Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor was considered by many to be a GOTY contender in 2014. It took the lore of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and combined tight combat, beautiful visuals, and the Nemesis System which let players take control of Orcs in order to gain an edge over powerful enemies. The game wasn’t without its shortcomings, though. The Nemesis System, though great, had plenty of room for growth, and the world itself was sometimes devoid of any meaningful activity. However, after playing Shadow of War at E3 2017, it’s clear that Monolith took note of criticisms of the first game.
The world was large still, but it was full of life and activities. There was a larger concentration of enemy patrols, people to help, bases to take over, and tons of captains to put under your spell. The Nemesis System now allows players to build a legitimate army that they can upgrade and use to storm strongholds. Combat is just as tight and combo-focused as Shadow of War, but new abilities and more fluid transitions between different types of attacks lend themselves quite well to the frenetic pace and increased challenge. The experience as a whole had that sense of familiarity, yet it was all dialed up a notch with any frayed edges rectified for a better overall experience.
