• IGN's guide to getting some of the toughest achievements in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. This video highlights how to obtain Rise and Fall.
• Rise and Fall Achievement in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor: After an uruk kills you to become a Captain, help him become a Warchief, then kill him - worth 20 GamerScore.

1. Shadow Of Mordor Rise And Falls

Rise and Fall Achievement in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor: After an uruk kills you to become a Captain, help him become a Warchief, then kill him.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War is an open worldaction role-playingvideo game developed by Monolith Productions and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It is the sequel to 2014's Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, and was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on October 10, 2017.

Shadow of War continues the previous game's narrative, which is based on J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium and set between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Like its predecessor, the game also takes heavy inspiration from director Peter Jackson's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings film adaptations. The player continues the story of the ranger Talion and the spirit of the elf lord Celebrimbor, who shares Talion's body, as they forge a new Ring of Power to amass an army to fight against Sauron. The game builds upon the 'Nemesis System' introduced in Shadow of Mordor, allowing Talion to gain followers from several races of Middle-earth, including Uruks and Ologs, and plan out complex strategies using these to complete missions.

Shadow of War had a generally positive reaction from critics, albeit more mixed than its predecessor; praise was aimed towards the gameplay and an improved nemesis system, although story elements and changes made to established characters received some negative reactions, as well as the inclusion of microtransactions and loot boxes. A free-to-play companion game for iOS and Android devices was also released.^[2] In July 2018, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment removed all microtransactions from the console/PC versions of Shadow of War.^[3] The following year, it also announced that the mobile version will no longer be available to play on June 6, 2019.^[4][5]

• 1Gameplay
• 2Plot
• 3History
• 4Reception

Gameplay[edit]

Middle-earth: Shadow of War is an action role-playing game set in an open world environment and played from a third-person perspective, following from its predecessor. The player controls the game's protagonist Talion, who has several natural athletic and combat abilities as a ranger of Gondor, but also has unique abilities provided by the spirit of the elf lord Celebrimbor, with whom he shares his body. The player uses their combined abilities to complete various missions, typically aimed to disrupt the armies of Sauron. The game includes main quests that drive the game's narrative, and numerous optional quests that can help the player boost Talion's abilities and Followers via the game's 'Nemesis System'. In contrast to the previous game, which was more of a hack and slash, the game has an action role-playing approach, creating a more personalized experience for each player.^[6] It also features a dynamic weather system as well as day-night cycle which affects the gameplay and enemy behavior.

The Nemesis System expands upon its introduction in Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor to apply to a larger part of the world, including other characters called Followers that have behavior guided by how the player-character has interacted with them. The player is able to transfer their top Nemesis and their most loyal follower from Shadow of Mordor into Shadow of War.^[7] It also includes a garrison from which the player can access their Followers that has either been obtained from multiplayer, relocated with a reassignment order or through opening 'War chests' prior to the game's July update, it also contains loot boxes that players have already obtained, players' unused loot boxes that have been obtained prior to the removal of the market still remains. The Garrison also contains training orders that are purchaseable with Mirian, it's in-game currency. 'Spoils of War' and 'XP' boosts are still available and can be activated but not obtainable as of the July 17th patch, although, players' boosts prior to the update are still available.^[8]

The game's multiplayer features a 'Social Conquest mode', in which players are able to invade other players' fortresses and attempt to conquer them. This mode has two settings: friendly and ranked. Friendly allows the player to invade someone's fortress, without the risk of losing your army. Ranked, on the other hand, allows the player to invade, but with a risk of losing some of their Orc Followers permanently. ^[9]

Mobile versions[edit]

The mobile companion versions of Shadow of War are played as a real-time strategyrole-playing game from a top-down perspective, where players can recruit characters from not only the console/PC versions of the game itself, but also characters from its 2014 predecessor Shadow of Mordor and even The Lord of the Rings film trilogy to fight Sauron's forces in small-scale, action-packed battles.^[10] Like the console/PC versions of the game, players can make use of the Nemesis system to gain extra advantages in battle,^[11] as well as make optional in-game purchases.

