Licensed games are, by and large, atrocious — especially when they're related to J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy franchise Lord of the Rings. That doesn't appear to be the case with Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, however, as the tasty tie-in has proved more Gandalf than Gollum. We haven't quite completed our tour through the fictional realm just yet, but we've pulled together some of the best reviews from around the web in order to tide you over until then.
Joystiq - 5/5
What would have otherwise been a competent sandbox game with solid combat mechanics and an interesting twist on a known fantasy world is elevated by the Nemesis System. Shadow of Mordor is the strategic person's action game.
Polygon - 9.5/10
Shadow of Mordor is that ultimate rarity. It tells a fun little story that would be enough to hold up most games on their own. But it also provides all of the tools to ensure that the most interesting tales to come out of the game will be the ones that were not scripted.
IGN - 9.3/10
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor stands out from other open-world action games by putting a great new layer on top of the trail that Batman blazed. I was surprised at how well it integrates its excellent combat with rewarding feedback and progression not just for me, but also for my enemies. I’ve had many more memorable and unpredictable battles with its randomized Warchiefs and captains than I did in the scripted campaign missions, and I expect those to keep on coming.
Game Informer - 8.25/10
The final hour of Monolith’s Middle-earth adventure falls flat, as the story falteringly tries to pull together a number of disparate threads, and the mostly triumphant nemesis system fails to stick the landing. Even with these and other features that rubbed me the wrong way, I can’t help but cheer for Monolith’s ambition. Shadow of Mordor is an unabashedly challenging and complex experience, sometimes at the expense of accessibility. I’m thrilled that we’ve got a new franchise in the fertile ground of Tolkien’s fiction. Add in a borderline revolutionary approach to mission design, and this is a firm foundation for a stellar new series.
Destructoid - 6/10
The final hour of Monolith’s Middle-earth adventure falls flat, as the story falteringly tries to pull together a number of disparate threads, and the mostly triumphant nemesis system fails to stick the landing. Even with these and other features that rubbed me the wrong way, I can’t help but cheer for Monolith’s ambition. Shadow of Mordor is an unabashedly challenging and complex experience, sometimes at the expense of accessibility. I’m thrilled that we’ve got a new franchise in the fertile ground of Tolkien’s fiction. Add in a borderline revolutionary approach to mission design, and this is a firm foundation for a stellar new series.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor certainly doesn't sound like Bore-dor, then — but will you be picking up the fantasy release? Show your sword in the comments section below
Comments 34
Typo on the final review quote there? Seems to be the same as the one before!
That aside, surprised by these, as this one was hardly even on my radar really.
Im not easily impressed by reviews one way or another but on what Ive read on a few sites (EuroGamer gives it 8/10 btw) it looks like the game mechanics work well and it should be a blast to play. I just hope I like the story.(as Im not into LOTR at all)
Glad I pre ordered
I don't really trust reviews so they don't affect my decision to buy a game. I'm very hesitant for Shadow of Mordor. It will definitely butcher the LOTR lore, but the gameplay looks good.
One of the main reasons keeping me from buying the game is that WB are quickly becoming infamous with DLC and season passes so I'm thinking of waiting for the complete edition. I'm also a bit sick of Troy Baker - he's in every single game this year. I'll meet him again in Lego Batman 3.
@SteveButler2210 destructoid and game informer are the same review, I think the story bashing is pathetic, 99% games have a cruddy story as do most films, its just pure entertainment, nobody complains that Arnie movies don't have a more in depth coherent story. Anyway, already knew this game would rock, looking forward to my pre order.
@Bad-MuthaAdebis fair enough, must admit I didn't click through to check, I just assumed a misprint as it was the same text but pretty different in terms of actual score.
Fair point re story bashing, but I'd say critically it happens just as bad for films. While it might not impact on the fun of a game, a professional reviewer has to comment on all aspects of a product. I think what's important in terms of score is also how seriously the game itself takes it's story. As in, if the type of game it is places a heavy and serious emphasis on the story, it's entirely fair to mark down if that story doesn't hold up. More arcade shooters racers etc (or in the film world, Arnie flicks) can get away with it because the story is never really billed as being an important part of the experience. It's about the expectations set by the makers as much as anything I reckon.
Think I wanted this game as soon as I heard about it, after months of watching videos I can't wait to sink my teeth into this bad boy.
@LDXD PS4 of course!! Haha
@LDXD Current gen versions release a hell of a lot sooner than last gen
I'm surprised people didn't see tho one coming. I've been stoked about this game since I first heard about it!
@Mr0303- One of the reasons I have been so interested in the game is the fact that they WON'T butcher the Tolkien lore! In fact they have found ways to make this it's own story within the lore, and incorporate a lot of the more obscure aspects from the timeline most non-fans would never even know or recognize. Drawing from the Silmarillion etc. I'm picking it up today as soon a I get off work! 👍
@LDXD yea I know what ya mean, but you can always delete an save your game-save data!
@LDXD +I read the Nemesis system is not as good in the last gen version
@SteveButler2210 aye but they're being a little harsh if the final hour isn't up to par. either way this game seems to be awesome until the ending apparently.
@Fenriswolf- yes, movie/book tie ins don't really work for me, so glad they made something that's its own little sub franchise
@LDXD yes you are lol
I ain't buying this, il borrow it from one of my n!ggaZ 😚💨💨💨💨💨
Damn another game I'll need to buy!
