Middle-earth: The Shadow bundle is now 90% off on Steam for a limited time

Monolith Productions' swansong, the Middle-earth duology, is 90% off on Steam. The bundle consists of both open-world, action-adventure titles based on The Lord of the Rings franchise that tell a self-contained story and tout the lauded Nemesis system. 

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, released in 2014 is an original tale based on J.R.R Tolkien's Legendarium - a collection of unpublished stories set in The Lord of the Rings universe. You are Talion, a ranger who binds his soul with a wraith of Celebrimbor, the two united with the common cause of avenging the deaths of their loved ones.

While the game may seem like your average open-world title at first glance, what sets it apart is the unique Nemesis system, a mechanic so good that Warner Bros. patented it. The system tracks enemies that the player comes in contact with and creates rivalries with those that manage to take the player down or survive their encounters. 

These enemies are then promoted to new ranks within their armies, and killing them will award Talion with a rune that can forged on his weapons for additional buffs in battle. Alternatively, getting killed by these enemies will make them tougher to deal with. All of these enemies have unique strengths and weaknesses that can exploited. 

The sequel, Middle-earth: Shadow of War, released in 2017, improved the Nemesis system further, extending to cover Talion's followers. It creates a dynamic battle system where you are never really sure who is on your side. The enemy AI now reacts dynamically by tracking your preferred gameplay tactics and developing counters for them, forcing you to experiment. 

Both these games offer a unique storyline and a dynamic battle system that culminates in visually stunning large-scale assaults which are a treat to experience. You can grab the bundle at 90% off until 13th March.