GAME REVIEW: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is the one LOTR game to rule them all

Fantasy as epic as J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” deserves a game of the highest caliber. Though many titles based on Peter Jackson’s adaptations of the books have seen release, the truly great ones are few and far between.

 

Accepting the challenge of filling that void is developer Monolith Productions with “Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor”. Depositing you smack-dab in the middle of one of the worst places in Tolkien lore, this open world game explores the darker side of the myth, with more chopped heads, slit throats, and bowels impaled served on a bloody platter than in over a dozen hours of Jackson’s movies combined.

 

Though it borrows heavily from two well-established franchises, “Shadow of Mordor” is more than just a Middle-earth reskin of “Assassin’s Creed”, or “Batman: Arkham City” with swords-and-sorcery shenanigans. Sure, there are walls to scale, minions to assassinate, and even towers to ascend to obtain the lay of the land. But the manner in which Monolith Productions has fashioned familiar formulas for a snug fit in the Tolkien mold, in combination with some exciting gameplay innovations, gives “Shadow of Mordor” its own unique identity.

 

 

Meeting savagery with revenge

 

Set between “The Hobbit” and the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, you play as Talion, a ranger tasked with guarding the Black Gate that serves as the entryway into Mordor. After Sauron’s agents brutally execute him along with his family, Talion finds himself resurrected by dark magic, and bound to an ancient wraith with no memories of his past.

 

Talion’s immediate concern is to carve a bloody trail of vengeance through Mordor, but his unlikely partnership with the wraith will lead them both down a stranger path – one that will have them forging tenuous alliances with denizens of the Black Land, liberating men enslaved by Uruk-hai and Orcs, and even crossing paths with a certain wretched creature whose precious inclusion in the game all LOTR fans should find welcome.

 

As Talion and the wraith unravel the secrets behind the power that called them forth from the grave, they will realize just how deeply entwined their roles are with the fate of Middle-earth.

 

 

Where the Shadows lie

 

“Shadow of Mordor” gives players a duo of large-ish regions to freely roam: a barren, blasted expanse resembling the Mordor we saw in the films, and a lush, verdant area overlooking the sea. There are plenty of buildings and ruins to test Talion’s parkour acrobatics, a few caves to delve into, and the aforementioned towers, which allow fast travel across the maps.

 

As expected, Mordor is swarming with Sauron’s forces. Creatures original to the game, such as the Warg-like Caragors and the gargantuan Graugs, look like they were designed by Weta Workshop specifically with Jackson’s vision in mind. Thanks to “Shadow of Mordor’s” stylish, fluid combat and robust stealth mechanics, encounters with these monsters can reach addicting highs of fun.

 

One does not simply walk into Mordor – without gutting hundreds of Orcs in the process

 

Buttons are mashed to strike with your sword, counter attacks, and dodge. This may sound like shallow entertainment on paper, and indeed, the combat may leave you underwhelmed in the first hour or so. But slaying fiends grants you experience points and other benefits used to unlock and level up abilities. In time, you will have a bevy of deadly abilities, including instant kills, a powerful ground slam, and even mind control. The last is particularly a joy to use – not to mention a necessity in many of the battles, as “Shadow of Mordor” has a tendency of throwing entire hordes of foes at you. A little help from a couple of vicious Orcs can go a long way.

 

You also have the requisite bow – complete with bullet time effect – to snipe villains with. Later upgrades enable you to pin their feet to the ground with a well-placed arrow, and teleport over short distances. Your third weapon is a dagger, which is chiefly used in the game’s satisfying stealth element. Aside from sneaking up behind an unsuspecting bad guy for a lethal backstab, Talion can hide in bushes, lure a mark to his position, and then perform the ambush.

 

The environment can also be used as a weapon. Enemies can be scared away by dropping a buzzing hive of hornets on their heads. They can be shoved into fire, or poisoned by contaminating grog barrels with toxin. Caragor cages can be unlocked, unleashing the fury of the beast on its captors. Alternatively, you can tame the animal and ride it into battle – always a heady rush.

 

Talion’s diverse skill set makes you feel like a one man army, though not an invincible one. Orcs don’t only breed like freakishly ugly rabbits, they’re resilient, as well, rarely backing down from a fight. As they come in many varieties – including dual blade-wielding berserkers and heavily armored grunts brandishing spear and shield – surviving conflicts will require sound knowledge of how each type should be dealt with. Timing and the opportunistic use of your surroundings are also key ingredients to victory.

 

 

Not all who wander are lost – some are just looking for Orc captains to gore!

 

“Shadow of Mordor’s” innovation, the much-vaunted Nemesis system, generally works in the game’s favor. It is, however, not without its faults.

 

The mechanic lets you form rivalries with Orc leaders – more powerful versions of the usual grunt. Every captain or warchief is unique, with his own strengths, weaknesses, special abilities, and gear – all of which you can learn about by interrogating lesser Orcs.

 

Upon defeat, leaders drop random runes that endow your weapons with unique properties, permitting play style customization to some extent. But should they survive or kill you, they rise in status and power. They will then surround themselves with a retinue of toughies to make your next confrontation harder. Once you learn how to enslave minds, however, you can plant traitors among the enemy ranks, leaving leaders open for a nasty surprise.

 

This system not only gives you an extra incentive to hunt these leaders down by making your fights personal; it also ensures the Orcs’ military hierarchy is constantly evolving based on your actions. These power struggles provide Mordor a living, organic feel, and give weight to the decisions you make in the game.

 

Where the mechanic flounders is how every encounter is designed to be introduced by a short, unskippable cut scene. Since most Orc groups are comprised of more than one Nemesis, this can lead to the action being paused several times during battle just so that someone can hurl a threat or insult at you. This breaks the otherwise smooth flow of combat. Worst case scenario, it can interrupt combos or even your entire strategy, which can lead to ridiculously frustrating losses.

 

 

Tales of conquest

 

“Shadow of Mordor’s” intriguing yet somewhat disjointed story is split into twenty main missions, which can be finished in around twelve hours. But with more than fifty side quests, several challenges, and a plethora of collectible artifacts and glyphs, you could easily spend weeks exploiting the game for all its contents.

 

Making games based on licensed properties has always proven tricky, but Monolith Productions have outdone themselves with “Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor”. Its combat is exhilarating, its stealth mechanics solid. And though the Nemesis system isn’t perfect, it immerses you in a breathing, dynamic world, taking your experiences and creating grand tales of conquest from them. The end product is a title worth revisiting over and over again for the chance to be a part of Tolkien’s undying epic. Truly, Middle-earth and the dark land of Mordor have never been so inviting. — TJD, GMA News