Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Intense overall intensityWhat's in it
Constant melee, ranged, and stealth killing of Uruk and Orc enemies with heavy blood spray and brutal sword/dagger finishing moves.
Signature finishing moves include decapitations and severed limbs performed on orc enemies.
The story centers on the murder of the hero's wife and son, revenge, enslavement of humans by Sauron's armies, and a spirit bound to a slain body.
Orcs are shown drinking grog and carousing at feasts and camps.
Players can hunt and kill wild beasts such as Caragors and Graugs for challenges and to ride them into battle.
Orc dialogue includes crude insults and mild profanity delivered as dark, gross-out banter.
Who can reach your kid
What it is
This is a solo, third-person open-world action-adventure with no multiplayer component, set in J.R.R. Tolkien's universe during the years separating The Hobbit from The Lord of the Rings. The player controls Talion, a ranger who cheats death by merging with the spirit of an Elf wraith and then carries out a personal campaign of retribution against the Orc forces serving Sauron. Gameplay centers on fighting: players chain together melee strikes, quiet takedowns from the shadows, and bow attacks against a constant stream of Uruk foes, accompanied by copious gore and vicious finishers such as severed heads and hacked-off limbs. Its narrative covers the slaying of Talion's wife and son, his existence beyond death, his quest for payback, and the liberation of humans held in bondage. The Orcs consume alcohol and swap vulgar, rough taunts, while the player has the option to track and kill wild animals. The title contains no in-app spending, no internet-based multiplayer, and no messaging tools.
How it's framed
Talion is presented as a figure of retribution pitted against a foe portrayed as thoroughly evil, so slaying and subjugating Sauron's Orcs reads as the heroic path. The bloodshed is rendered as a source of power and gets reinforced through character advancement and the Nemesis System, which converts the deaths and defeats of foes into a growing personal feud instead of focusing on their pain.
Details
- Developer
- Monolith Productions
- Publisher
- Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
- Released
- Sep 30, 2014
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