Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor review roundup

Reviews

September 26, 2014

The reviews are in for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, and so far all is looking good for Talion and his quest for vengeance.

The game, produced by Warner Bros. Interactive, is due to be released for PC on 30 September 2014, for PS4 and Xbox One on 3 October, and for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on 21 November.

Shadow of Mordor sees gamers take control of Tailon, a ranger who is seeking revenge on those who killed his family. Oh, and those who killed him (he has been brought back to life by the spirit of vengeance).

For those who are impressed with the review roundup, take a look at our pre-order price roundup and grab yourself a copy of the game.

First up, the Metacritic scores.

Metacritic Scores
Platform	Metacritic Score
PS4	86
PC	N/A
Xbox One	N/A

Here’s what the international critics had to say.

Eurogamer – 8/10 (PS4)

As his power grows, Talion will unlock more wraith-like abilities which allow him to stun enemies, teleport to their location, or effortlessly pop their skulls between his palms.

It’s a subtle but effective instance of a skill tree reflecting a character’s narrative arc; gradually, without even realising it, you’re depending less on the noble path of the Gondorian Ranger and turning to the much more effective methods of terror and intimidation to get the job done – while relishing every moment of it.

GameSpot – 8/10 (PS4)

Easy comparisons aside, this is a great game in its own right, narratively disjointed but mechanically sound, made up of excellent parts pieced together in excellent ways. I already knew what future lay in store for Middle-earth as I played Shadow of Mordor; I’m hoping that my own future might one day bring another Lord of the Rings adventure as stirring as this one.

Joystiq – 5/5

What would have otherwise been a competent sandbox game with solid combat mechanics and an interesting twist on a known fantasy world is elevated by the Nemesis System. Shadow of Mordor is the strategic person’s action game.

Polygon – 9.5/10 (PS4)

Shadow of Mordor is that ultimate rarity. It tells a fun little story that would be enough to hold up most games on their own. But it also provides all of the tools to ensure that the most interesting tales to come out of the game will be the ones that were not scripted.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

IGN – 9.3/10 (PC, PS4)

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor stands out from other open-world action games by putting a great new layer on top of the trail that Batman blazed.

I was surprised at how well it integrates its excellent combat with rewarding feedback and progression not just for me, but also for my enemies. I’ve had many more memorable and unpredictable battles with its randomized Warchiefs and captains than I did in the scripted campaign missions, and I expect those to keep on coming.

GamesRadar – 4.5/5 (PS4)

By turning your every death into the start of a personal vendetta, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor makes you that much more invested in its open-world. The savage combat and satisfying stealth are just the means to exacting your ultimate revenge.