Middle-earth: SoW is an action role-playing video game developed by Monolith Productions and published in 2017. It is the sequel to the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor from 2014 and it continues the story from the previous game, following the adventures of Talion as he travels the Middle-earth along with his spirit elf lord companion, Celebrimbor.

Story

The game picks the story where Shadow of Mordor left off and continues the adventures of Talion, who along with Celebrimbor travels to Mount Doom in order to forge a new Ring of Power. As a result of unforeseen events, after forging the ring, Talion is forced to head towards the stronghold of Minas Ithil, where Sauron’s forces are trying to retrieve the Palantír, a powerful artifact used to show its owner the events happening in different parts of the world, or even events that happened in the past and events that are bound to happen in the future. Palantír draws both Talion and Celebrimbor closer to Sauron, and as they are nearing the confrontation with the Dark Lord, it turns out their plans and motivations are not exactly the same.

Gameplay and Game Modes

Shadow of War is an action RPG played from the third-person perspective. It is set in the open world based on the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. Talion, as your controllable character, can utilize both human and elven abilities, thanks to the spirit of elf lord, Celebrimbor, with whom Talion shares his body. This uncommon partnership gives you access to skills such as Elven Agility, Spectral Dash, and Domination. The last one is particularly useful, as it allows you to take control over enemy leaders and infiltrate the ranks of Sauron’s army by filling it with your allied Orcs. This in combination with the returning Nemesis system creates deeper gameplay that requires you to spy and gain intel on the Captains and Warchiefs in order to find their weak points and choose the best way to approach them. New skills can be acquired as you develop your character and earn new levels.

Besides the single-player story mode, the game also allows you to play online and conquer other players’ fortresses in either friendly or ranked mode.

Key features

• Join Talion once more as he travels the Middle-earth in the company of spirit of the elf lord, Celebrimbor
• Explore the open world and play at your own pace – take a break from slashing through enemy hordes to find collectibles scattered around
• Gain intel on an enemy army and infiltrate the ranks of Orcs using the Nemesis System – force enemy Captains to betray their Warchiefs and join your cause
• Develop your character – collect gear, gain experience and unlock new powerful abilities to utilize in combat
• Enjoy tons of additional content introduced in all four expansion packs

Shadow of Mordor The Game of the Year Edition includes:

• Shadow of Mordor The Game
• EVERY MISSION – Including The Lord of the Hunt Mission, The Bright Lord Story Mission, Guardians of the Flaming Eye Warband Mission, The Berserks Warband Mission, and more!
• EVERY RUNE – Including the Hidden Blade Rune, the Deadly Archer Rune, the Flame of Anor Rune, and the Rising Storm Rune. 
• EVERY SKIN – Including the Dark Ranger Skin and the Captain of the Watch Skin.
• EVERY CHALLENGE MODE – Including the Test of Power Challenge Mode, the Test of Speed Challenge Mode, the Test of Wisdom Challenge Mode, and the Endless Challenge Mode.