On April 16, 2019, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced that the servers for the mobile version will be shut down on June 6, 2019 and removed it from the App Store and Google Play Store.^[4] The developers expressed reluctance over their decision to discontinue the mobile version, but emphasized that they are doing so in order to refocus efforts on creating new Middle-Earth games.^[5]

Plot[edit]

Shadow of War continues the narrative from Shadow of Mordor, following Talion who is still infused with the spirit of the elf lord Celebrimbor. Talion and Celebrimbor travel to Mount Doom, where they forge a new Ring of Power free of Sauron's corruption. However, once the Ring is complete, Celebrimbor is abducted and held hostage by Shelob, who asks Talion to hand over the Ring in exchange for Celebrimbor. Talion reluctantly agrees and gives the Ring to Shelob, who claims they have a common enemy in Sauron. She uses the Ring to see into the future and directs Talion to the last Gondorian stronghold in Mordor, Minas Ithil, which is under siege by Sauron's forces due to the city's possession of a valuable Palantir. The Palantir would allow whoever possesses it to see anything they wish, making it a valuable tool for Celebrimbor and a dangerous weapon for Sauron.

Talion travels to Minas Ithil and quickly comes to odds with Celebrimbor. Talion wants to help his fellow Gondorians, while Celebrimbor believes the city is already lost and the retrieval of the Palantir must take priority. Talion reasons that protecting Minas Ithil will also protect the Palantir and he meets up with the city's defenders: General Castamir, his daughter Idril, and his lieutenant Baranor. Together, they sabotage Orcish efforts to break into the city until Castamir betrays them, allowing the Orcs to breach the gates and handing over the Palantir to the Witch King of Angmar in return for sparing Idril. Castamir is killed by the Witch King and Talion is barely able to escape thanks to the help of Eltariel, an Elven assassin working on Galadriel's behalf. The Witch King seizes Minas Ithil, renaming it Minas Morgul. With the Palantir, Sauron realizes that Shelob is holding Celebrimbor's Ring and sends the Nazgûl to attack her. Talion is able to save Shelob, who returns the Ring to him and tells him that the fate of Middle-earth is in his hands.

With the Ring back in his possession, Talion begins to use its power to dominate Orcs and build his army. During this time, he assists Idril and Baranor in rescuing Gondorian survivors, helps the nature spirit Carnan defeat the Balrog Tar Goroth and the necromancer Zog, is betrayed by one of his followers, and hunts the Nazgûl alongside Eltariel. Eventually, Talion builds up enough strength to assault Sauron's fortress directly. During the battle, Talion faces Isildur, now corrupted into a Nazgûl. Talion manages to defeat Isildur, but upon seeing his memories of how he was corrupted by the One Ring, decides to destroy Isildur and release his spirit rather than dominate him. Celebrimbor remarks angrily that Isildur would have been a valuable asset to their cause, leading Talion to realize that Celebrimbor wishes to replace Sauron by dominating him rather than destroying him. Talion refuses to follow Celebrimbor's orders any more, causing the wraith to abandon him and possess Eltariel instead.

Without Celebrimbor or the ring, Talion begins to die, but is visited by Shelob in a vision. Shelob informs him that if Talion had gone on to fight Sauron, they would have succeeded and Celebrimbor would have enslaved Sauron and marched on the rest of Middle-earth. She implores Talion to continue to fight to contain the darkness within Mordor. Deciding to put his fate in his own hands, Talion picks up the Ring of Power Isildur was wearing to preserve his own life. He then uses the power of Isildur's Ring to assault and seize Minas Morgul, defeating the Witch King in the process. Talion then takes possession of the Palantir and observes Celebrimbor and Eltariel making their assault on Sauron. The two manage to gain the upper hand and Celebrimbor attempts to dominate Sauron, only for Sauron to cut off two of Eltariel's fingers, one of which is adorned with the Ring of Power, and merge himself with Celebrimbor. As a result, Sauron and Celebrimbor remain trapped in Sauron's tower in the form of a flaming eye as their spirits continue to battle for dominance. Talion decides to use Minas Morgul as a fortress to keep Sauron's forces contained in Mordor.

