Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is a third person action-adventure game set in the Lord of the Rings universe.
The Great:
- Incredibly satisfying combat akin to the Arkham series but with swordplay, stealth, and ranged
- The combat is brutal (against orcs) but ultimately more satisfying as a result
- Combat is fluid, dynamic, and intuitive
- Stealth mechanics feel great (and I don't like stealth generally)
- Traversal mechanics are enjoyable in their own right
- Game design allows and encourages multiple different types of play-styles with RPG mechanics and environmental variables
- Extremely compelling open world that is woven very well into the story quests and narrative
- Has three completely viable playstyles (combat with a sword, ranged with a bow, and stealth with a dagger) that are each effortless to move between
- Villain interaction (Nemesis system) is the new standard in encounter design
- Randomization of villain design (strengths and weaknesses) and setting encourages creativity in solutions
- The open world sidequests are spectacularly crafted
- The setting is generally beautiful, and the game plays very smoothly
- The sheer number of options for catering the game to your preferred playstyle is unmatched
The Good:
- The nemesis system creates almost a strategy mini-game within the game itself that is also very satisfying to navigate
The Bad:
- The entire game is so enjoyable that at times the number of things you want to do can be overwhelming (not all that bad maybe?)
- In a number of situations (e.g. near walls), you can have some difficulty moving due to contextual problems, but that only stands out because everything else is so smooth and polished
Conclusion:
This is the best action game to come out in years. It takes the best of the action games to come before it (Batman, Assassin's Creed) and adds on a level of depth in villain design and encounters that is rarely seen. Regardless of the type of games you like most, you should play this game.
10 / 10
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