Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War are now both available on Switch 2

It’s a real tragedy that Monolith Productions was closed down last year. While the studio hadn’t released any new games since 2017’s Middle-earth: Shadow of War, its back catalogue includes classics such as No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.’S Way, F.E.A.R., and Condemned: Criminal Origins, all games I’d love to see remastered or remade at some point. Two of the studios games are now available to enjoy on a new format thanks to Aspyr bringing both Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War to Switch 2.

Available individually or packaged together as the Middle-earth: Shadow Bundle, whether you’re into open-world action RPGs or love the fantasy world created by J. R. R. Tolkien, you really ought to check these games out, especially if you’ve never played them before. And with 50% off until 5th October, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor in particular is a must-have while it’s priced at just £8.99. Start here, and if you like what you play you can then pick up the more expensive Middle-earth: Shadow of War safe in the knowledge that you’ll enjoy the core gameplay.

Whether you jump into Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor or Shadow of War, you’ll find yourself in control of a ranger called Talion, whose family have been killed by the evil forces of Sauron. On a quest for revenge, you’ll explore large open world areas, completing missions and growing in power, much like in other open world action RPGs. What really sets these games apart from others, though, is the Nemesis system, which see enemy Uruks growing in power according to your actions.

This dynamic system really elevates both Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War, with your enemies ever-evolving, and your actions creating power struggles within the Uruk forces. As you play and gain intelligence, you’ll learn about the strengths and weaknesses of Uruk captains, helping you plan your assaults against them. If you’re not successful in killing them, they may take on new characteristics, making them even trickier to tackle in future. Play your cards right and you can even Brand these powerful Uruks, bringing them over to your side.

All this would mean nothing if the core gameplay wasn’t up to scratch, though, and even a decade after their release, both Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War hold up. The open worlds on offer here are densely packed with things to see and do, and the Arkham-inspired combat system at the heart of them remains a blast from beginning to end.

You have other options when it comes to dealing with enemies, too, with both ranged attacks and stealth being viable alternatives. Throw in ways to grow in power as well as open up new abilities and skills, and you have a pair of games that haven’t really aged very badly at all.

Though there are some compromises, more notably in Shadow of War, both Middle-earth titles look great on Switch 2. No performance settings are available, though, so you’re unable to play them at a silky smooth 60fps. Still, the framerate is stable and fluid enough; I’m still making my way through them, but I’ve not encountered any serious performance issues. Perhaps the worst thing about these Switch 2 ports are the loading times, which can be pretty lengthy at times.

These aren’t the basic standard editions of the games that have been ported, either; Shadow of Mordor is the Game of the Year Edition, while Shadow of War is the Definitive Edition, which means additional content is included such as playable expansions and more. Being focused around offline play, some online features have been removed, however.

It’s easy to recommend Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War on Switch 2, especially if you’ve never played them before. These are some of the best games set in the world of Middle-earth you’ll ever play, and they’re just as enjoyable on Switch 2 as they are elsewhere.