Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

2026-04-19T21:21:29Z

Cetx: The pronoun "his" makes no sense when the sentence's object is IGN, so I changed the term to "the reviewer's"

{{short description|2014 video game}}
{{incomplete}}
{{video game infobox
| image = Shadow of Mordor - Cover art.jpg
| name = Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
| developer = [[Monolith Productions]]
| publisher = [[Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment]]
| platform = PC, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
| releasedate = [[wikipedia:North America|NA]]: [[30 September]] [[2014]] <br/> [[wikipedia:Europe|EU]]:[[3 October]] [[2014]]
| genre = [[wikipedia:Action role-playing|Action role-playing]]<br/>[[wikipedia:Action-adventure game|Action adventure]]
| modes = Single player
| rating = [[wikipedia:Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]]: M<ref name="ESRB Ratings">[https://www.esrb.org/ ESRB Ratings], "[https://www.esrb.org/ratings/33558/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor/ ''Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor], dated [[29 August|August 29]], [[2014]] (accessed [[25 November]], [[2022]])</ref>
| distribution =
}}

'''''Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor''''' is an open world action-adventure video game developed by [[Monolith Productions]]. Released in 2014, the story takes place between ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', acting as a bridge between the two eras. The protagonist's name is Talion, a [[Gondorian]] [[Ranger]] stationed at the [[Black Gate]]. Talion's family is slain the night the Dark Lord [[Sauron]] and his [[Uruk-Hai]] forces return to reclaim [[Mordor]], setting the Ranger on a quest for revenge after he is possessed and sustained from death by a mysterious [[Wraith]].

The game received generally favorable reviews upon it's release, with most of the praises were about its combat, open-world design, and the Nemesis System, although it received some criticism about the game's story and boss battles. This game marked the biggest launch for a video game based on Tolkien's universe, and would go on to win several awards from video gaming publications, including [[wikipedia:List of Game of the Year awards|Game of the Year]]. It was followed by a sequel, [[Middle-earth: Shadow of War]], which was released in October 2017.

==Plot synopsis==
The family of [[Talion]], a ranger who guards the black gates into [[Mordor]], is brutally killed by the Black Hand of Sauron. Talion is also killed but is brought back to life merged with a wraith that gives him inhuman powers. He ventures into Mordor to exact revenge and to help the [[Celebrimbor|wraith]] find his past identity and what brings the two together.

==Gameplay==
''Shadow of Mordor'' is an open-world action/adventure game that is set entirely within Mordor.<ref>{{webcite|author=Chris Plante|articleurl=http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/1/6881161/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-torture-terrorism|articlename='Shadow of Mordor' is morally repulsive and I can't stop playing it|dated=31-May-2011|website=[http://www.theverge.com The Verge]|accessed=July 29, 2015}}</ref> The overworld is mainly populated by [[Uruk-hai|Uruks]], as well as never-before-seen creatures, such as the cat-like Caragors and troll-like Graugs.

One defining feature of the game is the Nemesis System, which allows the game to remember Uruks of a certain notability and track their progress as they rise from lowly soldiers to high-ranking captains and even war-chiefs. Most of these Uruks are randomly-generated and can vary in appearance, name, personality, and strengths/weaknesses. the Captains can randomly be found among the anonymous masses, though the war-chiefs can only be encountered by completing certain objectives to draw them out of hiding.

There are a number of tactics and strategies that can be exploited to kill Uruks: In addition to killing them in normal combat, one can also poison a nearby barrel of grog and let Uruk-hai drink from it, grapple them and throw them over the edge of a cliff or platform, set Caragors loose on them by breaking open their cages, launch sneak attacks from above or behind, or "brand" Uruks with the Wraith's powers to brainwash them and pit them against other Orcs.

==Differences between versions==
The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game are severely lacking in comparison to their counterparts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One: The PS3/360 versions features a simplified Nemesis system, poor framerate, longer loading times, and Graugs are very rarely encountered outside of missions. As such, the hunting challenges involving the Graugs and their variants are omitted from these versions of the game.

