10 Best Lord of the Rings Games

The sequel to 2014's Shadow Of Mordor, Middle-Earth: Shadow Of War picks up shortly after the events of its predecessor. After protagonist Talion forges a new ring of power with the help of the wraith of Celebrimbor, they venture across the vast lands of Mordor to raise an army big enough to defeat Sauron.

The sequel was bigger in every way. Alongside building upon its fluid parkour and gratifying, Arkham-esque combat, it also improved its ingenious Nemesis system while giving players a larger world to explore. Although this title played fast and loose with Tolkien's lore, the plot took events in fascinating directions, punctuated by massive siege battles and exhilarating boss fights.

For as grand and exciting as this game was to play, it was sometimes a little too ambitious for its own good. Not only were many of the side activities repetitive, but the amount of grind required for players to improve their orc army (especially towards the final act) made a sizable chunk of this title feel like unnecessary padding.

Shadow Of War is a great game. But it wasn't as good as what came before.