 The game's core feature, its Nemesis system, was praised. According to Lucas Sullivan of GamesRadar, the system elevated Shadow of Mordor to excellence by making its villains memorable and adding personality to its protagonist. Brad Shoemaker of Giant Bomb agreed, writing that the system created many distinctive characters and its side content extended the game's longevity. Joystiq's Alexander Sliwinski said that the system made each playthrough unique and made the game stand out from other action games. Chris Carter of Destructoid found the system gimmicky, since it failed to create unique villains; it added different appearances and weaknesses to villains without adding personality.
