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Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is a 3rd person action-adventure/role playing game set in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of The Rings fantasy world. You play as Talion, a Gondor Ranger who's returned from the dead and - somehow - ended up bonded with a dead Elf spirit, which gives him a range of special otherworldly powers. Setting out on a quest to avenge the deaths of his wife and child - not to mention his own - it's an open world adventure set in the heart of Mordor - when one does not just walk.
Playing out like a mixture between the Assassin's Creed and Batman games, players can choose to complete missions in an open and flexible manner, with a good and non-intrusive selection of side missions to undertake, alongside the main story ones. The game's revolutionary "Nemesis" system means that every orc you fight in the game has the potential to follow you through the game as a rival; levelling up when they beat you, and rising up through the ranks of Sauron's army by challenging other orcs for their position. This adds a great deal of dynamic spontaneity to how enemy encounters play out, and it's what makes Shadow of Mordor uniquely stand apart from the games it borrows heavily from.
Reading is required, as the majority of mission and quest information is displayed textually. Performing some of the special combat moves requires several combined button presses (e.g. simultaneously pressing and holding both a shoulder button and face button) which might prove troublesome for some players, while open world games in general tend to be a little bit more confusing than more linear experiences, meaning this is one best left to the older crowd.
The game features intense graphic violence and gore-heavy content. You'll be slashing orc throats, lopping their heads off with your sword, stabbing them from behind, shooting them with arrows, burning them, poisoning their grog, or even eating them alive using the world's giant ridable beasties, the carragors. It's pretty full on - but on the plus side, there's nothing in the way of bad language or sex.
Age Ratings
Format Reviewed: Playstation 4
