10 Best Open-World Games Of The 2010s (That AREN'T GTA)

Games that tie into films are rarely good, and attempts to adapt the works of J. R. R. Tolkien have been successful (Return of the King) and not (The Hobbit). That record has been skewed now more on the positive side with the help of sandbox stab-'em-up Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor.

Orcs, ghouls and Troy Baker - oh my! Following human Talion's attempts to destroy Sauron's Black Army after he and his family fall victim to a dark ritual of theirs involving a bit of throat-cutting, Mordor is absolutely joyous to run, fight and climb around in.

Taking liberties from the Arkham and Assassin's Creed series' is rarely a miscalculation, and Mordor's free-flowing yet maddeningly brutal combat and simple but elegant climbing and assassination mechanics work brilliantly to boost the game into open-world glory.

Shadow of War is the more recent addition to the saga, but Mordor's more simple story and lack of microtransaction controversy make it the more worthy addition to this list.