve on PC. So far, really great. I highly recommend for everyone.

An incredible Game with a one of a kind gameplay pattern. Played this before replaying SOW (Shadow of War) and remembered why this series is an underrated gem. 100% completed it in 36 Hours so the grind isn't crazy. Only regret is that the servers shut down so one of the modes (nemesis forge) isn't available (doesn't affect achievement hunters however). Overall a great game where everyone's experience is different with a great amount of content and fun times to be had. P.S shout out to the Uruk Goat Pushkrimp.

Great story, fun game-play, the controls are a little hard to get used to.

Very satisfying gameplay.

But the game is way too easy and the boss fights are almost nonexistent.

The arguably most interesting character in the game, The Tower, is fought in a game of tag. The final boss is fought in a 15 second quick time event.

Te nemesis system is still amazing but looses its punch when you realize that all captains are equally easy to kill.

Bought it on sale 11 years after its release. I regret not buying it sooner. Basically mix the Arkham Asylum games with Farcry and a little bit of Dishonored and you have an, admittedly, aged and kind of homely game that is very fun to get into. It makes you feel like a badass and the combat is super engaging.

I like this game, but I don't love it. The intro to the main story is pretty great, and so are a lot things about it. It's got Arkham Batman-like free flow combat, a pretty open world to roam around in and a pretty cool original story.

Though I felt everything was very repetitive, even the DLCs and their little stories were basically the same thing you were doing in the main game, so it did get stale by the end. I also didn't really like the side stuff very much, it's fun for a little while, but then everything turns into a tedious grind (not just a problem with the side stuff, also every main storyline). I will say though the second DLC was pretty cool while being short, most of the things that do happen in it you basically know from just playing the main game, either way it felt worth playing, while the first one wasn't very exciting. I will add, whilst I liked the main story, characters weren't really fleshed out enough for me to care about them, they were kinda just there.

I've got mixed feelings about this, but nothing that was negative so I can't not recommend it either. I love Middle-Earth, I like Arkham Batman games, I like the direction they were going here and it was a fun play and I think if you're a fan of those things than you should definitely play this.

Shadow of Mordor is an awesome way to explore Tolkien’s universe, and the Nemesis system makes it stand out from other open-world games. Watching Uruks remember past fights, gain scars, and rise through the ranks makes every encounter feel dynamic and personal. The story and environment are both stellar, capturing the dark, gritty feel of Mordor while still giving you plenty of freedom to explore. Combat is smooth and satisfying, especially once you start unlocking abilities and feel like an unstoppable force.
I originally played a ton of this on Xbox years ago and loved revisiting it on PC, I definitely recommend a controller for the best experience. The achievements were a bit of a grind, but they pushed me to try new strategies and abilities I hadn’t messed with before, which actually made the game more fun. If you love open-world action games or anything Middle-earth, this is absolutely worth playing.

After fixing the nauseatingly low FoV with the program Flawless Widescreen, Shadow of Mordor turns out to be a really competent open-world action game. It's like a mixture of Assassin's Creed's movemement and Batman: Arkham games' combat with high-quality story scenes. Brilliant voice acting all over. The story telling is very brisk and the opening sequence is efficient and well-directed.

The most famous feature is the Nemesis system. While the game world is your average Ubisoft-esque open-world with checklists, the Nemesis system spices things up. The enemy captains exist within a dynamic hierarchical system where there captains have different personalities, strengths, weaknesses and are changed by whether you defeated them or were defeated by them. The enemy captains will refer to your earlier fights at the beginnings of fights in their delightful orc-ish English working class accents. It's like going to Millwall FC game.

Worst part of the game, after the ridiculously small FoV that you have to used 3rd party programs to fix (Flawless Widescreen), is the context-sensitive control scheme. I cannot count how many times I ended up doing something other than I intended. The movement is supposed to feel smooth but it felt the opposite.

