Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is an incredibly cool experience that introduces some truly standout features to the action genre. The Nemesis system is easily the highlight because it is so innovative and genuinely brings the world to life in a way few other games manage. It is honestly a shame that more titles cannot use a similar mechanic due to patents. While the cast of characters is somewhat limited every single one of them is unique and well written which kept me invested in the story from start to finish. There is a massive amount of content to work through if you are a completionist and the core gameplay loop feels endlessly replayable. One of the most entertaining parts of the game is commanding Uruks to start power struggles just to stir up absolute chaos within the ranks of Sauron’s army. The hunting and survival challenges are a nice addition that you will likely complete naturally without having to go too far out of your way. Collecting Ithildin and Artifacts is also rewarding because the Artifacts come paired with memories of their previous owners to add some extra flavor to the lore. Even the Lord of the Hunt expansion adds some fun variety with new creatures and warchief types despite being a relatively brief experience. I also enjoyed the rune system as a way to add passive buffs since hunting for rarer runes for better bonuses gives you a great reason to keep fighting.
On the downside the traversal can feel a bit awkward at times. Talion occasionally refuses to climb certain surfaces because of odd camera angles and that can get pretty frustrating during a heated chase. Combat also gets a bit messy when you are surrounded by ten or more enemies because the game struggles to target the specific Uruk you want for a finisher or a grab. The stealth missions feel somewhat inconsistent as well since there were times I failed when I thought I was hidden and other times where I definitely should have been spotted but the AI ignored me. While the Bright Lord campaign starts off with a lot of promise it quickly becomes a bit of a slog. Your character feels surprisingly weak despite the fact that they are supposed to be wielding the One Ring. The final boss fight in that specific campaign is fantastic at first but it definitely wears out its welcome before the battle actually ends.
Overall this game offers a fresh and fun experience despite those few rough spots. The innovative systems and engaging gameplay make it a must play for fans of the setting or action games in general.