Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War is an adventure series set in Tolkein's fictional work, between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. You play Talion, a Ranger who sets out to avenge the deaths of his loved one. The fighting and combat is as you might expect, but more interesting is the open world and its "Nemesis System", which creates an actively changing and political world in which to play.

While there is a story you follow, how the creatures and the world responds to you depends on your previous actions as well as how other events are unfolding for the different races. For example, If an enemy kills the player, he will up promoted and become more powerful in future encounters.

In Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Mordor is not yet a barren wasteland, you will encounter Gollum and discover that the wraith who revived him is Celebrimbor, the greatest Elven smith master of the Second Age, who also seeks revenge against Sauron. Middle-earth: Shadow of War continues the story, as you travel to Mount Doom. You will deal with Shelob, the Ring, Sauron's forces and a valuable Palantir. You don't need to know the books and films but this will add more substance to the events you are caught up in.