==In Depth Summary==
The family of Talion, a ranger of Gondor who guards the Black Gates into Mordor, is brutally killed by the Black Hand of Sauron and his two subordinates, the Hammer of Sauron and the Tower of Sauron, when Sauron's forces move to reoccupy Mordor after the [[Battle of Five Armies]]. Talion is also killed via a cut throat but is brought back to life merged with a elven wraith that gives him inhuman powers. He ventures into Mordor to exact revenge and to help the wraith find his past identity and what brings the two together. Through a series of quests with [[Gollum]], Talion and the wraith find relics that give the wraith his memories back in the form of visions. After completing all three Gollum Quests, the wraith is revealed to be Celebrimbor, the elven blacksmith who was tricked into forging the rings of power by Sauron during the [[Second Age]]. Talion also reunites with a fellow ranger, Hirgon of Tarnost and in a series of missions saves Hirgon's wife, poisons orc grog, and helps the rangers destroy a statue of Sauron in Mordor. Talion and Celebrimbor also meet an orc named Ratbag the Coward. Talion frees Ratbag from his binds and makes a deal; Ratbag will rank up in Sauron's army as long as he helps Talion kill the warchiefs. After three quests, Ratbag becomes a warchief and the deal is ended. After all of the previous missions, Talion attracts the attention of The Hammer of Sauron. The Hammer kills Ratbag, the only remaining warchief, for his incompetence and Talion kills the Hammer.

A young warrior-woman, Lithariel, approaches Talion and invites him to come hold audience with her mother, Queen [[Marwen]] of the coast of Nurnen, who wishes to treat with Celebrimbor. The ranger and wraith go to the coast of Nurnen, and the ailing mystic Marwen coaxes Celebrimbor and Talion into the realization that they can control orcs—including captains. Spurred by the idea that controlling the orc command structure can give them an army to challenge the Black Hand, the pair begin taking over orcs and manipulating the orc infighting to elevate their servants to command. Along the way, Talion meets a dwarf named Torvin, who teaches Talion about hunting and helps him retrieve one of Celebrimbor's past possessions, which have uniformly triggered memories and insight in the elf's life. The elderly Marwen's malaise worsens, and Talion helps retrieve medicine for her. It's revealed that her illness isn't age or her own straining efforts at seeing the future, but the malign influence and control of Saruman. Saruman almost succeeds in remotely breaking the bond between Talion and Celebrimbor, which would kill the ranger, when Lithariel breaks the staff her mother got from Saruman and severs the connection between the two. Marwen wishes to leave Nurnen with their tribe. Lithariel, on final raids with her warriors, is captured and Talion rescues her from an uruk stronghold. In gratitude, Marwen uses her influence with the local sailors to arrange passage for Talion and his force of orcs to the stronghold of the Black Captains. There Talion battles the Tower of Sauron, who prefers to torture the mind rather than fight the body. Among other things, the Tower reveals that Celebrimbor deliberately chose Talion's body as a host, and that Celebrimbor uses Talion to exact his revenge on Sauron. Celebrimbor also helped Sauron refine the Ring. Talion slays the Tower, and the ranger and wraith quarrel briefly but resolve to continue their partnership at least until the Black Hand, last of Sauron's captains, is defeated.

