7. Middle-Earth Shadow of War
One of the most original ideas that Monolith has had in the past decade or so was the Nemesis System from the two Middle-Earth games. Beyond just a dynamic and cool enemy faction hierarchy system, the player can manipulate enemy factions to their advantage in creative ways. Recruiting orcs into your army is one of the more fun aspects of the game, allowing you to summon them in battle and even betray the opposing army’s Warchief when It’s time to take over a command post. The Nemesis System also behaves like a story creation tool, giving each orc a specific personality, class, traits, etc., and having them remember what they did to the player in battle. It’s a unique kind of fun to watch opposing orc armies cycle between new Warchiefs and rival adversaries getting promoted based on their historic exploits. Unfortunately, Monolith has patented the Nemesis System so other games can’t easily replicate its mechanics, something Nintendo has been under fire for recently regarding Pokeball mechanics.
