Middle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor™

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.

Just finished the game. Absolutely I am in love with this game. I played it almost 16 hours, but I didn't get bored. The story and atmosphere put you in the LOTR universe in a darker manner. The depth of the story was so good. The combat mode was too good. As a 2014 released game its graphics was not so bad. Specially I do love about this game is the stealth mode. It felt so smooth and nice. The stealth and combat feel are pretty easy but how you go into a fight and how you use your stamina and skills can determine the difficulty of the game. Moreover, the character development between Tallion and Celebrimbor was good. But I have some problems with this game. I can't go very far without enemies around me on my way. Also, if you die your opponents will level up. And I am disappointed for the last boss fight. They could have made it more complex. Though it is a under rated game, it could have been a masterpiece in my opinion. Now it's time to play the second part.

Review Posted and based on my 2025 standards.

3/3 Gameplay: Good
2/3 Hair and Body Physics: Okay
3/3 Graphics: Good
2/3 Performance: Okay
3/3 UI: Good
3/3 Art Style: Good
3/3 Game World Design: Good
3/3 Enemies: Good
3/3 Story: Good
0/3 Engagement: Bad

Edited Rating: 83.33%

just finish main campaign, 9/10.
the gameplay is 11/10, man the nemesis system is amazing, ork army building is so cool.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is an absolute treat for fans of action-adventure games and the Lord of the Rings universe. It delivers an exciting blend of fast-paced combat, immersive world-building, and innovative mechanics that make every moment feel rewarding and impactful.

The standout feature of the game is the Nemesis System, which creates dynamic, personalized rivalries with Uruk captains. Every encounter feels unique, as enemies remember past battles, adapt to your tactics, and grow stronger if they defeat you. It adds a layer of unpredictability and strategy, making even random encounters feel meaningful.

The combat is smooth and satisfying, clearly inspired by the Arkham series but with its own brutal flair. Chaining together attacks, counters, and executions feels seamless, and the game rewards you for mastering its mechanics. The addition of Wraith powers and stealth elements gives you even more options to approach battles, whether you prefer to charge in or pick off enemies one by one.

The world of Mordor is surprisingly vibrant, with varied environments and plenty of side activities to keep you engaged. From hunting challenges to freeing slaves and uncovering collectibles, there’s always something to do. While the story leans more on original characters than Tolkien’s lore, it’s still engaging, with moments that tie neatly into the broader mythology.

Visually, the game is stunning, with detailed character models, fluid animations, and a gritty art style that suits the world of Mordor perfectly. The voice acting and music also stand out, helping to create an atmosphere that immerses you in the harsh, war-torn land.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a must-play for anyone who enjoys action-packed gameplay, rich systems, and the chance to carve their own legend in the world of Tolkien.

Rating: 9/10 – A thrilling and innovative adventure in the shadow of Mount Doom.

Was annoying at first, then actually ended up pretty fun!

Can be a bit buggy to parkour around fluidly and a couple of the QTEs are annoying, but still a great experience overall.

Absolutely solid in terms of game play and placement in the world of LOTR. I would recomend this to any LOTR fan, Witcher fan, Assassin's Creed fan, or RPG fan in general. It was so much fun and there's a lot of collectibles and side missions post game!

A great game with an at the time revolutionary mechanic. Though the story doesn't quite hit any significant depth there is still a lot of fun to be had exploring the world and getting lost in the narratives you can create for yourself. The DLC's also stand up and are great additions adding some fun depth and new ideas to some lightly touched upon in the base game. A really fun 100% and a game that you can pick up cheap as chips, cant ask for more really

Don't make peace with evil. Destroy it. Been destroying a loooooot of evil. Would recommend.

Assassin's Creed series + Orc Dating Simulator set in the LOTR universe.

Very fun stealth game. Power-ups feel meaningful and the story doesn't seem to outright disrupt the established Lore.

Still holds up after more than a decade as one of the best action game ever made! It deserve at least a remaster, cmon WB.

Amazing, the game is short with only 20 main missions and the side quest are just challenges but the combat and story make this game worth it. The DLC are also nice and don't drag on.

I am not a compleanist per say but I loved how there wasn't too many collectables. All collectables are unique with their owned voice stories and are easy to get. Hell I played this game for over 2 days for 12% and already have 75% of the trophies for both the main mode and it's side content.

So give it a try. You won't regret it.

This is a really great one! Very hard to believe that it's as old as it is because it looks, sounds, and plays like new! It's a fairly casual game, I'd say because it's a lot of fun and really isn't very difficult. It's actually fun though since it's not so punishing as a lot of games like it. If you're a Tolkien fan, you'll love it as just kind of a fun side story that has some cool lore notes in it. It could be a little repetitive to some, but just realize that you should periodically advance the main storyline whenever things are feeling a little slow. I recommend!

This is game is quite old, but this is my first time playing it. I love the story and the lord of the rings lore in general. This game works well with the keyboard. Highly recommended

The fluidity in the combat is outstandingly good , and the animations for counter attack are so smooth . Despite being a non canon , story is very good , very touching .
All over it is a very good game 9/10.

Addictive high paced gameplay. Once you grind enough to achieve top tiers of stat trees, you can zoom around like a god. Becomes very easy towards the end. Hard at first, mindless fun after about 30 hours. Would recommend! Might play again soon.

As far as the gameplay goes, this is a really fun game, with lots of extremely creative features. However, it feels very far from the LOTR lore, and if you are a big fan of Tolkein you may struggle a bit with the liberties taken by the game.

i havnt played for that long but i still like the gameplay. the graphics are sortve crappy on my computer but thats probably me

Second time playing through this, every bit as engaging as the first time. First time with the DLC though, and I'm looking forward to trying the additional Tests.

Fun game. Cool rivalry mechanic. Decent story. brain dead gameplay (in a good way).

One of my absolute favourite games of all time. The story itself is nothing crazy but the gameplay is absolutely great. Plus the system they have in place for the orcs and their hierarchy is nothing short of amazing and one of the best way to service the amazing gameplay throughout the whole game.

Of course I’m gonna recommend this game. Gotta be my fave game of all time, so much that I purchased it again just to play thru it, again! Amazing open world with lots of killing blood and gore.

this is a good game, the nemesis system offers a unique experience, making you pissed when you die craving for vengeance. The gameplay is fluid with a lot of perks and approachs: stealth, ranged, melee,etc. the parkour is satisfying, but sometimes a little bugged. the story is great but a little blured for those who are not famliar with lord of the rings lore. a solid 7,5/10

As a retired gamer, I usually hit peak gaming mode in December and January, diving into RPGs that feel like part-time jobs to beat. A few years ago, I played Shadow of Mordor and found it incredibly fun despite its lack of an engaging story. It’s one of the most enjoyable games out there—pure entertainment.

I also tried the sequel, but it didn’t capture the same magic. Shadow of Mordor remains the best of the two. It’s not outdated and still holds up, so don’t skip it!

It's very fun and sometimes hard to play; the nemisis system will keep you playing for hours