Middle-earth Shadow of Mordor Review
Middle-earth Shadow of Mordor Review
Middle-earth Shadow of Mordor is a hack and slash action adventure game. It is difficult to make one of those that feel new and different. But Middle-earth Shadow of Mordor manages to be fresh and provide excitement to this genre.
It is not an RPG so the story is a bit thin. It is satisfactory even for LOTR lore fans. Yes, Gollum is here too. But remember the story is not the point of this game, it is about the action. The introduction to your ranger character Talion, does set the mood for what is to come. Cutscenes are not bad and mostly enjoyable, they sometimes will consist of enemies whom you previously fought taunting you. A nice way to personalize your own experience.
The combat is one of the highlights of this game. It is free flowing and borrowed heavily from the Batman Arkham series. That is not a good thing, it is a GREAT thing. I loved the combat system in those games and Middle-earth Shadow of Mordor is just as good. That is saying a lot. It may be more difficult in that it is easier for you to die but that makes the game even more tense and exciting. You can pick off enemies stealthily one by one just like the caped crusader, before you go in for the full frontal onslaught assault. That is recommended because several enemies will most likely take you down if you bite off more than you can chew. The difference here is your weapons cause much more brutality and gore, decapitating orcs and all that gruesome mayhem fun you would expect from a good hack and slash game.
Another standout in Middle-earth Shadow of Mordor is the smart enemy system. Enemies will actually remember earlier encounters with you and will react appropriately when you meet up with them again. They may have scars from the previous battle or taunt you if they have killed you before. The may also go up in rank after killing you becoming stronger or getting better armor or weapons. This makes the overall experience more fulfilling and causes you to have a sense of not wanting to die as opposed to just respawning again and who cares? It is a really nice addition to games and will most likely be used more in the future. This kind of thing is so great to see because it will add to enjoyment of future games to come as well.
Enemies have a hierarchy and you can effect that hierarchy by killing them or taking over their minds and moving up your pawns in the ranks. What an interesting concept! It definitely adds to the fun of this title. You can watch in stealth as your minion turns on his commander and attempts an assassination as you commanded. It is very different and adds to the games enjoyment.
The main story will not last that long but going after warcheifs, accumulating power and seeking out the other things to do make this title last over 25 hours. As with any game it can be repetitive but the combat system does much to overcome the boring repetitiveness of many action games.
We rank Middle-earth Shadow of Mordor Review an 8.0 out of 10.