Decades later, Talion succumbs to the corruption of Isildur's Ring, and joins Sauron's forces as a Nazgûl, where he goes with the others to hunt Frodo and the One Ring. However, with the destruction of Sauron and the One Ring, Talion dies with the rest of the Nazgûl and his spirit is freed. He is last seen in the afterlife discarding his weapons and armor as he walks off into the west.

Blade of Galadriel[edit]

Following the final battle between Celebrimbor and Sauron, Eltariel recovers Celebrimbor's Ring, and receives orders from Galadriel to continue hunting the remaining Nazgûl, including Talion. Eltariel reluctantly confronts Talion, who manages to convince her that by working together, they can keep Sauron's influence contained within Mordor. However, he informs her that a new warchief is leading a massive army and has attacked many of his fortresses. Talion tasks Eltariel with defending one of his remaining forts while he goes to defend another fort in Seregost. Eltarial manages to recruit several new tribes of orcs to fight for her and she successfully defends her fort from enemy attack, though Seregost falls. A pair of rogue Nazgûl arrive, revealing they are the ones leading the new orc army as they plan to take advantage of Sauron and the Witch-King's weakness to take over Middle-earth. After rendering Seregost uninhabitable with poison gas, Eltariel and Talion pursue the Nazgûl twins to their stronghold, where Eltariel is able to defeat both of them. Despite their defeat, Talion begins to succumb to the temptation of Isildur's Ring, forcing Eltariel to battle him. Though Eltariel is victorious, Talion tells her that he will inevitably be resurrected by Sauron. Afterwards, Eltariel continues to battle the forces of Mordor until she witnesses the destruction of the One Ring. Upon seeing Celebrimbor's spirit freed from Sauron, Eltariel decides to go track him down.

Desolation of Mordor[edit]

After the fall of Minas Ithil, Baranor journeys through Mordor seeking to hire mercenaries to help him seize the fortress of Shindram. On the way, he is attacked by wyrms and rescued by the dwarf Torvin, who helps develop gadgets for Baranor such as a grappling hook and a glider. Baranor continues to the Vanishing Sons mercenary camp, where he discovers they are led by his estranged older brother Jagai, who now goes by the name of Serka. Serka reluctantly agrees to help Baranor take Shindram in return for all of the loot stored inside. However, another mercenary, Zhoja, betrays Serka and sends him to fight in an orc fighting pit. Baranor rescues Serka, who reasserts control over the Vanishing Sons and executes Zhoja. After repelling an orc attack, Baranor and Serka lead their army and seize Shindram. However, rather than hold the fortress, they leave a trap for the orcs sent to retake it. Baranor and Serka then leave to seize more fortresses, deciding that Gorgoroth will be their next target.

History[edit]

Development[edit]

Creative director Michael de Plater said that the development of Shadow of Mordor was a learning study for Monolith in how to make open world games, and the development team limited themselves in the scope of what they could deliver for that game. With those lessons learned, de Plater said that Monolith was able to take a bolder step forward for Shadow of War, saying '[t]his was our ambition to do the big, blockbuster version of the ideas we’d begun to explore in the first game. It's kind of our Terminator 2 to Terminator.'^[12]

Monolith wanted to move the game from the more solitary player experience to one that captured the epic battles shown in The Lord of the Rings films. They created battle systems that enable large-scale battles where parts of the battle would be managed by the various Followers that the player has recruited, thus allowing the player to still focus on the violence and brutality of close-quarter combat.^[12] Recognizing the violence inherent with the Middle-earth setting, Monolith aimed to include light humorous elements that play off the thirst for violence that the orcs have, so that the game would not 'wallow in it, or feel sadistic'.^[12] The console/PC versions were later confirmed to be rated Mature by the ESRB, like their predecessor,^[13] although the mobile versions are less violent and were given the milder Teen rating.^[14]

Release[edit]

Shadow of War was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The Play Anywhere feature extends to Microsoft's premium console, the Xbox One X.^[15]

The title was originally scheduled to be released in August 2017, but in June of that year, Warner Bros. Interactive announced that the release would be put off for two months, until October 10, 2017, to make sure the game meets 'the highest quality experience' for players.^[16] Despite this delay, the mobile companion versions of Shadow of War were released on September 28, 2017, ahead of the console/PC versions.^[11]

