I really didn't know what to expect going into Middle-Earth: Shadow of War. I'm normally not a fan of open world games as I often find their content bland and repetitive. While SoW does have a central gameplay loop it has some clever ways of keeping things fresh. I think the simple but responsive combat system does a lot to support the 20+ hours it takes to complete the main plot line. Whether your using parkour to leap around, or countering enemy attacks, or storming fortress the gameplay is always thrilling. That engaging combat combined with the addicting nature of the "Nemesis" system really helps make SoW shine.
In SoW you play as Talion, a ranger on a mission to defeat Sauron and the forces of Mordor. Talion has been possessed, so to speak, by Celebrimbor. Celebrimbor is the creator of the rings of power and wants to get revenge on Sauron for taking advantage of him. Early in the game you run into the spider queen Shelob. Just like Celebrimbor, Shelob was very close to Sauron and has her own desire for revenge. This alliance of various powers against the forces of Mordor is an uneasy one with each individual having a different opinion on the best route forward. As you grow in power and start amassing your own army you may start to wonder if you're not just playing right into the enemy's hands.
SoW is a third-person action game in a similar spirit to Assassins Creed. In each location you can bring up an army screen to locate various enemy captains. Each Captain has a unique set of strengths on weaknesses which provides critical information for the eventual confrontation. Once you defeat a captain you can kill them for loot or recruit them to fight for your cause. After you've recruited enough captains you can make an attempt to seize one of Sauron's fortresses and make it your own. If you are ever defeated in battle the orc who dealt the killing blow will get a promotion which will create a special revenge mission.
In addition to the clever Nemesis system, which sees your enemies evolving based on your actions, there are several tasks to keep you busy. At each location you can hunt down three fragments of Shelob's memories which will reward you a skill point. You can also find six words scattered about which are used to assemble a poem to obtain special gear. Then of course you have a handful of different story-driven quest lines which you can go back and forth between and complete at your own pace. Finally, you can go back in time as you relive Celebrimbor's memories which will reward you differently based on your performance. Skills points add new combat abilities to your arsenal while gems you find can enhance weapons and pieces of armor.
I was amazed at just how pleasantly addicting I found Middle Earth: Shadow of War to be. At first there was an eagerness to get as many different skills and upgraded combat abilities as possible. Then just when I was feeling good about that I got hooked on recruiting orcs to my side and planning attacks on each fortress. Of course none of this would have been possible if it hadn't been for the stellar combat system that makes it easy to feel like a Bad-Azz warrior. I did like the characters and found most of the plots to be fairly interesting. I'm looking forward to going back and playing the first game in the series as well as purchasing DLC when it goes on sale. If you enjoy Lord of the Rings of just want to play a twist on the Assassin's creed formula pick this one up.