Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

The Good
The sword combat is very well done and easy to understand. You start with your basic moves, like swinging, parrying, and executing; but you eventually level up and upgrade your character with moves that make combat even more fun and interesting.

Playing the game stealthy is also really easy, yet satisfying. Stealth not too complicated. You can climb walls, silently execute enemies, etc. The simplicity of it isn't bad, however. Personally, I'm not to good at stealth in video games, but this game makes it understandable and fun, even for me.

The story and presentation are also well executed. I went into this game not at all knowing much about Middle Earth lore, but I was still interested the whole way, even if it's considered non-canon. There are also collectible throughout the game that tell you about other people's stories.

There is a unique system that involves the Uruks (the main enemies of the game). In summary, there is a rank system. Some of the enemies will be captains, body guards, war chiefs, etc. These ranks will constantly change throughout the game in many ways; by you killing one of them, by you interfering with their business through side missions, by random in-game events that just happen off screen, or by them killing you. Around halfway through the game, you can start branding enemies, which means making them fight for you. This is my favorite part of the game since you can brand enemies to the point where all of the war chiefs (the most powerful rank for Uruks), are on your side. The ranking system is very different to what I've seen in the games I've played, I might recommend the game just for that.

The Bad
Sometimes the side missions just feel repetitive. The ones you need to do to 100% the game, at least. For example, there are some where you have to rescue slaves by scouring an area and releasing them. Although you can approach these in different ways, the 2 maps in the game are pretty small, so you would have to be in the same place to do several missions, which sometimes feels tedious.

This one is more of a nitpick. There are a few beasts and such that-- from what I found-- aren't even part of Middle-Earth lore. I get that the game is considered non-canon, but when I found out that these beasts weren't even part of Middle-Earth, it felt kind of off to me.

There are some ridiculous dlc, and by some, I mean a lot. Some of them are actual story expansions, but some of them add in powerful upgrades to your weapons more Uruk warbands, and overall many things that shouldv'e just been in the game. I suppose it's more WB's fault, they always add stupid monetary crap to their games.

The Bottom Line
It's overall a really good game. The combat and stealth are solid, the ranking system is a fun feature, and the story is interesting enough to keep you invested. It even got me into Middle Earth lore.