Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor – Xbox 360

It is fair to say that all game reviews (or reviews of anything, in general) are based on individual opinion.

That said, I am about 3-4 hours into the (XBOX 360 version of this) game.

The graphics, in my opinion, aren’t quite as drastically bad as has been stated in some of the other reviews. I only own "Last Gen" systems, so maybe I consider the graphics to be fine in that I have not seen or played any "Current Gen" games.

My opinion may possibly be different if I had.

The story, or any story for that matter, seems non-existent in this game. Yes, there is a base origin story for the character, and the tragedy that shaped who and what he has become, but that’s about it.

There doesn’t seem to be much story progression aside from kill enemies, die occasionally, and learn to kill even more enemies, only a bit more efficiently next time. For some this is probably fine, but I (as a fan of the books, movies, and other Middle Earth-centered games) had hoped for a storyline a bit more consequential to the concurrent happenings in Middle Earth (War in the North and Fellowship of the Ring). I don’t feel that I have been given that in this game.

The "free flow" fighting system works well, and although based in swordplay, is not so far removed (functionally) from the "free flow" fighting system that had been implemented into the recent (Rocksteady) Batman: "Arkham" series games.

It is well implemented, and works nicely.

The rest of the gameplay feels very much like the "Assassin’s Creed" titles. The "open world" running about and acrobatically climbing structures feels nearly identical to the aforementioned series, and works nicely.

Overall, it feels like they did a nice job of implementing the (Batman "Arkham") "free flow" fighting system, and Assassin’s Creed-esque gameplay into a Middle Earth (Mordor) setting.

The game seems well developed enough to me, but is missing the most important facet that would make this game more than just an endless fighting/combat simulation: A thorough and well implemented storyline.

There is fun to be had, but it doesn’t quite register into the top tier of games (Arkham, Mass Effect, The Last of Us, Uncharted, etc.) in my opinion.

I paid $ 25 for the game, and consider it a better than average game at that price point, however I would have felt very disappointed at full ($ 60) price.

The open world is WAY too small and the depth of this game is on par with a flash game from addictinggames. when i say depth i mean the leveling system and power ups or runes. also with what you can, or cannot, actually do. i felt like all i did was run around and kill the same damn enemy over and over and over and over and over……..again. the world was very small but looked like s***. same grey/red color everywhere. Nothing ever feels rewarding..ex: i think i’m about to head to a main battle against a major warchief when it turns out that i kill him the same way i was killing all they other baddie clone out there, stealth kill and insta kill a warchief and walk away…wtf.
i played ac:rogue after this and that game s***s on this a thousand times. this game should be worth 10 bucks. trust me you will spend 5 hours running around killing bad guy clones and realize that this game isnt fun and quit. it doesnt even run in 1080p, only 720p. no online features other than pointless leaderboards.
i was excited because i love lord of the rings. the story was superb i guess. i recommend watching all the cutscenes on youtube and you wouldnt even have to play the game(same with halo series lololololol).

Shadow Of Mordor: Middle Earth is a fantastic game if you don’t really mind the very sub-par graphics. The gameplay is absolutely amazing for there are so many ways to encounter and go guns – blazing on the orcs. The skill ups and special ability features really make the game fun because unlocking new ways to kill orcs can never be more satisfying. Although, like I said before, the graphics really aren’t that great. It feels like they weren’t done with finishing the graphics when they released the game. However, the cut-scene graphics are petty good. So if you just want a game that exemplifies the true meaning of brutality and killing sprees, then absolutely get if you don’t mind the iffy graphics. Overall, average story and graphics, but the gameplay totally makes up for it in my opinion.