Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is an action-adventure from Monolith Productions, following the ranger Talion’s vengeance quest across the lands of Mordor. The complete run covered the main campaign and both story DLCs, from the war chief hunts to the final confrontations of the DLCs.
The combat is the core thrill, with the flow from enemy to enemy proving endlessly satisfying throughout the campaign. The executions and the double counters anchor the fighting, making each encounter a genuine pleasure to play.
The Nemesis system earns the highest praise, with the named enemy orcs building personalities, rivalries and memories across the playthrough. The branding fantasy is the campaign’s high point, with the whole army falling under control by the campaign’s close.
The stealth toolkit delights, with the tight-knit groups taken down without discovery and the poisoned grog rewarding creative approaches. Ratbag is the comic heart, with the war chief promotion arc landing the laughs time and again.
The traversal is the most persistent complaint, with the finicky climbing and the runs up edges that do not exist. The detection-based dagger missions are the worst content, with the bugged torchbearer mission standing as the clear low point.
The hunters are the most hated enemy, with their distance attacks breaking the rhythm of the fights. The crowd targeting is unreliable in the big fights, and the ranged combat remains the weakest option throughout.
Overall, the combat, the Nemesis system and the branding fantasy make this a fantastic open-world action-adventure. The finicky traversal and the detection missions are the main caveats.