And one does not simply make a middle-Earth video game review without a "one does not simply" reference...
The Good:
Good Story; while it tells its own story with its own original character, the story connects with the rest of Tolkien's legendarium as it explores the origins of Sauron and the one ring . It introduces many new characters
Challenging combat system; It puts modern Assassin's Creed games to shame.
Awesome Wraith powers; There are many cool unlockable powers that can turn tide against forces. One of my favorites is Brand which is not only quite handy when fighting dozens of enemies at once, but also can be useful to take control of Nemesis System...
Nemesis System: It is an complicated and very interesting structure which shows the hierarchy of Uruk forces. It comprises of captains and dreaded warchiefs and each of them have their own strengths and weaknesses that can be exploited. The captains can be found in a certain location of map while the warchiefs has to be summoned by doing a specific task. The neat thing is that when you kill one of them, it will not stay dead for a long; Unless it is beheaded, there's a good chance it will come back with scars and thirst for revenge. Also in time the spot they held will be filled by a new Uruk giving you the notion that Sauron's army is endless and your job is never over. Killing one will grant you with that can be used for your weapons while branding opens up many opportunities that will let you create your own army within Sauron's.
Good Open-World; It's not a very large nor heavily detailed but it gives a very good representation of 2 distinctive maps; valley of Udun which is dark and harsh and Nurn which is more bright and pleasant. (But no less dangerous.) Both are filled with varieties of creatures (who most likely want to kill you) and iconic locations of LOTR mythology.
Interesting collectibles; Each collectible has its own story and says about certain characters and moments of LOTR lore.
Right amount of content; As it is a open world game, there are secondary side quests and collectibles to achieve but they are putted just right; not too much, nor too less. Just enough to keep things interesting.
The Bad:
A few basic menu navigation options are missing.
Not very challenging nor memorable Boss battles.
Ending is a bit confusing
Conclusion:
Shadow of Mordor is a impressive game with a great story that plays a prominent role in Tolkien's legendarium and many features such as challenging combat, cool powers and of cause the unique Nemesis System. It may be not filled with heaps of contents as many well known open world titles but has just enough novelties to make it a fantastic one.
Rate: 8.5/10