Middle-earth: Shadow Bundle, the review for Switch 2!

Middle-earth: Shadow Bundle, return to Middle-earth!

Years pass, trends change, but one concept remains unchanged: we still really love the Middle-earth universe! The Middle-earth Bundle arrives on Nintendo Switch 2, a collection that brings back Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (released in 2014) and Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017) and adapts their “GOTY” editions to the Japanese handheld console, and this, of course, is our review of the appetizing game package. Developed by the never-enough-mourned Monolith, the two titles are now re-proposed thanks to the work of the Aspyr team, increasingly linked to remastered-style recovery operations. You can buy both titles together or separately, and I point out that, curiously, buying the games separately will cost you one cent less than the bundle's 69.99 euros, a simple note of color to remind you that you can also buy just one of the two “Shadow Of” titles.

The two games are set in the period between the events narrated in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and they see us take on the role of Talion, a ranger of Gondor. Talion and his family are killed by the Black Hand of Sauron, during our protagonist's service as guardian of the gate of Mordor. Talion, however, is able to seek revenge thanks to his bond with the Elven smith Celebrimbor (the creator of the Rings) who brings him back to life and allows him to seek his revenge and fight Sauron's power. In Shadow of War, the story expands, and Talion, still with the help of the mythical smith, broadens the setting and sees us fighting Sauron on a larger scale, visiting new regions starting from the city of Minas Ithil. In short, we are talking about two games that are direct sequels to each other, further enhanced by all their released DLCs that further expand the lore. The bundle contains the original games and all additional campaigns: “The Lord of the Hunt” and “The Bright Lord” for Shadow of Mordor, and “Blade of Galadriel” and “Desolation of Mordor” for Shadow of War, not to mention various additions including items, adversaries, and missions for both. In short, on paper, the package is truly tempting.

Middle-earth: Shadow Bundle, the beauty of the Nemesis system

For those unfamiliar, we are talking about two third-person action RPGs with an open-world structure full of missions, points of interest, and enemies to defeat, both head-on and with stealth mechanics. The star of both is the Nemesis system, an original technology developed by Monolith and patented by Warner Bros., which manages the behavior of the Uruk captains we will face. These are not simple NPCs, but they have a story that forms and evolves based on our actions. Everything could have repercussions and forge the personality of an Uruk captain: we could wound him and let him escape, with the result that he might develop a deep hatred towards us, some scars, fears, or specific debuffs and buffs in battle, but nothing prevents him from defeating us, and when we return thanks to our supernatural powers, we will find him stronger and more important, having climbed the ranks of Sauron's armies. The facets are diverse, and if Shadow of Mordor gives us a first, substantial taste of the system, Shadow of War expands it, and we can even subjugate enemies. The point is that every game is different and can create unique story lines between long rivalries, victories, defeats, and new adversaries that will arise from the ashes of the old.

It's not just the Nemesis, because we're talking about two titles that were developed and created with the awareness that the world of action RPGs has given us many unforgettable games, and nothing prevents them from drawing inspiration from their most successful elements. While the combat recalls the Batman “Arkham” games, with on-screen prompts for buttons to press to counter opponents, exploration, climbing, and stealth are descendants of Assassin's Creed, not to mention some RPG elements related to character progression and abilities. The fact that Talion was called back from the dead allows him to have and justify his supernatural powers, such as spectral vision, a phantom bow, and so on. Furthermore, Shadow of War significantly expands the content of Shadow of Mordor and enhances its every quality. Everything becomes bigger, more refined, and evolved, with the addition of the ability to create your own army by convincing some orcs to fight under our banner, and here too the Nemesis system shows its qualities, allowing for the creation of a follower system with its own history and personality, between a mission and an assault on some enemy fortress. The result is a title that is still extremely interesting and full of content today, which will keep you busy for many tens of hours more than Shadow of Mordor, which already has a longevity that can reach up to 40 hours.

Middle-earth: Shadow Bundle, technically speaking

From a technical standpoint, we are talking about two titles that have several years on their shoulders, but which have benefited from patches that made them more than enjoyable on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. On Switch 2, the situation is satisfactory, though not perfect. Both titles are fluid and, despite some situations where the Nintendo hardware struggles, 30 FPS are almost always present. It must be said that, given the age of the two games, I would have expected something more from Switch 2, especially when the situation gets more crowded, some stutters appear. No 4K resolution, you have to settle for Full HD, but I would have been surprised otherwise. I did tests playing specific sections of the game simultaneously in this version and in the Xbox One version on Series X, and the difference is noticeable, even if we are not talking about such a striking difference. The discussion, of course, concerns games played on TV, while in portable version everything is much more enjoyable. The small screen of Switch 2 enhances Aspyr's work and hides its flaws, with the experience becoming visually more satisfying. In short, on TV, all the years of the two games are noticeable, while in portable version, it approaches the rendering of more recent productions, especially regarding Shadow of War. Unfortunately, however, some camera management problems persist, and more than once, I found myself fighting not only against Sauron's hordes but also against an inadequate view, especially near walls and barriers.

The controls respond well, but it's obvious that, in a game of this type, a pro controller will always be better than the Joy-Con 2s, even if they manage to do their job decently. A special mention for the audio, with epic music and excellent Italian voice acting which (unfortunately) is increasingly rare. Ultimately, we are facing an interesting operation that allows even those who only own Switch 2 to play two very interesting titles that have won many awards and are enjoyable to play even for those who are not fans of The Lord of the Rings, given that we are talking about action RPGs of absolute value, regardless of the setting. Obviously, if you are a fan of Tolkien's works, purchasing is almost mandatory. The final score is 7.5 for the package of both and is the average of the 7 I assign to this edition of Shadow of Mordor and the 8 that Shadow of War earns. There are some compromises to be made, the final result makes me think that something more could have been done for fluidity, but we are still facing two very interesting video game experiences, especially if played in portable mode.