Upon their return to Nurn, they find Queen Marwen's stronghold has been attacked by orcs, and the Queen and her followers are nowhere to be found. The orcs came chasing a relic of Celebrimbor's, which was kept hidden by Gollum, who's kept trailing Talion and Celebrimbor in the hopes they'll lead him to the One Ring. Talion touches the relic and relives the near-end of Celebrimbor's memories—that Celebrimbor had stolen the One Ring from Sauron, and used it against Sauron for a time, commanding his own army of dominated orcs. The pair decide to go confront the Black Hand—who has made his base at the Black Gate. After a pitched battle with the Hand's own personal band of orc war-chieftains, the pair reach him. The Hand, surprisingly, doesn't resort to a physical confrontation. He reveals the failure of Celebrimbor's campaign—Sauron was almost bested, but as the maker and true master of his Ring, he was able to magically pull it from Celebrimbor's finger to his own, and then overwhelm the elf-lord. The vision over, the Black Hand cuts his own throat to make himself a vessel for Celebrimbor, using his magic to steal the wraith from Talion. Then, with Celebrimbor's spirit in him, the Black Hand channels Sauron and becomes his master's giant armored form. A dying Talion manages to avoid "Sauron's" attacks, and then the resisting Celebrimbor freezes the Hand to give Talion time to strike him down.

The weakened Talion's vision clears in the unseen world of the wraith, and he stands over the slain Black Hand. Celebrimbor wearily believes they can't beat Sauron and he's willing to move on with Talion and let the ranger reunite with his family in the beyond. Talion, though, questions if Celebrimbor could really rest in peace if he did nothing further to fight Sauron. Celebrimbor is swayed by the ranger's argument, and bonds with him once more. Alive and strong again, Talion stands on the Black Gate and looks towards the newly-erupting Mount Doom, and declares it is time for a New Ring.

==Voice cast==
{| class="wikitable" =
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
!Role!!Actor
|-
|[[Talion]]||[[Troy Baker]]
|-
|[[Celebrimbor|The Wraith]]||[[Alister Duncan]]
|-
|Hirgon of Tarnost||Travis Willingham
|-
|The Black Hand of Sauron / Nemesis Orcs||[[Nolan North]]
|-
|The Hammer of Sauron / Nemesis Orcs||John DiMaggio
|-
|[[Sauron]]||[[Steve Blum]]
|-
|Tower of Sauron / Thuggish Orc / Nemesis Orcs||JB Blanc
|-
|Torvin||Adam Croasdell
|-
|Ioreth||Laura Bailey
|-
|[[Gollum]]||[[Liam O'Brien]]
|-
|[[Galadriel]]||[[Jennifer Hale]]
|-
|[[Ratbag|Ratbag the Coward]]||[[Phillip LaMarr|Phil LaMarr]]
|-
|Queen [[Marwen]]||Claudia Black
|-
|Dirhael||Jack Quaid
|-
|[[Saruman]]||[[Roger Jackson]]
|-
|Ship Captain||[[Jason Connery]]
|-
|Various Orcs||Bob Joles
|-
|Nemesis Orcs / Humans||Neil Kaplan
|-
|Shagflak / Nemesis Orcs||Michael Gough
|-
|Additional voices||[[Yuri Lowenthal]]
|-
|Additional voices||JB Blanc
|-
|Additional voices||Chris Cox
|}

