Day Three of PAX Prime is over and one thing is clear. There is no better game here in Seattle than Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. Sure there are games which come close but for our money, come September 30, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor should be a day one purchase.
Monolith shared a booth with other WB Games like The Witcher 3 and Gauntlet. However, what made them stand out over everyone else is the way each station came equipped with what we’ll call a personal trainer. We had the fortune to have a trainer who was knowledgeable about the backstory, game mechanics, and how to strategically approach the mission.
As for the game itself, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is an action role-playing game which is set in The Lord of the Rings universe. In LoTR lore, the game is said to bridge the gap between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings saga.
Playing as Talion, gamers are set in an open world setting which means they’re free to roam and tackle side quests as they please. At today’s PAX Prime event, Monolith showed us the various movements Tailon can use at his disposal. Movements such as stealth, combat, and ranged attacks. During the demo, we were tasked with taking down a top ranking Orc and in order to get him out onto the battlefield, we needed to assassinate one of his commanding officers.
From here the game truly shines as the possibilities for Talion show no limits. It was a joy to traverse from building to building while using unsuspecting archers as my means of transportation. The fluidity in which the characters moved and the spot on attack system made even the toughest encounters on the battlefield a joy to watch to and participate in. Tailon also possesses wraith like abilities which makes it easier for him to spot enemies, locate the essential hiding spot, and then sneak up on unsuspecting enemies.
Middle-earth: Shadow or Mordor is set to release on September 30 for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. From the detailed menus, tight-consistent controls, and jaw dropping visuals we left our demo seat at PAX Prime 2014 knowing we just played a real-deal Triple A experience.