Mittelerde: Mordors schatten

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.

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

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.

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.

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!