20 Most Replayable Video Games Of The Decade (So Far)

20. Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor

Nobody expected Shadow of Mordor to be any good, let alone a Game of the Year contender for 2014, yet in amongst all the half-baked releases like Watch Dogs and Titanfall, it shone brighter than ever.

When you look back, sooner rather than later another developer was going to innovate on the Assassin's Creed formula like Ubisoft are seemingly incapable of doing, and all it took was a few years of playtesting and quality control to not only match AC's patented gameplay, but exceed it in every respect. Everything from the feel of lopping off a string of orc-heads to darting into the shadows and disappearing off into the night felt tight and responsive.

It perfectly aided the revolutionary 'Nemesis system'; a unique setup that saw any enemy that got the better of you becoming your own personal adversary, culminating in a narrative tie-in that closed the game before you fought Sauron himself. SoM might be throwaway entertainment overall, but that's precisely why its appeal lies in being so mechanically proficient. We desperately need a sequel to this, and with any luck we'll get the first rumblings of that in 2016.