Rendering a world made famous by a book (or a series of books in this case) in video game is an unpredictable prospect irrespective of how beloved the book is. There are no guarantees that video game would be as lauded by the fans. But Middle Earth- Shadow of Mordor proves that when done right the results can be breathtaking.
Plot
Bringing Tolkien’s world to gamers in this open world, action role playing video game are Monolith Productions. The game depicts the exploits of a Gondor ranger named Talion who witnesses the brutal sacrificial slaying of his family at the hands of servant of Sauron, attempting to summon wraith of Elf Lord Celebrimbor. In a twist of faith, Celebrimbor suffering from amnesia inhabits Talion’s body and bestows upon him wraith like abilities. Talion then sets off to avenge the death of his family and recover the dead Elf lord’s memory.
Gameplay
The beautifully rendered open expanse of Mordor and its various parts are there for the players to explore to their heart’s content. Besides the highly engaging and immersive main quest, there are plenty of equally absorbing and diverse side quests to keep things from getting monotonous.
Nemesis System
The highlight of the game has to be the unique and custom made nemesis system introduced by Monolith for this particular game. The nemesis system entails the game AI remembering player’s interaction with NPCs. Depending on player’s behavior for example if a Uruk escaped Talion’s grip during the last confrontation, it will taunt Talion and remind him of his failure. Disfigure an Uruk, next you meet him he will bear the scars and will seek vengeance.
The strategic part of the nemesis system allows Talion to control the manner in which his subdued victims are going to behave. For example after subduing an Uruk, Talion can choose to have him fight other Uruks captains to gain a position closer to a “War Chief”. Once the Uruk under Talion’s command attains the position of the War Chief’s bodyguard (with copious help from Talion of course), it can be “activated” to assassinate the Chief.
As the game proceeds players will have to upgrade Talion’s ranger and wraith abilities through two distinct skill trees. Talion’s arsenal which consists of a sword, dagger and bow can also be upgraded via runes acquired by killing high level foes.
Slaying Uruk’s made an art form
Shadow of Mordor doesn’t hold back any punches when it comes to brutal and gory dispatching of the villainous Uruk’s. In fact the game provides various creative ways to accomplish that with a flair! Those who have played Rocksteady’s Batman series would be pleasantly surprised to witness Monolith’s spin on combat system. There are various combos and finishers to unlock that help Talion to make a gory mess out of his victims and strike the fear of the “Ranger” in their black hearts.
Middle Earth - Shadow of Mordor is a must play game for every aficionado of Tolkien’s world and even for those who are not familiar with the deceased maestro’s work. It has already won critical acclaim from the critics and gamers alike and currently enjoys a metacritic rating of 84/100 on PC and PS4 and 87/100 for Xbox One.