It’s impossible to overlook the obvious: that Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was built on the shoulders of giants. You could argue with some success, for instance, that Shadow of Mordor is Assassin’s Creed in the Lord of the Rings, given its focus on fluid parkour, the manner in which you scale tall towers to unlock new missions and gain access to new areas, and the diversity of ways in which to assassinate your foes. Indeed, Shadow of Mordor does more than nod at that other game series--it fully embraces it.
What makes Shadow of Mordor special, however, is how it improves on that stealth-action-parkour formula while simultaneously introducing its own unique element: the nemesis system. The mechanic is the one from 2014 most likely to influence systems-driven games in the years to come. In Shadow of Mordor, your enemies aren’t just the ones the game tells you about, but the ones you make on your own as you hack and slash your way through the game’s parched environments. The Uruk that got away will remember your face. His facial scars will be a roadmap of the brutality you forced him to endure. And when you next meet, he will bellow his displeasure before unleashing vengeance.
A lot of attention has been paid to the nemesis system already, however. Developer Monolith’s greater triumph is that it crafted a game that felt so fresh out of recognizable elements. The combat is from the Arkham Asylum school of rhythmic blows, but you might be so overrun by nearby orcs that the only reasonable reaction is to flee rather than fight. And with one simple tweak comes a consequence that makes all the difference in the world: Shadow of Mordor is challenging. If you’ve grown accustomed to charging your way through these types of games with relative ease, you must change your approach--and that means experimenting with stealth and environmental possibilities more than you might in a similar game. It isn’t just about having options--it’s about how meaningful those options are.
Meanwhile, Shadow of Mordor’s moment-to-moment gameplay is as excellent as we expect from the developer of such lauded games as Condemned: Criminal Origins, F.E.A.R., and No One Lives Forever. It is a pleasure to leap onto roaming orcs from above, and a delight to ride a caragor across the land, galloping into dangerous strongholds as if to boast to the orcs of your dubious immortality. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is fun and exciting to play, and represents what happens when a talented developer takes ideas that we’re familiar with, and makes them so much better than we could have expected them to be.
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Dragon Age Inquisition by FAR. sooooo much more content and gameplay compared to middle earth.
So how did SoM get game of the year when only 2 of 7 Gamespot editors even had on their list of favorites. Not to mention the fact that it isn't worthy of the title. I used to scoff at the ideas that GS is paid to be "less objective" towards certain games. Now I'm starting to wonder.
Not gonna be visiting much Gamespot anymore. Not putting Dragon Age Inquisition in their top 10 is an insult and demonstrates how disconnected they are from my own tastes. Dark Souls 2 of course belongs there but DAI is a huge omission.
besides the (amazing combat system/amazing graphics/the wonderful open world/the motherf*cking badass nemesis system) it's the best game of 2014 but the only thing that makes it really good to me that it's the only game i played this year and it lived up to the hype.
PS:i'm not a fan of the dragon age series so i didn't try dragon age inquisition yet.
What a joke. What an unprofessional, tasteless joke. That video... there was something off about it. A bunch of journalists (and for the first time in a while, I use that word lightly) tooting their own horns and straining to put a layer of gloss on a game that really didn't shine.
Of all of the other choices, Gamespot.... of all of the games that you rated higher or that were more original, at the very least, you chose THIS?!
This stinks to high heaven.
You didn't give a game GotY... you gave a marketing gimmick, The Nemesis System, GotY. Well done.
I have to say I'm very disappointed from this choice. And no, not because I'm a fanboy who's crying about their game not being chosen, but because Shadow of Mordor is not that good of a game...
Yes the combat is great, but it's incredibly easy at some point... It begins really tough but as you get better and stronger, your enemies stay the same and it's just boring at some point...
Also, the greatest boss battles of which I expected so much from ended up to be either repetitive easy crap or a sequence of "press A" style events (forgot their name...)
And so much more I won't point out right now... For me it was one of the biggest disappointments of 2014 :-/
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but this game doesn't have the depth of Dragon Age Inquisition.
Sad to see Gamespot go with this.
The multiplayer in DAI is great too.
This site needs different reviewers and a different perspective IMO.
For some reason this reminds me of when Totalbiscuit revealed that YouTube personalities had been offered early access to the game in exchange for agreeing to a restrictive contract which required them to be positive about it. 8/10 and Game of the Year. Very suspicious indeed.
This seemed awfully self-promotional and dooshbaggy on everyone's part. Can you briefly review the reasons why Gamespot has the best smelling farts of any website again?
