And if you’re killed by someone in mid-level leadership or even a lowly grunt, they’ll soon be promoted They’ll even boast about it when you see them next. If you kill a low-level leader, someone else will be promoted to fill take their place.

The most novel and memorable mechanic is the Nemesis System, which allows for Orc captains and generals to remember your actions and react accordingly. Shadow of War picks things up shortly thereafter for a bigger, more ambitious siege directly against Sauron. Together, they wreak havoc on the outer sections of Mordor, slay a legion of Orcs, and enslave a legion more sometime in between the events presented in The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring. Shadow of Mordor follows the human ranger Talion who bonds with the wraith of the Elf Lord Celebrimbor to seek revenge on Sauron’s forces that killed his family, friends, and comrades. At the very least, slaying a Balrog is an emotionally satisfying experience after having to see one almost kill Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring. Say what you will about the ludicrous canonical implications of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel Middle-earth: Shadow of War, but there’s no denying that these groundbreaking games developed by Monolith Productions are a total thrill to play. Yet it’s impossible to deny that these groundbreaking titles offer a brilliant realization of Tolkien’s world.īest of all? One of these fantasy RPGs is currently available to anyone with an Xbox Game Pass subscription - and it lets you fight a Balrog.

The liberties taken with Tolkien’s universe, particularly in the games, are at times appalling. It’s easy for purists to dismiss the mediocrity of the Hobbit movies also set in Middle-earth, along with a pair of action role-playing games released in the 2010s.

Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, modern fantasy as we know it wouldn’t exist.

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