As much as I love Star Wars (and clearly I love Star Wars a lot), I love Tolkien’s Middle-Earth even more.  I was an enormous fan and sunk over a hundred hours into 2014’s Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor.  It was such a great game, but it had its glitches and frustrations.  The revolutionary thing in that game, and seemingly perfected in the sequel was the Nemesis System.  That the orcs and other enemies you ran into, remember you, become stronger if they defeat you, bear scars from you and can be impressed into your service.  It makes the world seem that much more of a living organism.  The reviews for Middle-Earth: Shadow of War make it sound like they ironed out the kinks and this is my most anticipated game of 2017.  It’s out today for Xbox One, Playstation 4, and PC.  Cheevos below courtesy of the greatest site in the land: xboxachievements.com.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War – Achievements
There are 52 achievements with a total of 1000 points.

Forger (10 points)
Forge a higher-quality Gem by combining three Gems of the same quality.

Rule of Three (15 points)
Unlock 3 Gem slots.

Best Defense (15 points)
Equip 3 Siege Upgrades on an Assault Team.

Fit for War (15 points)
Complete a challenge to upgrade a piece of gear.

Hostile Takeover (15 points)
Defeat a Warchief.

Vandal (10 points)
Destroy a Monument.

Speak Friend and Enter (15 points)
Open one of the Ithildin Doors.

Bound by Blood (10 points)
Complete an Online Vendetta.

Avenged (15 points)
Complete a Vendetta Mission.

Master Forger (20 points)
Forge a top tier Gem.

Promise Keeper (20 points)
Issue a Death Threat, and then successfully kill the target.

Death is not the End (10 points)
Resurrect a Follower Captain.

Dismantled (20 points)
Disable an Outpost.

Finished Tales (20 points)
Recover all Gondorian artifacts.

The Web Revealed (30 points)
Uncover the final Shelob memory and reveal the Web of Fate.

No Orc Lives Forever (25 points)
Win all Fight Pit missions.

Forged by War (20 points)
Unlock all player skills.

Purge (10 points)
Purify all the Haedir.

The Operative (20 points)
Turn all of a Warchief’s bodyguards (minimum 2) into spies, then confront him.

Such Great Heights (10 points)
Reach the rank of Captain in Online Conquest.

No Orc Left Behind (10 points)
Rescue a Follower who’s been captured.

Better Luck Next Time (15 points)
Meet an Enemy or a Follower who has cheated death.

Overkill (15 points)
Send a Follower to kill another Follower in a pit fight.

It Came From Within (15 points)
Start a Conquest with all Warchiefs as spies.

Power Couple (10 points)
Send a Follower to support another Follower in a Nemesis Mission.

Life of the Party (10 points)
Send a Destroyer on a Vendetta Mission.

If You Can’t Beat Them (20 points)
Dominate an Orc after he’s killed you three or more times.

Headhunter (15 points)
Recruit a Follower of every Advanced Class.

I Like to Watch (15 points)
Watch a Follower murder another Captain without helping him.

Second Age Warrior (20 points)
Complete all Shadow of the Past missions in one region.

Rough Rider (15 points)
Ride every type of beast and rare beast.

Wild Things (15 points)
Kill a drake while riding a graug.

Trolling (15 points)
Kill a Captain while riding an Olog.

Vertical Mobility (15 points)
Help a grunt become an Overlord.

Blood on Blood (15 points)
Make a Captain kill his bloodbrother.

Feed the Beasts (15 points)
Attract every kind of beast using bait.

Bad Boss (10 points)
Strike a Follower until he’s had enough.

Nemesis (15 points)
Encounter the same Orc 3 times in nemesis missions without killing him.

Follower Perks (10 points)
Use a Training Order to give a Follower a gang.

The Stuff of Legend (15 points)
Equip a full Legendary Gear set.

Everything is Permitted (30 points)
Shame an Assassin until he becomes deranged.

Secret Achievements

Banished (30 points)
Defeat Suladân.

Brought to Heel (30 points)
Defeat Helm Hammerhand.

Lord of Horror (30 points)
Defeat the Balrog.

What Once Was Lost (40 points)
Complete Act I.

First Steps (30 points)
Conquer the Fortress of Núrnen.

Peace in Death (30 points)
Complete the Shadow Wars.

Undeath Defeats Undeath (30 points)
Complete all Carnán quests.

Fall and Rise (30 points)
Complete all Brûz quests.

Stalemate is Victory (50 points)
Defeat the Witch-king and reclaim Minas Morgul.

Banish the Darkness (30 points)
Complete all Eltariel quests.

For Gondor (30 points)
Complete all Gondor quests.