Death of Michael Forgey[edit]

On March 3, 2016, Monolith's executive producer, Michael David Forgey, died of cancer. To commemorate the loss of Shadow of War's Executive Producer, Monolith and Warner Bros. announced a DLC named 'Forthog Orc-Slayer'. Originally selling for $5, Warner Brothers promised to donate $3.50 of the proceeds from each sale of the DLC made from any of the majority of the U.S. states^[17][18] to the Forgey family through December 31, 2019.^[19] Warner Brothers was criticized for attempting to cash in on Michael Forgey's death.^[20] Following public backlash, on September 27, 2017, the DLC was made free to all who purchased the game and all proceeds were refunded to those who purchased it beforehand, in favor of Warner Bros. making a lump sum donation to the Forgey family.^[21]

Reception[edit]

Critical response[edit]

Middle-earth: Shadow of War received 'generally favorable' reviews from critics, according to review aggregatorMetacritic.^[22][23][24]Avast cleanup premium full version free download.

IGN gave a positive review stating that the game was 'bigger and more ambitious in scope than Shadow of Mordor, with great results' especially praising the nemesis system, the battles and the multiplayer.^[35] However, GameSpot gave a more critical review, 'It tries to be larger than its predecessor, there are more abilities, more weapons, more Orcs, yet it leaves you wanting less.' It specifically criticized 'the storefront and the menus and loot system' but summed up 'at its core, it's a fun experience with brilliant moments'.^[36] Another unfavorable review came from The Independent, publishing a review titled 'A Disappointing Sequel'. Critic Jack Shepherd criticized the uninvolving story, stating that 'by the end, you only care about rival Orcs and not the story. A shame considering the Lord of the Rings has, and remains, one of the greatest tales ever told.'^[37]

Accolades[edit]

Entertainment Weekly ranked the game eighth on their list of the 'Best Games of 2017',^[38] and GamesRadar+ ranked it 18th on their list of the 25 Best Games of 2017,^[39] while EGMNow ranked it 15th on their list of the 25 Best Games of 2017.^[40] The game won the award for 'Best Action Game' in IGN's Best of 2017 Awards,^[41] whereas its other nominations were for 'Best PC Game' and 'Best Xbox One Game'.^[42][43] It was also nominated for 'Best Action Game' and 'Best Open World Game' in PC Gamer's 2017 Game of the Year Awards.^[44] It won the award for 'Best Combat' in Game Informer's 2017 Action Game of the Year Awards.^[45]

References[edit]

