Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor (Video Game)

[idleninja]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/11/12/december-2013-shadow-of-mordor-67498.aspx

With the movies and now this sandbox RPG, MAYBE they'll make some more cards for this game?

[Ringbearer]

Ehm... no. Lisence is with FFG who has his own game of LOTR.

[jdizzy001]

the game looks cool though! it's about time they make a game that features more than jus the 9 walkers

[Eukalyptus]

War in the North had 3 non-walkers as protagonists.

[jdizzy001]

It may not have been "canon" characters but it was still 3 hunters themed. What business does an elf a man and a dwarf have in the Riddermark ... I mean the north? Speak quickly!

I couldn't get past the "I promise, this isn't Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli," factor.

[Floydor]

Why the #$&*@! they are not able to create game online or single player with expanded "evil" side? To make alternate point of view to the Middle Earth. Im tired of slaughtering orcs/uruks/easterlings/southrons/dunledings/crebains/trolls/wargs....give me chance to burn out Minas Tirith....to hunt elves.....to hunt Fellowship.....

[thetimewarptrio]

I just watched the gameplay trailer for this game, and even though it looks like it has some pretty cool aspects (like the enemies learning from your fighting style) it seems to me that it's just an Assassin's Creed ripoff set in noncanonical Middle Earth. If the game's setting were anywhere else, it would definitely be lauded as an AC clone, but I think the setting just makes the game even worse. Don't ruin a decent franchise (AC) and an amazing one (LOTR), by combining them. There hasn't been a good LOTR video game since Battle for Middle Earth II.

[Carl333]

So, about what year is it coming out?

[thetimewarptrio]

It's due out this year, but no time frame specifically. Which means of course, if the release date is anytime between April and August, it'll be a terrible game, because those are the months where games that die get released.

[Zurcamos]

if the release date is anytime between April and August, it'll be a terrible game, because those are the months where games that die get released.

What a pointless and incorrect absolute.  Several of the highest rated, best selling games of all time were released during those months.

[thetimewarptrio]

Okay, so maybe it's a bit of a gross exaggeration, but the on whole it's true. Other than 'Red Dead Redemption', 'The Last of Us', and 'GTA IV', I can't think of too many great recent console games that were released over the warmer months. Take sports games out of the equation because that's based on seasons, and the majority of major releases come from September - March. Such as any CoD, Halo, AC, Battlefield, Gran Turismo, GTA (V, III, SA, VC), Skyrim (and Oblivion), Bioshock (2 and Infinite), Gears, Uncharted, and Dead Space.

Are there exceptions to the rule? Certainly. But more often than not, a game company will choose to release a game during the winter months (because people are inside and playing games) to maximize sales. If they think they have a great product, they'll want maximum sales, and will traditionally release it during those months.

For example, the highest grossing video game on current consoles, GTA V, was released in September. And a lot of the editors choices were for Bioshock : Infinite (a March release), ranking it as the best PC game of last year, the second best 360 game, and the third best PS3 game (behind The Last of Us, whose developer Naughty Dog had previously released every Uncharted game during the winter months). I'll take that 66% (from last year alone) and 75% chance (from Naughty Dog's recent releases) to the bank every day.

And then, you have to factor in when E3 and the Microsoft Spring Showcase are, which is late May or early June. A stuido doesn't want to release a game too close to these events, because the game teasers and new innovations will potentially steal the thunder of the game being released. Also during May and June are the bigggest movie releases outside of the month of December, which have people spending their money at the theater rather than the game store. A studio will also have to have a large and loyal fanbase (such as Rockstar or Naughty Dog, which monopolizes the Playstation market) to pull off a summer release. There's a reason that GTA IV, RDR, and Last of Us have been the major warmer month releases - they simply have the capacity to pull it off with their studio. I don't think Monolith Productions (Shadow of Mordor developer) has the star power to pull off a warmer month release, especially with the mediocre games they've released in the past.

