Middle-Earth: Shadow Of Mordor - 10 Reasons It's Your First Essential Next-Gen Title

3. Mind-Controlling Orcs Is Brilliant

In addition to finding intel on Orcs and learning their worst fears you'll also learn the ability to amass your very own army across the course of the game, opening up a particular section of the menu that tracks the highest ranking creatures, and turning it into something of a game of chess. You'll start to factor in the various power-plays within the Orcish ranks, noticing that if you take your revenge on a certain target then another will rise to power - although if you go to said Orc first and turn them over to your side, you've suddenly planted a double-agent amongst their ranks for later. The fact this comes at the mid-point of the game when you're a dab-hand at infiltrating compounds, igniting campfires to take out nearby Orcs before whipping out your bow to headshot any scarpering remainders is a brilliant show of restraint that lengthens the campaign considerably.