Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor looks not so good on Xbox 360 and PS3

Last-gen versions out now

I completely forgot Monolith was working on last-generation ports of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. The studio delayed the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game to … today. It’s available for a full $59.99, though I’d recommend holding off for now; possibly forever.

The orc-slaying action title found an audience on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One thanks in part to its Nemesis system, which randomized and, to some extent, personalized Sauron’s forces based on your interactions. Back in February, design director Michael de Plater told IGN “the core mechanics, like combat, stealth, ranged and movements; the basic control and gameplay, that should all be really solid [in Shadow of Mordor for PS3 and Xbox 360]. What it won’t have is the same level of depth and variety and simulation within the Nemesis system.”

It’s unclear to what extent the Nemesis system has been downgraded, which is scary. Between that and the expected-but-still-jarring drop in visual fidelity, you’re better off waiting to play the game until you can do so as it was intended on PC, PS4, or Xbox One.