Earlier this year, I rewatched every Lord Of The Rings movie, including The Hobbit films. So Middle Earth Shadow Of Mordor was something I wasn’t going to let it sit in my library unplayed any longer.
After spending 17 hours playing it, I’m blown away at how good it is. They nailed many aspects of what makes a game good.
Read on for my full Middle Earth Shadow Of Mordor review and why I think you need to play it for yourself if you are even the slightest fan of LOTR.
Is Middle Earth Shadow Of Mordor Good?
As a fan of the Lord Of The Rings, I think the story and gameplay in Middle Earth Shadow of Mordor were very good from start to finish. The transitions from gameplay to cinematics were incredibly smooth, and I’m left wondering why more games don’t do it the way they were done here.
I have to say, for a game that was released in 2014, the graphics and gameplay in Shadow of Mordor still hold up well in 2022, and I’m excited to play the next game Middle Earth Shadow Of War.
While I don’t see myself playing through this game again, I would recommend it to any LOTR fan so that they can slay hordes of orcs and Warchiefs for themselves. I rate it 8.9 out of 10.
Reviewed on: Windows PC
Hours Played: 17hrs 18min
Completion: 100%
My Shadow Of Mordor Rating:
8.9/10
What I Liked
- Good storyline
- The gameplay was satisfying once you learned the controls
- Cinematics and cutscenes were the perfect lengths
- The cuts to cinematics were extremely smooth
- The sounds and voice acting were spot on
What I Didn’t Like
- Sometimes my character was unresponsive for a moment in tight areas
- Missions can feel a little repetitive
- Quite a few key combinations to learn and memorize
Why Trust My Review?
I played and completed the game from start to finish which took me 17 hours and 18 minutes.
You can see my complete Shadow Of Mordor Pc Gameplay on YouTube.
My playthrough and review are based on my own opinions. They were not influenced by anyone despite receiving the game for free.
Yes, I did not purchase the game, but I was able to get the game for free using Twitch Prime. I pay for Amazon Prime, which also gives me Twitch Prime. Through that, I was given a serial number to use on the GOG (Good Ol Gamers) website to claim the game for free.
What Type Of Game Is Shadow Of Mordor?
Shadow of Mordor is a 3rd person open world action-adventure game. You have 3 weapons, a sword, a bow, and a dagger which require upgrades using runes and Mithril. Once upgraded, these weapons have many abilities that will help you in your journey across middle earth.
There is quite a large area to play in where you have main missions, side quests, find collectibles and artifacts, and other things you can do to earn small amounts of Mithril.
To get around quickly, they do have a fast travel system, or if you’re skilled enough, Caragors that you can tame and ride around.
There are elements of full-on battles where you’ll take on several enemies simultaneously, to sneaking around strongholds while remaining undetected.
What Is Shadow Of Mordor About?
The storyline in Shadow of Mordor takes place between the Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring.
“Talion who seeks revenge on the forces of Sauron after his family, consisting of his wife and son, are killed by those that lead them.” – Wiki
The story in the game was focused and left me wanting to know more about what would happen to Talion’s fate.
Who Do You Play As In Shadow Of Mordor?
In Shadow Of Mordor, you play as Talion, who is a Ranger of Gondor. He kind of reminded me of Strider the Huntsman when playing because you’re doing everything alone for the most part, but his story is very much different than his.
Shadow Of Mordor Boss Battles And Enemy Difficulty
I thought that the enemies were fairly easy overall on the normal difficulty. The biggest challenge was memorizing all the combinations and keys to press.
However, by default, the game gives you combat tips and hints every time you engage in battle. Partway through the game, I turned off a few of these to make the fighting more immersive.
If I were to play it again for the first time, I would choose the hardest setting, Grave Walker, to really give me the feelings and struggles of Middle Earth.
The boss battles we’re fairly scripted, which I think helps contribute to the storytelling in the game rather than just testing your gaming skills and patience.
The mini-bosses, War Chiefs, were interesting, although a bit repetitive. They require you to gather intel to understand their strengths and weaknesses.
Overall, the actual combat was satisfying, and even small insignificant battles felt like I accomplished something good for the cause.
Cinematics And Cut Scenes
Why can’t modern games take notes from this one?
You’ll be in an intense battle, and all of a sudden, your fight transitions into a full-blown cut scene. The way the gameplay transitions into cinematic scenes is the way all games should do it.
The actual cinematics was very well done, from the graphics to the voice acting. They could literally make an animated series or movie using this art style, and I would watch it.
I have no complaints about the storytelling and the way it is presented in Shadow Of Mordor.
How Long Is Shadow Of Mordor?
According to HowLongToBeat, the game should take between 15 and 16 hours to complete the main missions and 32 hours to 100% the game.
Because I was streaming the game and had some pauses, I believe I completed it within the average time frame.
The game was not too difficult to beat once I mastered the controls and understood how to defeat the various enemies thrown at me in the game.
Verdict: Is Shadow Of Mordor Worth It?
I think Shadow of Mordor is worth it for all Lord Of The Rings fans who play games. The graphics have held up well over the years, the storyline is solid and adds another story to learn about in Middle Earth, and the overall gameplay is satisfying.