8/10 and game of the year UMMM how does this make sense? I haven't played it it just seems weird that all the games they have for each system they reviewed other games with higher reviews
Developer: "Using much of the same source code as Assassin;s Creed, we re-skinned Ezio, and then took out a lot of the grindy crap that everyone hated. Replace Templars with Orcs... and Voila!" ... Oh, and the Nemesis System was a great original idea. But the game really IS good though.
Yes please give me a hard mode....I have maxed out my character and cannot really die lol
Wasn't Dragon Age: Inquisition a GOTY ? Middle-Earth was awesome, I liked the new stuff and so on, but Dragon Age is something that I would call a GOTY. Middle Earth could have the next most important award...what ever it is...
Really! "Rambo: The Video Game" didn't even make the list? I'm so disappointed :(
Just glad that darn Instigation didn't win! Yah!
I fell for the hype and the great reviews. I never regretted a purchase this much ever. Imo this is just a mediocre game. There is just no sense what so ever in this beating DAI.
The Last of Us was the GOTY. Period.
I mean I would personally pick shovel knight or divinity original sin, but I guess the idea of a indie title or pc only game winning GOTY is out of the question.
seriously though this has been such a crappy year for gaming just disappointments all around. Not only that but when your 2 most picked for goty that I have seen (LOTR and DAI) have serious flaws you know this has been a blunder of a year..
well here's hoping for the next to be better merry christmas yall.
Oh boy, i did not see that coming.
I bought this game the week it released but haven't really had the time or motivation to start playing it. But after reading numerous positive reviews and seeing that it's being nominated (and winning) so many GotY awards I finally started playing last night!
It's awesome! The traversal, climbing and stealth/sneaking are all derivative of Assassin's Creed (which is good) the combat however (thankfully because AC's combat blows) is much more reminiscent of the Batman Arkham games - so in other words Awesome! The graphics are gorgeous and the voice acting, sound effects and score would all make Peter Jackson proud.
The biggest game changer though and feature that I predict will be the most copied going forward is the "Nemesis System" This is the first game (at least that I've ever played) where your enemies actually level up and upgrade their armor/weapons by defeating YOU! It creates a much greater sense of urgency for the player to get the job done the first time and it's awesome!
Finally a truly Excellent LotR game that lives up to the standards of it's truly Excellent source material!
Really enjoying this game. And the Nemesis system is genius!
A mediocre game with some "good" ideas and concepts, but invariably just AC with LotR skin.
I haven't played this admitted but from what I've seen playing DA:I and judging this from YouTube and etc, I really don't see how this game beats DA:I. It looks pretty much like Assassins Creed with a LOTRO skin.
Guess I'll have to buy it once I'm done with DA:I and see for myself.
It's so good, it got an 8 out of 10!!! I have zero problems with this being the GOTY as long as 8 is the highest score anything has gotten the whole year on GameSpot. Only year I can remember 8 being the highest score given oddly enough, SoM is King of the "meets requirements" titles! Wait, what's that you say? My friend just informed me that Sunset Overdrive AND Forza Horizon 2 also got 8/10.....so we have a 3-way GOTY tie!!!!! That is exciting indeed. Wait a minute....i'm seeing here that those titles were not even INCLUDED in the nomination process, even though they are scored just the same as the GameSpot GOTY? If I were more inclined, i would say this whole thing was rigged for SoM to win from the start but I have more faith in GameSpot than that:)
sunset overdrive was fun
I agree with gamespot. A game of the year is not declared on the basis of just 1 reviewer. The whole staff votes for them, and tbh, shadow of mordor was the only game this year that was enjoyed by all type of players - hardcore, casual and the one game which was good.
As for dark souls 2, that game is only meant for hardcore gamers, since i have seen many throw away their controllers just after playing 10mins. Similarly, remastered editions cannot be game of the year.
Well... at least it's not Bayonetta 2. Most overrated shit ever.
Game of The Year? DIVINITY: ORIGINAL SIN. By a mile.
This selection for Game of the Year was clearly made to push next gen sales. Bayonetta 2, Smash Bros Wii U and Mario Kart 8 crushed Middle-Earth in fun factor. And my favorite game I played this year was Last of Us Remastered, my first play through. But I can understand why that wouldn't count for this, but damn. All the effort put in those games for Wii U to be stolen of the recognition by this game? Nobody on the staff lists have yet to even put it in their top 5 for cripes sakes. I'll hand it to them, though. Surprised the hell out of me. Proper recognition, however, be damned.
At least it's not DAI...
i can't believe that shadow of mordor is the game of the year, its a good game and all but its basically a LOTR version of assassin's creed. (they might as well make AC: Unity the game of the year)
So many Dark Souls fanboys fragile egos crushed, opinions "officially" invalidated by an inconsequential and insubstantial "award". It's ok, you guys. Dark Souls 2 is STILL a great game. There there. You needn't blindly lash out at Shadows of Mordor because of gamespot. They're BOTH great games.
