Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch 2
Code provided by the publisher.
Twelve years ago, one of the best Lord of the Rings games of all time was released: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Then, three years later, we got a sequel that was just as good, if not better, with Middle-earth: Shadow of War. Both games were phenomenal at the time, so seeing them ported to the Nintendo Switch 2 made me more than happy to dive into them again on a handheld device.
Since these games have been around for years, the biggest question here is how well they make the jump to Nintendo’s new hardware. The games themselves have already given me plenty of reasons to love them. What I wanted to know was whether these ports would give me another reason to come back.
One of the things I’ve always loved about these games is how easy it is to get distracted. You can head out with a particular objective in mind, get caught up fighting Orcs, and suddenly realize you’ve spent your entire session doing something completely different. The Nemesis System is a huge part of that appeal, giving your encounters a personal touch and making certain enemies much more memorable than your average video game villain.
That kind of gameplay makes the idea of a handheld version especially appealing. Sometimes, I just want to jump in, hunt down a Captain, cause some chaos, and call it a day. Other times, that one fight turns into an entire evening. Having both games on the Switch 2 gives me another way to revisit that experience, and that’s easily the biggest draw of these ports.
However, being able to take these games with you only goes so far if the performance doesn’t consistently keep up.
These are older games, so they seem like a great pair of titles to test what the Switch 2 can do. One thing I’ve noticed with the ports I’ve played so far is that they tend to work very well when docked, while handheld performance can be hit or miss. Both of these titles follow that pattern.
Docked, they run phenomenally. This quickly became my preferred way to play, even though the handheld experience was what initially got me excited to return. When I’m settling in for a longer session, I want to enjoy the combat without wondering when the game might start struggling.
I’ve also always loved the Switch Pro Controller. In my opinion, it’s one of the best controllers in the business, and playing these games with it feels great. The responsive controls make it easy to settle back into the rhythm of attacking, countering, and moving through a fight. For games where you can quickly find yourself surrounded, that responsiveness goes a long way.
Handheld is where things get a little less consistent. I could play for hours without an issue, then reach a point where the game would start to struggle. That makes the experience frustrating because there are long stretches where everything feels perfectly fine.
I can’t say exactly what causes those drops. Battery level crossed my mind, but I don’t have enough to confidently point to that as the reason. What I can say is that both games gave me a more consistent experience when docked.
That doesn’t erase the appeal of playing them on a handheld. There’s still something great about being able to revisit these games away from the television. However, if handheld play is your main reason for picking them up, those rough patches are worth keeping in mind. For me, the flexibility is still welcome. I just found myself choosing the dock more often than I expected.
Verdict
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War are still a ton of fun, and their Nintendo Switch 2 ports gave me a great excuse to return to two games I’ve always loved. Docked performance and responsive controls make this an enjoyable way to play, though the inconsistent handheld performance keeps these ports from being everything I hoped for. Being able to take Middle-earth with me is a great bonus, but the dock is where these games really shine.
