Xbox 360 PS3 Xbox One

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Role-playing (RPG)Hack and slash/Beat 'em upAdventure

Time to beat: about 17.9 hours
Plays offline: Yes

Overview

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a 2014 action-adventure game developed by Monolith Productions and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. An original story based on the legendarium created by J. R. R. Tolkien, the game takes place between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings film trilogies. The player controls Talion, a Gondorian Ranger who bonds with the wraith of the Elf Lord Celebrimbor, as the two set out to avenge the deaths of their loved ones. Players can engage in melee combat, and use wraith abilities to fight and manipulate enemies. The game introduces the Nemesis System, which allows the artificial intelligence of non-playable characters to remember their prior interactions with Talion and react accordingly in subsequent encounters.

The game's development began in 2011. In order to create an accurate environment and be consistent with Tolkien's books, the developers consulted Tolkien scholars from Warner Bros, as well as Peter Jackson, director of the film trilogies The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. They also received assistance from Wētā Workshop, who advised on the special effects. Christian Cantamessa served as the game's lead writer, while Dan Abnett was recruited to write dialogues for the Orcs featured in the game. Combat in the game was largely influenced by the Batman: Arkham series, while Monolith had previously experimented with the nemesis system in a cancelled Batman game based on Christopher Nolan films. Gameplay of sports games and pen-and-paper role-playing games influenced the design of the nemesis system, which was intended to create personal stories for each player and generate memorable Uruk-hai characters through gameplay.

The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in September 2014. Versions for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, developed by Behaviour Interactive, were released in November 2014. A version for Nintendo Switch 2, developed and published by Aspyr, is set to release on September 30, 2026. Shadow of Mordor received generally favorable reviews upon release. Most praise was directed at its combat, open-world design, and the Nemesis System. Some criticism was aimed at the game's story and boss battles. Shadow of Mordor marked the biggest launch for a game based upon Tolkien's universe, and would go on to win several awards from video gaming publications, including Game of the Year. The game was supported by downloadable content upon release. A sequel, Middle-earth: Shadow of War, was released in October 2017.