Summary
TheLord of the Ringsfranchise has a surprisingly lengthy history in the world of video games. The very first game set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world of Middle-earth was1982’sThe Hobbit, released for PCs like the Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, and Commodore 64.Lord of the Ringsgamescontinued to be released consistently for the next decade, and the launch of the Peter Jackson-directed trilogy increased demand exponentially. And after three decades ofLord of the Ringsreleases, fans were finally treated toMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, the oneLOTRgame to rule them all.
Hitting store shelves on Jun 05, 2025,Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordorturns 10 years old today. But despite its age,Shadow of Mordorarguably looks better than ever, with its story, gameplay, and presentation setting a gold standard for theLord of the Ringsfranchise that more recent games just haven’t been able to achieve.
10 Years On, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Is Still The Gold Standard for Lord of the Rings Games
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Delivered An Original, Authentic Lord of the Rings Story
One of the greatest strengths ofMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordoris that it tells its own story while remaining faithful to the source material, all while including plenty of exciting moments of well-earned fan service. Driving the narrative forward isTroy Baker’s Talion, a captain of Gondor who gets brutally killed by Sauron’s Uruk army and ends up merging with a long-dead Elven wraith who suffers from memory loss.
Together, Talion and this mysterious wraith seek revenge onSauron and his army, discovering more about the Elf’s past life along the way. It’s a relatively simple premise, but it’s one that gives developer Monolith a great deal of creative freedom, giving it plenty of room to deliver its own emotional beats and dramatic moments.
ButMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordoris still aLord of the Ringsgame, and it wears the franchise’s lore proudly on its sleeves.Shadow of Mordoris set in the 60 years betweenThe HobbitandFellowship of the Ring, allowing for some substantial cameos from characters like Gollum. It’s also eventually revealed that the mysterious wraith is Celebrimbor, the greatest Elven blacksmith of the Second Age, and the one who wastricked by Sauron into forging the Rings of Power. These major moments of fan service are interwoven expertly into the game’s original narrative, making it all feel grounded and well-earned.
Shadow of Mordoris set in the 60 years betweenThe HobbitandFellowship of the Ring, allowing for some substantial cameos from characters like Gollum.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Brought Something New to The Table
ButMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordordidn’t just rely on its brand recognition and fan service to gain traction.Shadow of MordorborrowedBatman: Arkham’s beloved freeflow combat systemand gave it an even bloodier, fantastical twist, giving the game some incredibly strong gameplay foundations. But even then,Shadow of Mordorwasn’t happy resting on its laurels.
One of the most defining parts ofMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordor’s legacy is its famousNemesis system, whereby players would encounter Orcs in the open world and see them gradually climb the ranks of Sauron’s army, becoming more powerful over time and delivering new lines of dialogue that changed dynamically depending on the player’s actions and past encounters with them.
Shadow of Mordor’s Nemesis systemis still widely regarded as one of the most innovative features in modern gaming, but with it locked behind a Warner Bros. patent, fans haven’t seen it in seven years.Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordorreally was the complete package, delivering innovative new gameplay features, an original story, and plenty of fan service, and that blueprint needs to be used far more often with newLord of the Ringsgames.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
WHERE TO PLAY
Winner of multiple awards including Game of the Year, Best Action Game and the most innovative game of this generation. Experience the ground-breaking Nemesis System as you fight through Mordor and ultimately confront the evil of Sauron in this new chronicle of Middle-earth.
