Monolith

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a strange beast. Gameplay-wise, it takes its inspiration from a number of sources. Its combat system, for instance, is lifted straight out of Rocksteady’s Arkham series, complete with combo meter, takedowns and counters, whilst its open world, stealth and traversal are clear nods to Assassin’s Creed. Film-wise, however, it’s definitely taking its cues from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, at least on the surface. Because whilst there is enough in the game to tie it to its silver screen counterpart, it’s really just fan service – and it’s all the better for it.

When tasked with choosing a particular horror game from the long and distinguished list, Condemned: Criminal Origins sticks out for a number of reasons. It was one of the best Xbox 360 launch titles, it had a nice CSI-style investigation system, and it let you smash tramps in the face with a brick. All good, valid grounds to recommend the game to others, and yet none of them come close to the one overarching element that everyone who played it will remember.