What to play first Middle-earth: Shadow of War or Shadow of Mordor?

As an avid Tolkien fan since childhood and self-proclaimed Middle-earth gaming expert who‘s analyzed every lore detail imaginable, I receive the "should I play Shadow of Mordor or Shadow of War first?" question constantly from newcomers. My answer? Start with Shadow of Mordor, no question.

Shadow of War is an incredible game that expands deeply on its predecessor‘s features. But Shadow of Mordor delivers a grittier first adventure that perfectly sets the stage for the epic sequel. This guide explains why starting with Mordor enhances the experience and allows you to better appreciate just how much grinding and combat improves in War.

Shadow of Mordor (2014) – Laying the Nemesis Groundwork

Developed by Monolith, Shadow of Mordor spent over 3 years in deep production before its 2014 release. The entire design philosophy focused on respecting Middle-earth lore while creating fluid, challenging combat. The development team poured endless hours into building authentic and stylized settings like Mordor and Udûn while incorporating little known stories from Tolkien‘s extensive appendices (Source: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-11-08-an-audience-with-the-lord-of-shadow-how-shadow-of-mordor-came-to-be).

This foundation sets the tone perfectly for bringing players into the universe to take on Sauron’s forces following events in The Hobbit. You take control of Talion, a loyal Gondorian ranger who has his family murdered and is left for dead himself. But a mysterious spirit named Celebrimbor saves your life by merging souls. You set off seeking justice against the Black Captains who massacred your loved ones.

Core features that made Shadow of Mordor a hit include:

• Authentic Mordor atmosphere – lack of vegetation, proper fortress placement
• Innovative Nemesis system drives enemy orc progression and boss battles
• Third person melee combat/stealth mirroring Batman Arkham games
• Main quest line mirroring lore events like retaking Minas Ithil

Reviewers praised these mechanics at release as GameSpot noted, "Wonderful gameplay, great nemesis system." (Source: https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-review/1900-6415863/)

But the main criticisms focused on Shadow of Mordor‘s short story length of 25 hours and lack of customization options. Still as a Tolkien fan, experiencing the intertwining narratives between Celebrimbor and Talion while battling orcs in the most accurate Mordor recreation to date made this an easy 9/10 experience.

Shadow of War (2017) – Expanding Middle-Earth across All Fronts

After winning major Game of the Year awards for the Nemesis system innovation, Monolith started crafting an even larger sequel just a year after Shadow of Mordor’s release. Their goal: massive expansion across detailed environments, gameplay mechanics, and customizations while advancing Talion‘s overarching personal story.

Set between the 60 year gap between The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, Shadow of War integrates even more Tolkien lore from the appendices fleshing out the quest for power against rivals like Saruman. Instead of just Mordor, you traverse the diverse landscapes of Gorgoroth, Cirith Ungol, Minas Ithil, and the Sea of Núrnen. Seeing the contrasting environments under Sauron’s influence made for an incredibly immersive sandbox.

Major upgrades over Shadow of Mordor included:

• 5x larger map across thematically unique areas
• Fortress sieges/defenses evolves Nemesis system with deeper strategy
• Gear/skill upgrades for tons of RPG customization variety
• Ambitious main quest integrates Shelob, Isildur, Nazgul story arcs

Reviews again focused on mechanical improvements with Game Informer noting “Bigger and better in every way…the expanded Nemesis system creates something special.” (Source: https://www.gameinformer.com/games/middle_earth_shadow_of_war/b/playstation4/archive/2017/10/05/middle-earth-shadow-of-war-review-game-informer.aspx).

The main story delivers around 50 hours alone culminating with an expansive end game Shadow Wars fortress assault quest chain. My first playthrough topped over 100 hours completing additional side quest arcs.

Why Shadow of Mordor Should Come First

There’s no doubt Shadow of War perfects nearly everything about its predecessor to create the supreme Middle-earth experience. The combat, progression systems, environments, lore directness – War has it all in spades.

However, I firmly believe playing Mordor first profoundly improves that Shadow of War journey by:

• Providing origin story background on Celebrimbor/Talion before diving deeper into their new quest against dominating Mordor
• Allowing you to directly compare Nemesis system foundations to Shadow of War’s complex evolutions
• Creating an appreciation for just how limiting Mordor feels as a game world compared to the gigantic Shadow of War landscapes
• Preventing gameplay burnout since Shadow of War doubles down on nearly identical combat mechanics

Shadow of Mordor first sets the tone then Shadow of War cranks everything to 11. I‘ll never forget the goosebumps of seeing Minas Morgul or invading fortresses with armies of dominated orcs for the first time. But I‘m not sure if those iconic moments would have resonated as much without the gritty origin adventure of Mordor directly before it.

Both are phenomenal showcases of Middle-earth with Unreal Engine delivering Peter Jackson level environmental quality. My advice? Treat yourself to these lore expansive epics, but place Shadow of Mordor first on your path to letting Talion and Celebrimbor wreak havoc against Sauron!