1. ^'Shadow of War highlights the strengths and weaknesses of PS4 Pro'. eurogamer.net. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
2. ^Minotti, Mike. 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War shines the Eye of Sauron on iOS and Android'. VentureBeat. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
3. ^Hall, Charlie. 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War dumps loot crates, adds gameplay improvements'. Polygon. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
4. ^ ^ab'Facebook page for Shadow of War Mobile'. April 16, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
5. ^ ^abWB Games Support Team. 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War Mobile Game Update 4/16/2019'. Middle-Earth Games Support Center. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
6. ^Makuch, Eddie (February 27, 2017). 'Middle-earth: Shadow Of War Confirmed, Watch The Epic Announcement Trailer'. GameSpot. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
7. ^McWhertor, Michael (July 6, 2017). 'Shadow of Mordor update lets players export their nemesis to sequel'. Polygon. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
8. ^Hall, Charlie. 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War dumps loot crates, adds gameplay improvements'. Polygon. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
9. ^Young, Rory. 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War Online Conquest Mode Revealed'. Game Rant. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
10. ^'Middle-earth: Shadow of War Mobile trailer'. YouTube. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
11. ^ ^abGordon, Scott Adam. 'Middle-Earth: Shadow of War coming to Android September 28'. Android Authority. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
12. ^ ^abcWebster, Andrew (March 8, 2017). 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War wants to capture the 'epic scale' of Lord of the Rings'. The Verge. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
13. ^'Middle-Earth: Shadow of War Gets Rated By The ESRB'. JustPushStart. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
14. ^'Shadow of War mobile versions web page'. Shadow of War Official Website. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
15. ^Orry, James (February 28, 2017). 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War confirmed for Project Scorpio'. videogamer.com. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
16. ^Phillips, Tom (June 1, 2017). 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War release date delayed'. Eurogamer. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
17. ^'Forthog Orc-Slayer DLC Upate'. September 26, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
18. ^Chalk, Andy (September 1, 2017). 'Shadow of War DLC character will raise funds for family of producer who died of cancer'. PC Gamer. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
19. ^Alexandra, Heather. 'Shadow Of War Producer Memorialized In DLC'. Kotaku. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
20. ^Scullion, Chris (September 7, 2017). 'Shadow of War's tribute has fine print, and fans deserve to know where their money is going'. Polygon. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
21. ^Shadow of War (September 26, 2017), Shadow of War: Forthog Orc-Slayer Trailer, retrieved September 30, 2017
22. ^ ^ab'Middle-earth: Shadow of War for PC Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
23. ^ ^ab'Middle-earth: Shadow of War for PlayStation 4 Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
24. ^ ^ab'Middle-earth: Shadow of War for Xbox One Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
25. ^Carter, Chris (October 5, 2017). 'Review: Middle-earth: Shadow of War'. Destructoid. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
26. ^Plessas, Nick (October 5, 2017). 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War review'. EGMNow. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
27. ^Miller, Matt (October 5, 2017). 'A Sandbox For Predators - Middle-earth: Shadow of War - PlayStation 4'. Game Informer. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
28. ^Haywald, Justin (October 5, 2017). 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War Review'. GameSpot. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
29. ^Hurley, Leon (October 5, 2017). 'Middle-Earth: Shadow of War review'. GamesRadar+. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
30. ^Shoemaker, Brad (October 21, 2017). 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War Review'. Giant Bomb. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
31. ^Stapleton, Dan (October 5, 2017). 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War Review'. IGN. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
32. ^Kelly, Andy (October 5, 2017). 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War review'. PC Gamer. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
33. ^Kollar, Philip; Plante, Chris (October 5, 2017). 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War review'. Polygon. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
34. ^Bell, Alice (October 5, 2017). 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War review'. VideoGamer.com. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
35. ^Stapleton, Dan (October 5, 2017). 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War Review'. ign.com.
36. ^Haywald, Justin (October 5, 2017). 'Middle-earth: Shadow Of War Review'. gamespot.com.
37. ^'Middle Earth: Shadow of War review: A disappointing sequel'. The Independent. October 26, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
38. ^Morales, Aaron; Abrams, Natalie (December 29, 2017). 'The Year's Best Games'. Entertainment Weekly. No. 1496–97. pp. 92–94. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
39. ^GamesRadar staff (December 22, 2017). 'The best games of 2017'. GamesRadar+. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
40. ^EGM staff (December 29, 2017). 'EGM's Best of 2017: Part Three: #15 ~ #11'. EGMNow. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
41. ^'Best of 2017 Awards: Best Action Game'. IGN. December 20, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
42. ^'Best of 2017 Awards: Best PC Game'. IGN. December 20, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
43. ^'Best of 2017 Awards: Best Xbox One Game'. IGN. December 20, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
44. ^PC Gamer staff (December 8, 2017). 'Games of the Year 2017: The nominees'. PC Gamer. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
45. ^Miller, Matt (January 5, 2018). '2017 Action Game Of The Year Awards (Page 2)'. Game Informer. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
46. ^Chalk, Andy (June 26, 2017). 'Wolfenstein 2 and Shadow of War lead Games Critics Awards Best of E3 nominations'. PC Gamer. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
47. ^'Super Mario Odyssey sweeps Best Of Gamescom awards'. Metro. August 24, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
48. ^Makuch, Eddie (January 14, 2018). 'Game Of The Year Nominees Announced For DICE Awards'. GameSpot. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
49. ^'Nominee List for 2017'. National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. February 9, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
50. ^'Horizon wins 7; Mario GOTY'. National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. March 13, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
51. ^'Italian Video Game Nominees and Winners 2018'. Italian Video Game Awards. March 14, 2018. Archived from the original on March 21, 2018. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
52. ^'2018 Awards'. Game Audio Network Guild. Retrieved April 14, 2018.

