The majority of my gaming over the last few years has been Starcraft 2 and Counter Strike.
There hasn't been much since 2013 to motivate me to play anything new. I guess I like what I like, and while there's been a few games that intrigue me on this console generation, there's not been enough to buy a console. So, my gaming has been exclusive to PC, and whatever intrigues me on Steam sales. I watch reviews and gameplay vids on youtube, so I'm not completely in the dark, just not alot to spend alot.
At the beginning of this month I picked up Shadow of Mordor GOTY edition for only $10. I figured it was going to be a mixture of the recent Batman games and Assassin's Creed (each I own, but only played a few hours of) and I've heard the positive word-of-mouth to give it a shot.
This game blew me away.
This is what the Batman and Assassin Creed games would be if the gameplay was damn near perfect. The nemesis system is completely original and one of the most intriguing concepts I've seen in a while. The graphics (on PC) were buttery smooth (60+FPS) at max resolution with all the settings on max, and dozens of enemies on the screen (though I guess that matters on your setup).
In most games you constantly save your spot and load once you make a mistake. In this game, there's no saving. When you screw up and die your enemies rank up and become even more difficult the next time you face them. That adds up to even higher stakes every time you attempt a mission to take one of the captains or war chiefs out, and it makes it SO very much more satisfying when you finally kill them.
For those that haven't played this, you're missing out. If you have bought it on Steam and haven't gotten around to play it, put this on top of your to-play-list. You won't regret it.
I have my few complaints about the game (Not the best vertical movement, small and uninspired world for a sandbox game, and the finale for the story is... well... short and unsatisfying. It reeks of sequelbait.) but they are small when compared to the praises for the game.
Overall rating 9.5/10