The stealth too, is also incredibly intuitive. As someone who hates stealth, sneaking around was a lot easier and less stressful than in other games. Orcs aren’t very smart, which gives a lot of leeway. The game also encourages players to make the most out of their environment. Shoot a Morgai Fly nest down to send a group of Uruk scrambling, or free an angry Caragor from its cage and let it do the work for you while you hide in the shadows.
Shadows of Mordor takes its combat system from the Arkham games, also published by Warner Bros. It’s a sleek system, where just two buttons will have you moving from Orc to Orc in a blaze of intricate swordsmanship. Adding on the new combos you’ll learn as the game progresses – execution moves, stuns, and wraith abilities, gives you a huge amount of flexibility in how you approach battles.
That battle system is influenced by the game’s “rune” system. In lieu of an inventory system and acquiring new weapons, Shadows of Mordor keeps things simple without sacrificing fun. Defeating orc captains, you’ll be rewarded with a “rune”. Warchiefs will drop epic runes which have even more powerful attributes. You can etch these runes onto one of your three weapons – sword, bow, or dagger. Runes will improve health regeneration, skill recharge times, and the power of certain abilities. If a rune has outlived its usefulness, players can break down the rune into Mirian, a sort of currency that allows you to unlock new attributes.
Attributes affect how many runes you can assign to a weapon, and also unlock ultimate weapon abilities. They’re vital to building an extremely powerful Ranger. On top of runes and attributes, Talion can learn even more abilities simply from defeating captains and warchiefs, or by completing story missions. All of these customizable elements build on each other to create truly satisfying character customization.
Shadow of Mordor has gone from an afterthought to one of the most lovingly discussed games in the new console cycle. Playing it, it’s easy to see why. Given the source material, it’s a little disappointing that story wasn’t stronger. However, the nemesis system, helped by solid navigation and combat systems, is a true innovation in an industry struggling to move forward. Shadow of Mordor is a surprising breath of fresh air.
