In its own way, "Shadow of Mordor" is a quality title nearly as groundbreaking as "Assassin's Creed II" and "Batman: Arkham Asylum". While the game borrows aspects from both, it also stands apart with its own innovative feature; the Nemesis system. Based on the Middle Earth film adaptions by Peter Jackson, SOM acts as a bridge between "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogies. It also features a new protagonist named Talion. In the prologue, both Talion and his family are ritualistically killed by The Black Hand of Sauron. But shortly after, he is resurrected and his soul is merged with a Wraith named Celebrimbor. Talion gains the Wraith's supernatural abilities and goes on a quest to avenge the death of his loved ones.
This is an open-world action game very similar to Ubi Soft’s “Assassin’s Creed” and “Far Cry 3” in terms of structure. It also features the intuitive combat system introduced in “Batman: Arkham Asylum”. What it brings to the table is the Nemesis system which affects the Orc armies in several different ways. For instance, if you kill a Captain, power shifts as the other Orcs rise in rank and fight for promotions. If a Captain survives your attacks, they’ll increase in power and change in appearance (to reflect their wounds). As you progress, you’ll eventually gain the ability to pit Orcs against each other. It’s a brilliant innovative feature that brings a sense of unpredictability to the battlefield.
The core gameplay of SOM is a hack n’ slash affair with plenty of side-missions and objects scattered throughout the map. The progression system is similar to the one featured in “Far Cry 3”. There is a “tree branch” chart that represents the different groups of abilities you can earn and upgrade. And just like in the 2013 reboot of “Tomb Raider”, you can discover hidden objects that reveal information about the past. Rated ‘M’ for bloody violence, this game is a major gorefest. You’ll decapitate countless of Orcs as you progress through the game. In fact, one of the most impressive features of SOM is the lack of lag during encounters with numerous enemies on-screen. The framerate never falters during these intense moments.
Overall, “Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor” is a great example of the hack n’ slash genre. The Nemesis system, a solid story, smooth combat mechanics and impressive production values really make it shine. It’s an example of how to make a really good action game based on an existing property. I’d rank it with an 8.7 out of 10.