By Adam Roffel
There are plenty of open-world games that promise to make you feel like you have a ton of power. Far fewer give you a reason to remember the people you fight along the way. Shadow of Mordor was one of the first to make wins and losses mean more than a checkpoint restart.
When Monolith Productions released the game in 2014, it brought something fresh to the genre. Open-world games were already becoming crowded with map markers, collectables and endless side activities. Its Nemesis System turned ordinary enemies into recurring characters, capable of killing you, climbing the ranks and showing up later with a very personal grudge. It was a system that promised a lot, and unlike so many other games, actually delivered on the promise.
More than a decade on, that idea still holds up. Playing Shadow of Mordor again on Nintendo Switch 2 is a reminder of just how good the original game could be. It is also a reminder that a great game and a great port are two very different things.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition Details
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch 2
Developer: Monolith Productions (original game); Aspyr (Nintendo Switch 2 port)
Publisher: Aspyr
Genre: Action-adventure
Game Modes: Single-player
Welcome Back to Mordor, a Story Darker Than Most
Shadow of Mordor opens with tragedy. Talion, a ranger stationed at the Black Gate, watches his family get murdered before suffering the same fate himself. He soon discovers that death has not quite finished with him. Bound to Celebrimbor, the wraith of an ancient Elven smith, Talion sets out to take revenge on the forces of Sauron.
It is deep and dark stuff, and the story occasionally stretches Tolkien's mythology to accommodate the game's needs. The relationship between Talion and Celebrimbor provides enough intrigue to keep things moving. But this is not a particularly memorable fantasy narrative in its own right. The characters rarely rise above their roles, and the plot can feel like an excuse to move from one violent encounter to the next.
Honestly, that is not much of a problem. Shadow of Mordor is at its best when it stops worrying about its grand narrative and lets you loose in its world.
It’s the world that intrigued me. Mordor is an ugly place, as it should be. Its ruined landscapes, fortified camps and roaming Uruk armies make for a suitably miserable playground. The world's design is pretty minimalistic, and I mean that in the best way possible. You can spend your time hunting captains, rescuing slaves, collecting upgrades or simply making life difficult for Sauron's forces. The map is not enormous by modern standards, but there is enough going on without the game demanding that you spend half your evening clearing icons from the screen. That restraint has aged surprisingly well.
The Nemesis System Is What Sets This Apart
The Nemesis System remains Shadow of Mordor's greatest strength, and it does not take long to remember why it was so good back in 2014. Uruk captains have names, personalities, strengths and weaknesses. They belong to a hierarchy, and your actions can change it. Kill one captain and another may take his place. Get killed by an enemy and he might be promoted and become stronger. Survive an encounter and you may find that the same opponent turns up later, eager to finish what he started.
These encounters create stories that feel personal in a way that most open-world games struggle to achieve.
I still remember the particular satisfaction of tracking down an enemy who had previously made a mess of me. There is something wonderfully petty about returning to settle a score with an Uruk who now felt untouchable. When the game works like this, even a routine fight can take on the character of a proper rivalry.
That said, the illusion eventually wears thin. Spend enough time in Mordor and the captains begin to feel familiar, their personalities and battle tactics repeating with increasing frequency. The system is not magic, even if it occasionally feels that way. But its successes far outweigh its limitations. Plenty of games have offered bigger worlds, more elaborate quest lines and more cinematic battles since 2014. Few have made random encounters feel quite so personal.
It remains a shame that the Nemesis System has not become a more common feature of modern game design.
Fantastic Combat Without Too Much to Remember
The combat has held up well too. Talion's fighting style borrows liberally from the Batman: Arkham games, with timed counters, combo chains and executions forming the backbone of most encounters. There is nothing especially revolutionary about it now, but the system feels good in motion. A well-timed counter leads into a flurry of sword strikes, and an execution clears some breathing room. A well-placed arrow can remove a troublesome enemy before he has the chance to cause problems.
