Middle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor™

[h1]Highly recommended and thoroughly fun game, too bad the DLCs are hit-and-miss[/h1] I came into this game having played its successor, [i]Shadow of War[/i] first, so I had some good expectations coming into this. While it isn't as great as [i]Shadow of War[/i], the majority of the gameplay is familiar territory and is quite fun. It won't be much of a spoiler to set the scene, which the game does a little poorly, so I'll explain. I think the basis is, a magic ritual went slightly wrong for Sauron's boys, and the spirit of Celebrimbor returns to some random ranger instead of to one of the bad guys. Why? I think it has something to do with Sauron wanting to find out where the Elf rings of power were hidden, but don't quote me on that. What ends up happening is you start the game as the ranger, somehow not dead, but also not alive? And linked to Celebrimbor in some bizarre sharing of one body. Celebrimbor with his bow, and the ranger with his dagger and sword. The story? Revenge! The setting is Mordor, although there is a 2nd map set elsewhere as well, providing a greener palette with trees and grass - maybe they thought Mordor would be too monotonous? Either way, you r…

Love this game - the combat is immensely satisfying and the Nemesis system is unmatched.

Best action rpg i've played so far. Really excited to play Shadow of War!

Just a money maker. Visual and combat first impressions are great but then the game turns too simple. DLCs are empty.

Good game a shame that the system is patented under WB which was not used in any-other game

I have some complicated thoughts about this game, but I will say I had much fun playing it. I went for a 100% completionist achievement run, played the whole thing on controller. 13.6 of my hours are from an unfinished playthrough from 2015, making my playtime about 36.7 hours in a week's span. A more detailed hourly breakdown at the end. It's showing its age. The controls can be clunky. The graphics are muddled dark textures that blend together. The missions are repetitive, boring, and sometimes, very frustrating and arbitrary. I love the nemesis system. Its a great addition to an otherwise bland fantasy assassins creed. I love the unique personalities of Uruks, and commanding them to do stuff is real fun. The combat is good. I like using the environmental hazards the most. The story is just fine. All my homies hate trials. Boring stuff in order of completion: 100% of the base game & achievements: 24.6 hours in 3 days. 100% Bright Lord DLC campaign: 3.1 hours. 1.8 hours for Beyond Epic achievement. (Failed first try) 1.6 hours for Lord of the Ring achievement. (Got after a few early resets) 100% Lord of the Hunt DLC campaign: 2.4 hours. 2.2 hours for The Hunt is my Mistress …