==Reception==
{{VG reviews
| agg1=[http://www.metacritic.com Metacritic]
| agg1score=87% <ref name="Metacritic">[http://www.metacritic.com Metacritic], "[https://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-one/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor] (accessed [[14 December|14]] [[December]] [[2022]])</ref>
| rev1=[http://www.ign.com IGN]
| rev1score=9.3 <ref name="IGN Review" />
| rev2=[http://www.gamerevolution.com GameRevolution]
| rev2score=9 <ref name="GameRevolution Review">[http://www.gamerevolution.com GameRevolution], "[https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/65487-middleearth-shadow-of-mordor-review Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Review]", [[26 September|26]] September 2014 (accessed [[14 December|14]] [[December]] [[2022]]</ref>
| rev3=[https://www.eurogamer.net/ Eurogamer]
| rev3score=8 <ref name="Eurogamer Review">[https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-09-26-middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-review Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor review], [[6 October|6]] October 2014 (accessed 14 December 2022)</ref>
| rev4=[http://www.gametrailers.com GameTrailers]
| rev4score=8.7 <ref name="GameTrailers Review">[https://web.archive.org/web/20140929050440/http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/7g7edx/middle-earth--shadow-of-mordor-review Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – Review], [[6 October|6]] October 2014 (accessed 14 December 2022)</ref>
| rev5=[https://www.gamespot.com/ GameSpot]
| rev5score=8.0 <ref name="GameSpot Review" />
| rev6=[https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/ PC Gamer (US)]
| rev6score=85 <ref name="PC Gamer (US) Review">[https://www.pcgamer.com/middleearth-shadow-of-mordor-review/ Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Review]", [[30 September|30]] [[September]] 2014 (accessed [[14 December|14]] [[December]] [[2022]])</ref>
| rev7=[https://www.destructoid.com/ Destructoid]
| rev7score=6 <ref name="Destructoid Review">[https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor/ Review: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor]", [[30 September|30]] [[September]] 2014 (accessed [[14 December|14]] [[December]] [[2022]])</ref>
| rev8=[https://www.polygon.com/ Polygon]
| rev8score=9.5 <ref name="Polygon Review">[https://www.polygon.com/2014/9/26/6254177/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-review-lord-of-the-rings-ps4-xbox-one MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR REVIEW: ALL THOSE WHO WANDER]", [[30 September|30]] [[September]] 2014 (accessed [[14 December|14]] [[December]] [[2022]])</ref>
}}''Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor'' has received generally positive reviews, with reviewers praising the sound quality, accessibility, the game's core feature, and its Nemesis system. It was also praised its combat.

{{blockquote|Your ears are invaded by the growls and grunts of the grotesque Uruk-hai that roam the land, and your eyes are overwhelmed by the crumbling ruins of once-proud buildings.|[https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-review/1900-6415884/ GameSpot Review]}}

[[File:Shadow of Mordor - Gamepplay.jpg|thumb|left|200px|An array of characters fighting]][http://www.gamespot.com GameSpot] in a positive review, said, "''Luckily, Shadow of Mordor greatly refines and improves other aspects of that established formula.''" but that ''Shadow of Mordor''it had an erratic story that concludes with anticlimactic battles.<ref name="GameSpot Review">[http://www.gamespot.com GameSpot],"[https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-review/1900-6415884/ Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Review], [[6 October|6]] October 2014 (accessed 14 December 2022)</ref>

[http://www.ign.com IGN] thought that the story introduced memorable characters but would not make sense to [[Tolkien fandom|fans]] of the [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] series, and the reviewer's interest in the game waned towards its end.<ref name="IGN Review">[http://www.ign.com IGN] "[https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/09/26/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-review Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Review]", [[20 September|20]] September 2014 (accessed [[14 December|14]] [[December]] [[2022]])</ref>

===Awards===
In addition to winning several awards at major events and ceremonies, the game was selected by [[Wikipedia:GameSpot|GameSpot]],<ref>"[http://www.gamespot.com/game-of-the-year/ Game of the Year 2014]", [[26 December|26]] December 2014 (accessed [[14 December|14]] [[December]] [[2022]])</ref> among others<ref>[http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/giant-bomb-s-2014-game-of-the-year-awards-day-five/1100-5126/ Joystiq Top 10 of 2014: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor]", [[26 January|26]] January 2015 (accessed [[14 December|14]] [[December]] [[2022]])</ref> as their [[Wikipedia:List of Game of the Year awards|Game of the Year]] for 2014. At the 2014 The Game Awards it won the "Best Action/Adventure"<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/articles/2014-game-awards-nominees-announced/1100-6423734/ 2014 Game Awards Nominees Announced]", [[26 January|26]] January 2015 (accessed [[14 December|14]] [[December]] [[2022]])</ref> and it was norminated for other two awards.