[Not a Zombie]

I just watched the gameplay trailer for this game, and even though it looks like it has some pretty cool aspects (like the enemies learning from your fighting style) it seems to me that it's just an Assassin's Creed ripoff set in noncanonical Middle Earth. If the game's setting were anywhere else, it would definitely be lauded as an AC clone, but I think the setting just makes the game even worse. Don't ruin a decent franchise (AC) and an amazing one (LOTR), by combining them. There hasn't been a good LOTR video game since Battle for Middle Earth II.

I don't suppose you have disk 1 for BFME II (PC) that you would be willing to copy and ship to me? I lost it some time ago

[thetimewarptrio]

I don't suppose you have disk 1 for BFME II (PC) that you would be willing to copy and ship to me? I lost it some time ago

That I don't........I have the game for Xbox 360. Is it expensive/hard to find for PC?

[Not a Zombie]

Yup. $60 for a complete game. Disk one is difficult to get, since it was the play disk many people lost it (me included )

[thetimewarptrio]

Oh wow, that's a tad overpriced! I always liked the first one better anyway though, I just foolishly played RTS' that weren't Age of Empires on the consoles.

[thetimewarptrio]

Anyway, revisiting this topic.

So I wasn't wrong about what I posted earlier, this game is basically an Assassin's Creed skinned game based in Middle Earth.

But wow is it different.

Early positive reviews tempted me to pick up a copy, and when KMart said they'd give me $20 off the price a week after release, I picked it up for my Xbox One.

The controls and movement act exactly like an AC game, with the combat a mix of The Return of the King, the Batman Arkham series, and Assassin's Creed.

Where the game really shines is the entire "Nemesis System", which makes all the bosses unique, and fun to fight. It's been since GTA V that I've played a game this satisfying, as it's cool to see a no-name orc kill you, get promoted, and then rise up the ranks of the orc promotional ladder, only to fight him again later in-game, where he's figured out how to fight you, but you finally taking him down. I've literally pumped my fist and yelled when taking down some of the bosses in the game, finally getting my vengeance after being pounded into the ground too many times, learning how to play the game myself.

As far as the LOTR universe goes, the timeline is rather muddled, and the events that take place are obviously rather non-canonical. I do like an exploration into the world of Middle Earth, especially the places not really touched on by Tolkien, so it's cool to see and play through other parts of the world. I just wish that they had sticked a little closer to canon, making it seem more possible that the events could have conceivably occurred. I also hope that there's an option to explore Minas Morgul as DLC....the one place that I think was mostly left untouched by Tolkien was any exploration and delving into the dead city and Morgul Vale. The evil that sleeps there has always fascinated me.

If there's a sequel to this game..........I hope it's Shadow of Moria, or Shadow of Morgul. Besides Dol Guldur, those are the two places I've wanted badly to explore since becoming a Tolkien fan in early grade school.

[idleninja]

As far as the LOTR universe goes, the timeline is rather muddled, and the events that take place are obviously rather non-canonical. I do like an exploration into the world of Middle Earth, especially the places not really touched on by Tolkien, so it's cool to see and play through other parts of the world. I just wish that they had sticked a little closer to canon, making it seem more possible that the events could have conceivably occurred.

I agree, if they already got the LoTR license/brand name why did they not stick (even a little bit more) to canon? Us diehards would be way happier and casuals don't care either way, makes no sense to me. But that's my only complaint about the game.

I also got Shadow of Mordor because I heard it was fun. The nemesis system is one of the best game mechanics I've seen in a long time. Combat feels very much like Batman/AC. I wish archery was bigger but man this game is fun!

If Big D made some promo cards for the game I would be so happy

[thetimewarptrio]

I wish archery was bigger but man this game is fun!

Amen to this. I keep leveling up my bow to try and make it better, but I gave up about halfway through because it didn't do a whole lot. The unlimited throwing daggers you get are way more useful haha.