Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a 2014 developed by and published by . An original story based on the created by , the game takes place between the events of and film trilogies. The player controls Talion, a who bonds with the of the Lord , as the two set out to avenge the deaths of their loved ones. Players can engage in , and use wraith abilities to fight and manipulate enemies. The game introduces the Nemesis System, which allows the of to remember their prior actions against the game's protagonist and react accordingly.
The game's development began in 2011. In order to create an accurate environment and be consistent with Tolkien's books, the developers consulted many people from Warner Brothers, as well as Peter Jackson, director of the film trilogies The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. They also received assistance from , who advised on the special effects. Monolith focused on the development of the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions, while the development of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions was outsourced to .
The game was released for , , and in September 2014 and and in November 2014. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor received critical acclaim upon release. Most praise was directed at its combat, open-world design, and the Nemesis System. Some criticism was aimed at the game's story and boss battles. Shadow of Mordor marked the biggest launch for a game based upon Tolkien's universe, and would go on to win several awards from video gaming publications, including in 2015. The game was supported by upon release. A sequel, , was released in October 2017.