I played Mordor. It is a very enjoyable game. However I agree with many of the posts and that is, it was a pretty weak year of game releases. I know dark souls was a standout but I'm not crazy about single player RPGs. 2014 must go down as the year of the RE-releases. 2015 looks like it should be a killer year for games.
This used to be the best gaming website :(
Thinkin about it, nothing really great came out this year. Game of the year for me is last of us remastered lol. (Best story driven game I've ever played. Made switching to playstation worth it) But I don't think it counts cuz it's original version came out a year ago.
Sold lord of the rings because controls were unresponsive at times and did not feel as fluent at arkham city. Yea they are different games but lotr clearly tried mimicking it's combat style, but IMO failed in doing it right. Not a bad game, but I think dragon age had more soul put into it.
@spikepigeo Destiny is Game of the Year for 2014. Anyone who believes otherwise is just selling themselves short.
@spikepigeo that's because the staff probably have short attention span of a 10 year old. Where dragon age you need to actually play for a loooong time to get into it. I'm already at 75 hours with loads more content to play.Dragon Age was better by far.
@Judas_III 100% agree
@Desbris Only it's WAY better than ANY AC game ever.! AC is so overrated. The combat absolutely sucks in AC! The Batman games make it look like amateur hour. The only thing Mordor borrowed from AC is the climbing mechanics - which are just as good if not better than AC. The game this more closely resembles on a technical level is the Arkham series. Which considering the fact the Arkham series was one of the best series of last generation isn't a bad thing at all. The Nemesis System alone is FAR more innovative and game-changing than anything AC has ever done.
@t-16 That's because it is AC with a LOTR skin. It's a good game but pathetic they gave it GOTY. I won't be visiting Gamespot much anymore they are so disconnected it's sickening.
@rickphoenixxx f--- Forza and Sunset Overdrive. Bayonetta 2 got a 10/10 and didn't win
@deriaz1911 I just don't understand hardcore gamers why would you play a game that frustrates you that much? Isn't it enough that you just dealt with douchebag bosses and cloak-and-dagger co-workers, at work... why would you want to return home for more headaches? Or relax, relax being the operative word, on a weekend by engaging in such a challenging form of stimuli, that its more quantum physics than sudoku (LMAO)? The only answer I've been able to come up with, is that most of these dudes just like to flex their gaming muscles and show everyone just how bad ass they are, which to me just seems funny.
@ekolite Actually, it's more accurate to say 'were crushed by', rather than 'crushed'.
@LordCrash88 Why?
@aboy1411 Totally agree, 2014 did;t have any surprises, all overhyped
im excited about 2015 especially after the PS experience
@cooltoast "Best story driven game I've ever played." You poor thing =/
@andy_lai @spikepigeo The point of a video game isn't necessarily to be something that requires the user to sit and read and listen to hours of conversation before it sinks in... Games that grab you immediately, that are fun right out of the gate... those are the winners.
Dragon Age was boring, drab, and not very compelling for a large portion of the experience.
It was NOT better by far.
@Furwings @Desbris It's way better than AC but it looks like AC from a mile away. It's basically the same game and while it may belong in the top 10 it's certainly not GOTY.
I love shadow of mordor but it definetely is alot like assassins creed in more than just the climbing. Not a copy though like some people say it has its own unique traits too
@cablemodemx2 @ekolite By the sympathy vote, yes.
@northArrow @LordCrash88 Because it sucks. Overhyped mediocre mainstream crap.
@northArrow @LordCrash88 He meant DAIkatana.
Zeca, I'm open minded. What is your favorite story driven game? I'm primarily a console player and last of us IMO had the best story. Not necessarily a deep, complex, edge of your seat story game, but I think it has the most believable emotional characters. Yes, the story is simple, but is spot on in its execution and style of that story that separates it from a lot of games I've played. Please don't say Zelda ocarina of time or final fantasy 7. Maybe I should refrained from saying best story, but instead say "execution". For instance, I like gta 4's story of niko BUT when his character awkwardly moves his arms and his conversations with other main characters seems as though they aren't even in the same room then it has poor execution. No hate just wanna play what u think is best story driven game.
@LordCrash88 @northArrow Bioware games are now mainstream meanwhile an Assassin's Creed clone isn't? Wow.
@cooltoast This game barely has a story.
@cooltoast Hmm, i gotta say i'm sorry then, i misunderstood you. But ok, i really enjoyed metal gear 3, with big boss and the boss's awesome relantionship. I also enjoy red dead redemption as well, since you can attach to john in every mission. I do enjoy the character relantionship stories of persona 4 as well. And the cast of dragon age 1 there's some pretty realistic chars as well.