 The game 's core feature , its Nemesis system , was praised . According to Lucas Sullivan of GamesRadar , the system elevated Shadow of Mordor to excellence by making its villains memorable and adding personality to its protagonist . Brad Shoemaker of Giant Bomb agreed , writing that the system created many distinctive characters and its side content extended the game 's longevity . Joystiq 's Alexander Sliwinski said that the system made each playthrough unique and made the game stand out from other action games . Chris Carter of Destructoid found the system gimmicky , since it failed to create unique villains ; it added different appearances and weaknesses to villains without adding personality . 
