Monolith Productions is an American video game developer based in Kirkland, Washington. The company is most known for their action games and first-person shooter. Their first project, a first-person shooter Blood, was released in 1997, met positive review and over the time gained a strong following. The next big success for Monolith was 2000 stealth-oriented FPS The Operative: No One Lives Forever. The game was a story-driven action that mocked spy films’ clichés. It gained cult status and spawned two sequels No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way and Contract J.A.C.K. The other well-received series created by Monolith is F.E.A.R. – a trilogy of horror first-person shooters that were praised for its frightening atmosphere, storyline and intense gameplay. Nowadays, Monolith Productions is mostly associated for their games in The Lord of the Rings franchise: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War.