Fans of The Lord of the Rings can secure two unique action games in the world of Middle-earth on Steam: For just under €7, you get entertainment for over 100 hours.
Which games are being referenced here? These are the action games Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Both games were developed by Monolith Productions and tell their own stories around the ranger Talion and the ringsmith Celebrimbor.
Until February 9, 2026, the so-called Shadow Package is available on Steam for €6.99 instead of €69.99. It includes both main games along with all DLCs.
Here you can see a trailer for Shadow of War, the newer of the two games:
What are the games about? On the timeline, the games bridge the gap between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. You play as Talion, a ranger from Gondor and captain of the guard at the Black Gate. He was stationed there to prevent the return of Sauron. After his defeat at Dol Guldur, Sauron could reclaim his old fortress Barad-dûr at any moment.
One fateful day, it happens: Sauron and his chief lieutenants attack the Black Gate. Talion loses his family and his life in the assault, but is resurrected by the spirit of an elf. This elf is the smith Celebrimbor, who once forged the Rings of Power.
Talion and Celebrimbor then embark on a quest for revenge, quite literally. Later in the game, the two have an entire army of Uruks in tow, which are larger and more vicious than orcs, and you can subjugate them with the power of the ringsmith.
A unique gameplay mechanic that entertains for hundreds of hours
What makes the two games unique? The Shadow games share a special gameplay mechanic: the so-called Nemesis System. Throughout your journey, you encounter powerful Uruk captains and war chiefs, who are generated from a variety of backgrounds, personalities, and traits. This makes each Uruk unique.
Captains evolve over time and remember encounters with you. They even build rivalries (and friendships) among themselves. Here are some examples of how the Nemesis System works:
- If you flee from a captain, he may mock you the next time you meet
- If an Uruk manages to kill Talion in battle, he becomes stronger. Even ordinary foot soldiers can be promoted to captains
- If you kill an Uruk who had a blood brother, that Uruk will follow you to the ends of the earth to avenge his death
In Shadow of War, the Nemesis System was further developed and provides even more unique interactions and personalities among the Uruks. This system is also the core of the games: No other game has it in this form.
In terms of gameplay, you can expect a mix of stealth and brutal close combat that plays as smoothly as in the “Batman: Arkham” series by Rocksteady. All of this ensures that you can beat your way through Uruks for hundreds of hours while rarely getting bored, as you constantly experience new personal stories.
Would you rather relive the story of the films? For just €6.62, you can also get the Lego games for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit in the bundle. If you don’t mind the sometimes very silly humor, you get two strong games that you can also play in co-op.
In the Lego games, the DLCs are not included in the bundle. You can purchase the three small add-on packs with new characters and items for €0.99 each if you wish.
Do you want to learn more about the lore of Middle-earth? Then you’re in luck, because on MeinMMO, you will find loads of specials on the various characters and races from Tolkien’s books and the films. You can find an overview here: The Lord of the Rings: Everything about the lore and history of Middle-earth
