Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is an action RPG set in the universe of J.R.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, and introduces Talion, a ranger of Gondor and original character to the franchise. After his death, Talion finds himself resurrected by a mysterious spirit of vengeance and imbued with strange powers, which he will use in his journey to Mordor. However, what begins as a quest for vengeance against those who killed his family eventually leads into a sinister plot involving the Rings of Power.
Shadow of Mordor features open-world exploration where players can take on quests as they choose. By developing Talion's abilities as a Ranger or Wraith, the gameplay can shift significantly based on play style. Talion can be customized for direct combat or trained in the ways of stealth, essentially letting the player decide how he takes on Uruk foes.
The Nemesis System also allows enemy AI to evolve based on the player's approach, where the game remembers how Talion interacts with certain enemies. This means some characters will adapt and develop their own rivalries against Talion depending on how the player's choices in and out of combat.