Not a LOTR fan in the slightest but this looks top notch, the mechanics seem like a great idea too .
This was on my radar. Now with the reviews it went from "I'll check it out eventually" to "I'll buy it instantly to rinse the after-taste Destiny left in my mouth"!
@LDXD it's a fun game, but I was letdown a bit by how underwhelming everything is. The loot system is broken and the grindfest experience ain't exactly my idea of "fun". I love the PVP though but after playing the same missions over and over again with the same enemies at the same spot and no variant whatsoever, it gets old fast...
So Shadow Of Mordor should keep me occupied until Far Cry 4 comes out to satiate my shooter needs.
Im still on the fence myself, i need more videos to watch
@LDXD well it IS good. Just not for everyone I'd say. If you can rent it to make up your mind first, do it. I finished all the story missions and most strikes in under 9 hours my first playthrough.
It's a game we won't be playing much a year from now, sadly...
@Mr0303 Think about it from a game developer's point of view. You need a voice actor. A GOOD one. They're holding down the entire game. You want someone that's proven, that is a pro. That is easy to work with, shows up on time, nails their takes, and helps keep the project within budget. Are you going to go with someone that you think might be good for the part, but maybe they've only done a few things prior and are rumored to be difficult to work with? Or the person that might be perfect but has no previous recording experience? Or do you just call the guy who you know can not only handle the acting, but will absolutely not cause any problems or issues? You're probably going to call the pro. Especially if you've worked with them before, you know their method, you have a verbal shorthand in order to get exactly what you want, and you might even be friends at this point.
I agree that it's kind of lame that the same three voice actors get used over and over again in the video game industry, but I also completely understand the reasoning behind it.
@KillTheG1mp I'm loving destiny.
However, I completely agree it was a bit of a larry letdown after the epic hype train.
@LDXD
No, you are not the only "fool" thinking this way. I am also thinking about this for PS3.
And hard drive space is a legit concern. Why the PS4 was only released with a 500 GB hard drive, I don't know. It's actually one of the reasons I am holding off on buying a PS4. They will release a cheaper PS4 with a bigger hard drive in due time. Plus by that time, there will be PS4 exclusives that will be worth upgrading for.
I've been waiting for this little gem for a while now! This will pull me away from destiny for a little while, cannot wait to play this.
@glassmusic Oh, come on. They couldn't find any other heroic sounding male? I remember the Era of North where he was in everything and even used the same voice. They are using the names as celebrities so that you make associations with the previous blockbuster games that they starred in. You don't remember North for Knight's Contract you remember him for Uncharted. You don't remember Baker for Final Fantasy 13, you remember him for the Last of Us. It is simply a marketing ploy and I agree that it is effective.
From a gamer perspective though when I hear the voice of Delsin and even his face it takes me a bit out of the game. I shouldn't be thinking about personalities and other games while playing. Most of the times this is not an issue, but I had an overexposure to him recently - Bioshock Infinite, Injustice, Last of Us, Lego Marvel, Batman Arkham Origins, Infamous and soon Lego Batman and Far Cry 4. He doesn't have the range of North yet so the voices are pretty similar.
So yeah. It is an issue for me.
I've been looking forward to SoM since it was first announced, no, since there were first rumors of an open world LotR game. I'm a big fan of open world games (when they're done right) and LotR. I also love a lot of the mechanics in the Rocksteady Batman games and some of the mechanics in the Assassin's Creed games.
That said, I don't read most of the publications you spotlighted in the article anymore. Their first concern isn't games. It's a whole bunch of other stuff.
Anyway, I'm just biding my time until my SoM pre-order shows up. Get here soon.
I guess im the only one who preordered this months ago
@Mr0303 Actually, I heard they stuck to the Tolkein legendarium for the story, pulling pretty much all the lore straight out of his extra writings, particularly The Silmarillion and the expansive epilogues of the Rings trilogy. Which, if you're familiar with the books, you know the epilogues could have been a book of their own. But yeah, they were touting the fact it all fit within the universe.
@Godsire- I bought a 2TB external (9mm x 2.5") for $99 and took it out of its shell casing, then swapped it out for the 500GB in my PS4. That same 2TB hard drive costs $127 when buying as an internal, so it's actually cheaper to buy the external. Plus, that allowed me to slap the 500GB from my PS4 back in the shell casing, and use it as an external for my Xbox One, doubling its capacity in the process. Two birds with one stone.
I may get this for my PS3 when its price lowers. It certainly looks interesting, and I am not into LOTR.
Im not so sure about this game, it looks good but theres still somrthing bothering me, but i dont know why !
Not to mention theres too many games coming, Bayonetta 2, Smash 3DS/WiiU, Hyrule Warriors, Ace Attorney Trilogy, Far Cry 4, Dragon Age...
Bye bye Destiny, hello LOTR, trading that Halo copy in for this. Had my eye on this one since first mention, don't care about the reviews as they can't be trusted. Your opinion is your own.
Hmmm, it sure seems I'll get more entertainment from Shadow of Mordor than I currently am with Destiny.
Pretty much everything I can do in Destiny right now is either a huge grind or waiting for next week to reset marks and hope the Cryptarch is patched to anything resembling something that makes sense.
Waiting/grinding/patching or playing Shadow of Mordor without having to do any of those things. Yup, I think I'll be selling Destiny off soon.
Tap here to load 34 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...