Ray Willmott reviews Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor….
Over the years, The Lord of the Rings has proven to be a surprisingly flexible, encouraging license for games. From the side-scrolling beat-em-up action of Two Towers and Return of the King, to the unique RPG The Third Age and the RTS quality of War in the North. The characters even exist in LEGO form. But while Rings games have always tried to offer something different, more often than not, they’ve failed to hit the mark.
Which makes Shadow of Mordor such a refreshing achievement. This is a rare occasion where Warner Bros. can stand behind a Middle Earth licensed game and feel genuine pride. Monolith Studios have finally dispelled the myth that basing game after game in this universe is a waste of time.
Set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor builds up towards the resurgence of Sauron. Mordor has yet to become the barren wasteland familiar to Rings fans, but Uruks are emerging all over the land, and great beasts, large and small, are noticeably more aggressive.
You might initially argue that Talion is a generic protagonist. I’ve heard plenty of people say that he’s Aragorn or Boromir reskinned. But that’s not quite fair. Yes, he’s a Ranger. Yes, he scouts the land, wields a big sword and constantly talks of Gondor. But while his fate isn’t directly tied to the ring, he does have a dark story to tell.
Talion is a Ranger Captain, part of the Gondor garrison, initially stationed at The Black Gate. But after a hard-fought battle, the garrison is overrun by Sauron’s forces, who then kill and sacrifice everyone in their way in an effort to summon the wraith of Celebrimbor. But something unusual happens. The wraith ends up merging with Talion, saving him from death. Soon it becomes clear to the Ranger that he is essentially immortal, thanks to the wraith’s unique properties. With his new-found abilities, Talion intends to seek revenge, and reduce Sauron’s forces as they attempt to grow in number.
Shadow of Mordor sits neatly between the Assassin’s Creed and Batman: Arkham games. The Assassin’s Creed similarities are quite obvious. Talion has a large map to roam around, he ascends to tower points to get a better view of his surroundings, as well as open up fast-travel points and pull up side missions. There are also artifacts to collect and symbols to uncover, plus other side extras. The Arkham similarities come with the combat. You’ll find Talion regularly squaring up to armies of Uruks, hacking at them with his sword, then needing to block at the right moment so he isn’t ambushed from behind or at the sides. Some enemies will also require Talion to roll out of the way or deflect a spear or arrow. These systems combined work very well together and feel totally appropriate for a Rings title.
But the kicker is that we’ve yet to talk about the star of the Shadows of Mordor show. By now, you’ll have heard all about the Nemesis system. It excites me more than any other new-gen innovation thus far. From the moment you take down your first captain – or get crushed by a joe-blogs Orc during a mighty battle – the Dark Lord’s army comes alive. As you play, there’ll be a dynamic power-struggle going on in the background between Sauron’s forces. Orcs can build their way up the ladder of ascension to become a Warchief, flanked by a group of hulking bodyguards and a small army of footsoldiers. They will hold feasts to brag about their feats on the battlefield and challenge large creatures to prove their strength. But they’ll also fight amongst themselves in a struggle for power. Some captains will ambush other captains, some will even go as far as to execute their subordinates. You can choose to invade these events in order to affect the balance of power. Poison a captain and embarrass him at his own feast, or free the Orc about to be executed and let them fight out in a duel. With each successful event, an Orc will grow in strength. If there are openings above their station, they will claim them if experienced enough, or if they’re feeling particularly ambitious, they’ll challenge someone for their spot.
The possibilities are endless, and you’ll notice it does play a role in the main story, but the ability to craft your own rivalries and build your own stories is, naturally, a lot more appealing. It’s also hard not to imagine the possibilities the Nemesis system could add to other games. Imagine a WWE game using a form of Nemesis? Even Batman: Arkham Knight. Heck, you could even take the concept online.
Shadow of Mordor is very well crafted, fully detailed and surprisingly faithful to Tolkein’s mythology. You can lose an easy 40 hours to this without even trying, and still want to go back and tackle the game’s many creative trophies, hunting and gathering missions, or just enjoy some good old sandbox fun.
Without doubt, 2014’s surprise Game of the Year contender, is Shadows of Mordor. Whether you like killing armies of Orcs, have a passing interest in Middle Earth, or even if you just want to play an entertaining game with a great hook, Monolith are back with a bang! Trust us, it’s the game you all hoped it would be, and then some.
Pros:
Beautiful graphics
Nemesis system is very entertaining
Good, mythology driven story
Fulfilling and engaging
Cons:
Talion is a hit/miss protagonist
Story missions lack some diversity
View the trailer here.
Rating: 9/10
Ray Willmott
Originally published October 9, 2014. Updated January 18, 2020.