External links[edit]

Leave your mark on Mordor

If you haven't heard, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a thoroughly excellent game. By combining the best mechanics of Assassin's Creed and Batman: Arkham with the rich fantasy of The Lord of the Rings, Talion's quest for revenge is sure to delight gamers of all sorts (provided they can stomach profuse amounts of Uruk bloodshed). And while the Nemesis system randomly generates a theoretically infinite number of personal stories, it's not the only way to make your own fun in Mordor.

Talion has a lot of freedom when it comes to roaming the countryside killing Orcs, and his methods of execution are only limited by your imagination. To show you what I mean, here are eight activities you can try at home as you wreak havoc on Sauron's forces. They range from unthinkably cruel to just plain cool, but they're all well worth trying for yourself. You won't find any story spoilers here--but if you don't want to know some of Talion's awesome abilities ahead of time, come back to this article once you've dipped your toes into Mordor.

Dominate and ride a Graug

This is an easy one, provided you've gotten far enough through the plot. That's because one of the coolest abilities Talion can learn is gated by a late-game mission. Then again, it wouldn't feel all that rewarding if you could just ride Graugs right from the start. Once you know the sensation of riding atop a colossal troll-thing, stomping Orcs underfoot and eating slavers to regain health, you won't know how you ever lived without it.

Taming your own pet Graug won't be easy, considering they can turn your bones into a fine white powder with three or fewer hits. Unless, that is, you snag the Shadow Mount ability, which is the quickest way to train your Graug (or Caragor, which comes in handy during the late-game). Shadow Mount gives you the power to shoot a spectral arrow, instantly teleport to it, and dominate the Graug's feeble mind with your Wraith powers all in the blink of an eye. At that point, all that's left to do is enjoy your rampage to the fullest!

Host a (poisonous) kegger

Here's a tip for all you Middle-earth denizens: don't invite Talion to your social gatherings. You'll have to buy all the ale, and all Talion will do to contribute is lace your supply of lager with poisonous herbs. The aptly named Poison ability is also tied to a main story mission, but this one unlocks fairly early in Talion's quest. From that point on, you're free to contaminate strangers' supplies of alcohol to your heart's content.

Like most creatures that actively despise their waking lives, Uruk love to drown the stress of their barbarous lifestyle with copious amounts of grog. Because they're so occupied with yelling at slaves and claiming that they'll kill Talion on sight, you're free to sneak up to vats of grog and add a little flavoring to the brew that'll make Uruk go nuts and beat each other up. Then, sneak away to a vantage point and watch the mutinous shenanigans unfold.

Watch a Warchief get killed by his own bodyguards

Of all the badass things you can do in Shadow of Mordor, this is one of the badassest. The caveat is that it requires a ton of prep: you'll need to scout out some Intel on a Warchief, find out which Captains work for him, then seek out all his bodyguards and brainwash them once you've earned the Brand ability.

But just imagine the payoff. The opposing Warchief rolls up on the scene with his posse of bodyguards, confident that your death is nothing more than a checkmark on his daily task list. He stops to taunt you, chortling at how ridiculously outnumbered you are. Suddenly, all his friends freeze in place, submitting to your will with a flick of your Wraith-empowered wrist. Now, that same overconfident Warchief is being beaten to death by his subordinates, and you didn't even have to unsheathe your sword. Sadistic, yes, but glorious all the same.

Shoot a bat without slow-motion

When you're looking for a distraction from murdering entire brigades of Orcs, Talion can get back in touch with his Ranger training and seek out certain targets for hunting side-missions. These start out pretty tame, with you letting loose arrows at hideously giant spiders, though they can get pretty intense, like when you have to well, I won't spoil the surprise. But here's a challenge the game won't ask of you (not directly, anyway).

One of the earlier assignments asks you to shoot some flying creatures, like the bats that occupy Mordor's many caves. This is made easier by the Wraith's supernatural Focus ability which slows down time, letting you line up precision shots even on a moving target. Thing is, Focus doesn't last forever, and sniping a mid-flight bat becomes insanely difficult when you're aiming in real-time. Pull it off, and you'll feel like an Old West gunslinger who just shot the wings off a horsefly. Or whatever the archer equivalent of that is.