Fun game to play. Combat is not easy. It is more than just smashing buttons. Love all the options and different ways to kill and love that you can ride monsters too! I am on my second playthrough and it should give you a good 40+ hours to beat as long as you complete all the side quests

So if you haven't played these games and you like LOTR i think this is a really good game. Bit short but worth it on sale.

combat very satisfying, grape game

I installed this game bc my brother told me about this game and its one of the most games i loved to play i am geting to the next game you shold try it if you like combo game with useing powes and sword and box and kinfe

Shadow of Mordor is a blast—great combat, and the Nemesis system is a great addition. It’s a shame more games don’t have it. The story’s decent, but the gameplay is what really makes it.

I purchased this game a while ago on sale but haven't really played it until recently. Although the game is a bit dated by today's standards, I find it is a lot of fun and scratched the middle-earth itch. There is quite a lot of content that is not cannon, but I don't find that to be much of a drawback since it's fun to play. I started playing this game with a PS5 controller but didn't like having Xbox glyphs displayed, especially for the timed attack events so I picked up a 8bitdo (Xbox) controller to play this game.

I just wish I started playing this game sooner. I have been on a Tolkien binge the last couple of years and this game compliments the written works and movies/TV show. The game takes place between The Hobbit and Fellowship of the Ring and covers an interesting part of the timeline, Sauron's (last) return to Mordor.

To be honest, I have not expected much walking into this one since it has been issued in 2014 and it is hard for me play old games when I am used to a better quality. But darn, I have actually enjoyed myself, both the game and the story are very good. I am not an experienced player, so I really appreciated the game mechanics that I could handle and that in a lot of missions you can choose or it is even preferable to use stealth. And I looooove using stealth. So it was an absolute match for me in combat.

The only thing that I personally found missing is more interesting locations. Even though both maps are quite extensive, all of the locations do not really differ one from another. Everywhere the towers and ugly tents are the same. Idk, I think I wanted to experience the variety of the Middle-Earth world. But since we are focused on Mordor, this request is not entirely reasonable. But you just get used quickly enough to the locations and the visuals of it all, and while you complete the task it can all seem repetitive.

Since I have purchased the game with all of additional content, there was a choice to choose skins. So turns out I have been walking as the Dark Lord the whole time. A bit embarrassing in the end, haha

Celebrimbor <3 My poor guy. Can’t way to complete the DLC with him too.

Very fun open world game that is still pretty challenging. Combat is well designed and the player has plenty of options for completing quests and such.

One of the best LOTR games. The Nemesis System it's an unique game mechanic and a great contribution to gaming in general, it's a shame that WB has a patent on it and never made the most out of it and just used it on the Middle Earth saga. This mechanic would perfectly suit some other games.
This tittle features the Free Flow Combat, another patented mechanic from one of WB studios: Rocksteady, creators of the Arkham series. So, rest assured the combat is pretty fun.
Shadow of Mordor it's a solid game allround. If you haven't experienced this game before, wait no more. You can get this one really cheap on sales. Totally worth it.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Overview

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor blends non-canonical Lord of the Rings lore with an action-packed open-world experience filled with brutal combat, exploration, and vengeance. Its patented Nemesis System is a groundbreaking addition to the genre, delivering personal rivalries and dynamic progression rarely seen elsewhere. While not without flaws, even after 11 years, Shadow of Mordor remains an engaging experience. The Game of the Year (GOTY) edition often sees up to 80% discounts and bundle deals, making it a worthy pick for those yet to experience it.

Steam Deck Compatibility

Shadow of Mordor runs flawlessly on the Steam Deck, especially with a 45fps limit. On Steam Deck OLED, battery life ranges from 2.5 to 3.5 hours (depending on the game mode, with the main story being less demanding due to the amount of cinematics). The visuals look fantastic despite the game’s darker color palette.

