Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor kinda crept onto my radar when I heard about its release. Reviews were popping up everywhere like an emergency public announcement. I'm not surprised due to the fact that it reflects from the world of J.R.R. Tolkien, giving it another path or view of this rich and deep fantasy world. (This man actually created full fictional languages for his fantasy novels) But i'm not here to talk about Lord of the Rings lore, (that would take forever) i'm here to talk about the game that everyone is talking about. The game that will put hair on my chest and see if this is the game to rule them all!!!

"Combat needs some getting use to, but don't lose your head!"

I read the story ahead and it does seem enticing and interesting, but any LOTR expert may be a bit confused to what, when, and where this is taking place. Any how, this does not depart on how interesting the story is and how the character development rolls out. From the beginning you witness a brutal sacrifice and a birth of an unlikely hero who is gifted with wrath like combat and abilities. Basically, its a typical story of vengeance and gore. There are around 20 story missions and its possible to beat the main story which has been clocked around 12 to 14 hours, but there so much to do in this open world map and its almost insane thanks to the side missions and newly implemented "Nemesis" system.

Before I get into the Nemesis system, lets talk about the familiarity of the combat this game provides. It plays alot like Batman from the Arkahm series. Gamers who are new to this type of "Free flow" combat may be quite skeptical and have to practice the timing of battle. But as for me, this was not unmarked territory. I was jumping, hopping around from enemy to enemy like a flying squirrel on crack doing these insane acrobatics. There is the attack, jump/dodge, stun attack, and grappling just like the caped crusaders game. There is nothing wrong with this. This game actually does it better by adding the gore and dismemberment to the mix. ME: SoM also has the detective mode/Wrath vision to see details and enemies through walls. You could think that this game was from a excellent mod that's derived from  the Batman Game itself. Once you start building your character up and opening

"Shadow of the Bat or Mordor?"

skill trees you will feel pretty powerful, but you are still very vulnerable to death which is a good balance and not boring. Now lets get to what really stands out in this game; The Nemesis System. Last night I played for 3 hours straight due to a feud I had with a group of Uruks with constant random battles of blood thirsty revenge and I loved it! This totaly stemmed away from any main mission or side quests, this was random generated fun! The Uruks have a constant power struggle for rank and power which you can manipulate in various forms in your favor. When one defeats you (high or low rank) the are promoted and they level up in armor and get a random abilities. You can hunt them down or inevitably see them on the battle field to settle the score. The opening sequence of each duel is awesome. Taunting you on how they kicked your ass from here to Mount Doom and they are ready to do it again. I actually felt a rage inside of me which gave me the motivation to stomp them like the cockroaches they are. Now this still is not over. Once defeated they can actually come back to hunt you and this time their appearances are different. They can have cuts, bruises, armor pieces, and a real hatred towards you. This was going on back and forth and I was not getting tired of it.

"I ain't afraid of no ghost....of Mordor."

Overall, this game is a blast and worth the $59.99 plus tax. (for me at least, I cannot speak for every gamer)  It gives a strong story plus the proper material and mechanics to back it up. Plus, the Nemesis system, and the messing around with the Uruks battle ranks, is fun and gives hours of more game-play. (Set aside the various side missions, collectibles, and trials.) You can check out my video below on one of my first sequence fight 15 minutes into the game. Now i'm off and I hope to see you on the battlefield! Happy hunting! -Charly M.