{{references}}

==See also==
*[[:Category:Images from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor|Images from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor]]

==External links==
*'''[https://www.shadowofwar.com/purchase/ Official website]'''

{{Videogames}}

{{title|italic}}

[[Category:Action games]]
[[Category:Adventure games]]
[[Category:Microsoft Windows games]]
[[Category:Open world games]]
[[Category:PlayStation 3 games]]
[[Category:PlayStation 4 games]]
[[Category:Role-playing video games]]
[[Category:Xbox 360 games]]
[[Category:Xbox One games]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. Interactive games]]
[[Category:Middle-earth: Shadow (video game series)]]

Basil Bunting and J.R.R. Tolkien

2026-04-19T20:20:34Z

Cetx: Corrected the quote from https://homepage.ntu.edu.tw/~karchung/books%20on%20tape.htm (although I'm not convinced the quote is valuable anyway)

{{audiobook infobox
| title=Basil Bunting and J.R.R. Tolkien
| image=Basil Bunting and J.R.R. Tolkien.jpg
| work=
| author=
| narrator=
| coverart=
| publisher=
| publisherUK=London: BBC Cassettes (BBC Study Tapes)
| publisherUS=Jeffrey Norton Publishers, Suite L600, 96 Broad St., Guilford, CT 06437. Audio-Forum Label<ref>{{webcite|author=|articleurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20101130103437/http://www.tolkiencollector.com/pages/record0085.html|articlename=BBC Interview - Tolkien with Denis Gueroult|dated=30 November 2010|website=tolkiencollector.com (archived)|accessed=25 April 2014}}</ref>
| date=[[1980]]
| dateUK=
| dateUS=
| format=Audio Cassette
| runtime=
| isbn=
}}
'''''Basil Bunting and J.R.R. Tolkien''''' is an audiobook which features interviews with [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] and [[Wikipedia:Basil Bunting|Basil Bunting]]. There has been several suggestions on which interview being included:
*'''[[1965 BBC Interview]]''' (interviewer: [[Denys Gueroult]])<ref>{{CG|RG}}, p. 824</ref>
*'''[[1964 BBC Interview]], First Part''' (interviewer: Irene Slade): "The interviewer gives the feeling of bullying and cowing an elfish Tolkien, but still offers insight into the man behind ''The Lord of the Rings''"<ref>Karen Chung, "[http://homepage.ntu.edu.tw/~karchung/books%20on%20tape.htm Audio books (on tape and CD) available in the NTU Audio-Visual Library with occasional notes]" (accessed 13 September 2010)</ref>
*'''[[1964 BBC Interview]], Second Part''' (interviewer: Denys Gueroult)<ref>Perry C. Bramlett (2002), ''[[I Am in Fact a Hobbit]]'': Appendix 6, p. 236</ref><ref>[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0884322998?ie=UTF8&tag=bestbookbuys00&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0884322998 Amazon.com] (accessed 13 September 2010)</ref>
==Details==

*American edition
**'''Title:''' ''Basil Bunting and J.R.R. Tolkien''
**'''Series:''' ''The Authors Speaks''
**'''ISBN-10:''' 0884322998
**'''ISBN-13:''' 9780884322993
**'''Dimensions:''' 9.75"H x 7"W x 0.75"D; 0.5 lbs.
*UK edition
**'''Title:''' ''Interviews with Tolkien and Basil Bunting''

==Official description==

On Side 1 is a rare interview, recorded in 1964, with J. R. R. Tolkien and Denis Gueroult about his imaginary world of "Middle Earth" and the languages he created for his characters in The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Inventing languages was one of his childhood pastimes, while in his academic life at Oxford he was Professor of Anglo-Saxon and later of English Language and Literature. Tolkien's personality and his views on man, society and politics come across clearly in this illuminating conversation.

{{references}}
{{title|italics}}
[[Category:Audiobooks]]

Tolkien Gateway - User contributions [en]

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Basil Bunting and J.R.R. Tolkien