 Middle @-@ earth : Shadow of Mordor received critical acclaim upon release . Most praise directed at its combat , open @-@ world design , the game 's lore , and the Nemesis System , which most critics agreed was the best part of the game . Some criticism was aimed at the game 's story and boss battles . The game marked the biggest launch for a game based upon The Lord of the Rings universe , and would go on to win several awards from video gaming publications . Two post @-@ release downloadable content , Lord of the Hunt and The Bright Lord , were released in December 2014 and February 2015 respectively . 
