The 50 Best Xbox One Games Right Now

Best Xbox One Games List – #6 Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Developer: Monolith Productions

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Xbox One Release Date: September 30, 2014

Perhaps a decade since its last great action game, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor does something inherently strange within the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s magnum opus: not tell the main story of The Lord of the Rings, nor The Hobbit. Instead, it focuses on the life of ranger Talion, a Gondor guard of the Black Gate of Mordor. After the grim events of one faithful evening, Talion is imbued with wraith-like abilities and exacts revenge on the foul creatures that tried to silence him forever.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is renowned for the handling of its open world and the use of the Nemesis system to exact revenge. The latter tracks a small number of tagged Uruk leaders throughout Sauron’s army, allowing the player to track and attempt to kill targets for upgrade gains. Defeat a leader, and the power structure of the enemy begins to crumble. Player death to such bosses means the enemy becomes stronger, requiring more tact and brawn in future encounters.

It’s the combat, stealth, upgrade optimization, skills and exploration that takes an open world action game and gives it flavor. The Nemesis system is just the defining means to an end, one such system that will be interesting to adapt upon.

Next: #5 Titanfall