10 Best Open-World Video Games Of 2017
7. Middle-Earth: Shadow Of War
Because it was shrouded in controversy when it first released, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War's warm critical reception as a pretty damn good sequel was tragically overlooked. Acting as a huge step up from the original release, the follow up doubled-down on the Nemesis system that made Mordor such a resounding success, while also increasing the scale and ambition of pretty much everything else.
Striking up rivalries felt better than ever, and the way orcs could return from the grave with new abilities and a new look that reflected your previous attacks kept the sandbox feeling dynamic and lived in, with this system once again acting as the crux of the title.
Sadly, bad habits still reared their ugly heads, and the main quests weren't quite where they needed to be, acting as more of a footnote on the sandbox activities that players enjoyed the most. Not only were they pretty restrictive, but they had a complete disregard for The Lord of the Rings lore, both attempting to be a faithful adaptation as well as crafting its own unique story.
Still, that wasn't enough to ruin the whole game, and couldn't stop Shadow of War from being a great open world experience.