Things become particularly enjoyable once Talion starts unlocking more of his abilities. Stealth becomes deadlier, ranged attacks more useful, and the wraith powers offer increasingly nasty ways to deal with larger groups. You can approach a camp carefully, picking off guards from the shadows, or charge straight through the front gate and take things on a bit more recklessly. Both approaches work, although the latter can end up creating a big mess or, if you die, a newly promoted captain.
Late-Game Combat and Climbing Frustrations
The downside is that Talion eventually becomes so powerful that much of the challenge disappears. Enemies that once required careful planning can be dispatched with familiar combinations, and the combat occasionally settles into repetition. Moving through Mordor is also a weak point in this game. Climbing is generally quick and convenient, but Talion can be frustratingly eager to grab the wrong ledge. He might also take an unintended route when you are trying to move in a hurry. Remember those early Assassin’s Creed games when your character wouldn’t go where you wanted them to go? That feeling is plentiful here.
To be fair, these are complaints that back in 2014 probably were not as big of an issue. As video games have progressed over the last decade, our expectations have changed. Things that were not an issue in 2014 are definitely a problem now, and that’s just the reality of relaunching old games on new hardware.
Nintendo Switch 2 Port Could Be Better
There is an obvious appeal to taking Shadow of Mordor on the go. Its missions are easy to tackle in short bursts. Hunting captains, clearing camps and getting into unexpected fights suit handheld play particularly well. You can make meaningful progress without having to set aside an entire evening.
Shadow of Mordor was a good-looking game in its day, with convincing animation, dark environments and combat that looked impressive when everything came together. Those qualities remain, but this is not a remake, and the Switch 2 release does little to disguise the game's age. Textures, environmental detail and the overall presentation are products of an earlier console generation.
More importantly, I would have liked to see a little more ambition from a release arriving on Nintendo's newer hardware. A smoother performance option would have been welcome in a game built around counters, quick reactions and fluid combat. The experience remains enjoyable, but simply getting an older game running on new hardware is not the same as making the most of that hardware.
Game of the Year Edition Still Has Its Appeal
There is still a good argument for this version. Being able to take Mordor with you is convenient. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m ok losing a bit of framerate and graphics quality to take a game on the go. That said, some players might be expecting a significant visual overhaul or a technical showcase, so they should keep their expectations in check.
The distinction is important. Shadow of Mordor remains a good game because of what it was, not because this edition fundamentally changes it.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition brings together the main adventure and its additional content, including the Lord of the Hunt and The Bright Lord expansions. There is a good amount of material here, and newcomers have little reason to complain about the overall package. The expansions add more to do, although they do not radically change the experience. The core adventure is still the reason to play, and those who have already spent considerable time in Mordor are unlikely to discover anything that completely changes their opinion of it.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Remains a Solid Game
Revisiting Shadow of Mordor has left me with much the same feeling I had in 2014. I’m a fan of the Nemesis System and how it gives the game more personality. I also really enjoy the combat, even if you can power your way through the late game.
The story begins dark and grim, and while it could have been a bit better overall, I enjoyed what was ultimately provided. The world can become repetitive, and Talion's movement occasionally tests your patience. None of this, though, changes the fact that this is still a solid experience, even on modern consoles. If you’ve never played this before, or want to experience it again, the Nintendo Switch 2 is the perfect place to do this.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition Review Summary
Liked
- The Nemesis System creates memorable rivalries with Uruk captains.
- Satisfying combat with enjoyable counters, stealth, and wraith abilities.
- A focused open world without overwhelming map activities.
- Handheld play suits shorter missions, and the expansions add plenty of content.
Didn't Like
- The story and characters aren't especially memorable.
- Enemy encounters become repetitive, and late-game combat loses some challenge.
- Climbing and movement occasionally send Talion in the wrong direction.
- Ageing visuals and limited technical improvements on Nintendo Switch 2.
Overall Assessment of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition
Gameplay: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.6 / 5)
Presentation: ⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.8 / 5)
Performance: ⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.8 / 5)
Story / Narrative: ⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.7 / 5)
Fun Factor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5 / 5)
Overall Value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.3 / 5)
Adam Roffel
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