Pros

• The Nemesis System: The Nemesis System is the game’s defining feature, allowing orcs to evolve based on their encounters with you. If an orc kills you, they’ll earn a promotion and remember their victory. Facing them again leads to taunts, scars, and personal grudges that elevate otherwise routine encounters. Several times, I found myself muttering, “That $#@¤ Dûgza the Killer! I’m coming for you!”
  
• Combat and Stealth: The game borrows heavily from the rhythmic combat of the Arkham series but adds its own flair. Executions, counters, and combos feel fluid and visceral. The stealth system is equally satisfying, letting you stalk orcs, poison their grog, or terrorize entire camps with a well-placed kill.
  
• Lore and Setting: Set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the game provides a fascinating look into Mordor’s dark lands. It doesn’t stick strictly to Tolkien’s canon, but it captures the essence of Middle-earth with detailed environments, menacing orcs, and a narrative that weaves revenge with a hint of the supernatural.
  
• Progression System: The skill tree offers steady and rewarding growth, turning Talion from a basic ranger into a wraith-infused powerhouse. Upgrades to combat, stealth, and traversal allow for diverse playstyles, keeping the gameplay engaging well into the mid-game.
  
• Polished Gameplay Loop: Whether you're hunting orc captains, collecting artifacts, or completing side missions, the loop is highly addictive until mid-game.
  

Cons

• Repetitive Content: While the Nemesis System and combat are fantastic, the game’s side activities and missions tend to fall into repetition. Kill this captain, interrogate that orc, clear out this stronghold—it’s a formula that can start to feel very repetitive in the latter half of the game.
  
• Weak Storyline: The main narrative is alright but lacks the depth or emotional weight of Tolkien’s works. Talion’s quest for revenge is straightforward, and while Celebrimbor adds intrigue, the plot rarely surprises or challenges the player.
  
• Visual Monotony: Mordor’s bleak landscapes fit the setting, but the lack of visual variety becomes a drawback. The brown-and-grey palette dominates, making areas feel too similar. Thankfully, the second map, Núrn, offers some relief with its greener scenery.
  
• Anticlimactic Boss Fights: While the Nemesis battles shine, the main story’s boss fights—particularly against Sauron’s lieutenants—are disappointing. Quick-time events dominate these encounters, robbing them of the tension and excitement that the Nemesis battles achieve effortlessly.
  
• Minimal Impact of Choices: Despite the dynamic Nemesis System, your actions rarely affect Mordor itself. The world remains static, and your victories feel isolated rather than game-changing, which limits the overall immersion.
  

DLCs

• The Bright Lord: This expansion lets you play as Celebrimbor, wielding the One Ring in a non-canonical prelude. While the new abilities are fun and make you feel immensely powerful, they upset the balance, eliminating much of the challenge. It’s a decent addition but doesn’t add significant depth.
  
• Lord of the Hunt: This DLC introduces new creatures and mechanics, allowing you to dominate Mordor’s wildlife. While entertaining for a while, it doesn’t resolve the repetitive structure of the main game.
  
[*]Trials of War: The achievement-focused time trials make no sense. The game’s mechanics, which emphasize careful planning and strategy, clash with the speed-running objectives. It’s a frustrating addition that doesn’t play to the game’s strengths.

Conclusion

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor combines brutal combat, engaging stealth, and the revolutionary Nemesis System to create a dynamic action experience. While it stumbles with repetitive content and a lackluster story, the addictive gameplay loop and atmospheric setting make it a must-play for fans of action games and Middle-earth. It may not be perfect, but it’s a journey worth taking—especially at a discounted price.

To sum it up this game is Assassin's Creed mechanic + Arkham Asylum combat + LotR lore, it's pretty much enjoyable if you're a big fan of Tolkien like i did.
Story and DLC is great, but combat is mediocre since you can get stuck on random geometry and get killed much more easily (captains and warchief will overwhelm you inside the stronghold if you're alone with no branded allies).
Endgame content is time trials and isn't everyone's cup of tea.

Amazing combat, easy to pick up, and endless fun with the nemesis system.