A Critique of the 'Shadow of Mordor' Franchise

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth writings are my favorite works of fantasy literature of all time. Over the course of three years, I’ve managed to read almost every book he wrote on the subject, some more than once.

A lot of hardcore Tolkien fans who have played Monolith’s Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War games have expressed a level of dissatisfaction for the artistic and creative liberties that the company took when adapting the source material. In this article I will point out a few of them, and explain the things they got wrong, and what they got right.

The plot of the first game, Shadow of Mordor, revolves around the lead protagonist, Talion, who’s family is murdered in a blood sacrifice to Sauron during the sixty-year-gap between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. However, Talion cheats death when he is revived through possession by Celebrimbor, who aided the Dark Lord in the creation of the One Ring.

There’s a lot of plot points being displayed just in this one moment that don’t exactly fit well in the books’ mythologies. For one, the idea of a ritualistic sacrifice being done in the name of Sauron isn’t really something that existed (the closest published writing to this is Tolkien’s Sauron-worshipping-cult that appears at the tail end of the final volume of The History of Middle-Earth). Secondly, a Wraith that has no connection to the corrupted kings of Westernesse isn’t likely to inhabit someone else’s body. While Gollum would exist during this period of time, his storyline with Talion seemed far-fetched for his character.

Even more problems are to be found in Monolith’s follow-up. The first is the fall of Minas Ithil, which in the books took place during some point in the Second Age. In War, it appears to have fallen significantly later than that, and while it was both cool and gratifying as a player to witness it firsthand, it doesn’t match very closely to the way in which it is described in The Two Towers.

The game’s depiction of Shelob as a shape-shifting witch with mostly human features also seems far-fetched. In the books, the only other creature we see with similar features to Shelob is Ungoliant, who appears in The Silmarillion and other First Age writings. She is described as “A shadow in spider’s form,” and there is some vague evidence suggesting that she may have the ability to shape-shift. Even still, her characterization of being as sentient and self-aware as she is appears jarring.

Lastly, the way Lady Galadriel is depicted, particularly in the DLC spent as Eltariel, is somewhat problematic as well. In the books, Galadriel is presented as gentle and fair, and while she does resort to violent action in some cases, it is always done as a last resort. In War, she’s vain, cold and dismissive. You simply don’t get the sense that it’s the same character.

All this being said, I firmly believe that Shadow of Mordor does more to delve into the lore of Tolkien’s world than most of the other AAA games in the franchise. In one moment spent in Celebrimbor’s DLC, a voiceover narration by Sauron announces that Celebrimbor “Will never return to the Halls of Mandos.” In the books, the Halls of Mandos are more or less an Elvish Purgatory, where those who pass await judgment before entering Valinor, which is essentially Tolkien’s conception of Heaven. There are plenty more examples (too many to list in fact) of fine attention to detail to Tolkien’s world-building, that serve to place Mordor firmly in what had already been established.

Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War are both Warner Brothers Games productions. In addition to the Mordor franchise, Warners also has possession of the Batman Arkham series. Many gamers have compared the combat style in Mordor to that of Batman, but to me, there are some key differences. The way Talion can brand and dominate Orcs, grab or shank them, and command an army through the brilliantly original and fun Nemesis system elevate the familiar Arkham-style combat to a whole other level. Playing as Talion makes you feel like a Ranger of the North, exactly the way it should.

Through my criticisms listed above, I in no way want to deter anyone who hasn’t played these games from doing so. Many Lord of the Rings games have been made from the license, and Monolith’s entries are in my opinion the best yet. Do yourselves a favor and play them if you haven’t already. They’re well worth it.