Earn the 'Rise and Fall' achievement

This one could be (and often is) the basis for some games' entire plotline but--by Shadow of Mordor's high standards--it's merely an achievement. Here's how it works: every time a random Orc lands the killing blow on you, they're instantly promoted to the rank of Captain, with the promise that they might one day become a Warchief. It's your job to ensure they get there and --once they do--kill them. I know Talion has some vengeful impulses, but damn.

Even though you're a kill-on-sight target, you can still help out your mark by meddling in Power Struggles: events that increase an Uruk's standing in Sauron's Army. Once he's leveled up enough times, you can ensure he gets that promotion by killing one of his Warchief superiors. Then, after hours of effort, all that's left to do is snuff out the Uruk that you worked so hard to develop. The question is, will you have the heart to murder the Orc you raised to maturity as if he were your own son? Achievement junkies: don't answer that.

Make a Captain face his biggest fear

Orcs, like Ogres, have layers. And while they might try to look and act all tough on the outside, some Orcs just put on a front to hide their personal, embarrassing vulnerabilities. For instance, a Caragor hunter who's deathly afraid of the creatures he was born and bred to kill. Or a well-respected Uruk that carves up his enemies like it's nothing, but can't stand the sight of a buzzing Morgai Fly nest.

Talion may be on a mission to slay every Uruk in sight, but that doesn't mean he can't administer a little immersion therapy along the way. What better way to get over a phobia than to completely submit yourself to it, right? All you need is the Pin in Place ability, which lets you lock Uruks in place by shooting arrows through their legs. Then unleash a pack of Caragor or a swarm of Morgai Flies on your unwilling patient, and watch as they're rehabilitated before your very eyes! Or helplessly screaming in terror, as the case may be.

Outfit one of your weapons with all Epic Runes

One of the coolest (and least talked-about) aspects of Shadow of Mordor is the weapon customization, which lets you significantly change the strengths of your blades and bow without ever altering their appearances. That's because each weapon can be fitted with up to five magic runes, which all Captains and Warchiefs leave behind when they die. The stats and effects on these runes can vary, unless you get an Epic Rune, which have some crazy powerful abilities built in.

Shadow Of Mordor Rise And Falls

Want to give your headshots a chance to make your victim's head explode in blue flames? Maybe you prefer to dole out more hurt while riding Caragors, or simply up your sword's damage by a flat 50 percent. Epic runes let you do that and much more and--if you're thorough enough--you just might find five unique effects to all slot into the same weapon. It's not unthinkable: issuing a psychic Death Threat to a target gives you a much higher chance of better rune drops, so go nuts with the intimidation tactics.

Activate all three weapon abilities in a single fight

Similar to Assassin's Creed, picking a fight in one of Mordor's densely populated enemy strongholds will eventually escalate into an all-out war, since nearby Orcs will be joining the tussle faster than you can kill them. But for this self-imposed challenge, the Orcs' tendency to dogpile any threat will work to your advantage. Before you can go on the ultimate killing spree, you'll need to unlock the three high-end weapon abilities: Storm of Urfael, Flame of Azkar, and Shadow of Acharn.

Each of these abilities is like a temporary pass to an all-you-can-kill buffet, with sword, ranged, and dagger kills respectively. And if you activate all three in sequence, it adds up to just under a minute of godlike powers of violence and mutilation. Best of all, you can charge them before a fight actually starts, so you're all but guaranteed to rack up a 100x combo meter. But if you really want some props, try living long enough in the same fight to expend and refill your ability meters multiple times. Pull that off, and you can consider yourself an honorary Gondorian Ranger.

Roleplay as Hodor playing Mordor

Those are a few ways to make your own fun in Mordor, but there's plenty more(dor) where that came from. Do you have any self-imposed challenges or goofy goals of your own that you'd like to share? Tell us all about it in the comments below!

And if you're looking for more video game bucket list material, check out 10 things to do in Destiny before you die and 8 things to do in Watch Dogs before you die.