Middle-earth: Shadow of War

 PC
User Score
4.6

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 1110 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 401 out of 1110
  2. Mixed: 180 out of 1110
  3. Negative: 529 out of 1110

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  1. fajnalowiec
    Jan 5, 2020
    2
    2+ year after and it is still awful, gameplay is terrible, the core of the game is fighting orcs and it should be fun. It is not, moreover for most of the time you are gonna avoid it, cause there's no benefit plus you just cannot kill' em all. A new hordes appear instantly during fights. Endless. I had 90% complete in the beginning of epilogue, still 9lv below my final opponent, with some2+ year after and it is still awful, gameplay is terrible, the core of the game is fighting orcs and it should be fun. It is not, moreover for most of the time you are gonna avoid it, cause there's no benefit plus you just cannot kill' em all. A new hordes appear instantly during fights. Endless. I had 90% complete in the beginning of epilogue, still 9lv below my final opponent, with some legendary gear I cannot upgrade, cause I'm below required lv (55), if you do not have at this point **** load of money, quite big orcs army, not big enough level you can quit or start the grind. Better to watch the plot on yt, cause it's only worthy point of the game.… Expand
  2. RomanGor
    Nov 27, 2019
    2
    Та же первая часть, только с чуть улучшенной графикой. Все остальное- практически то же самое. Да, есть нововведения, но унылости прохождения они они не убирают.
  3. waverfader
    Jun 20, 2020
    2
    Visually decent but the game falls far short in the entertainment category. With repetitive fights topped with some of the worst controls ever to grace the gaming world, any difficulty above the easiest becomes nothing more than a chore. I used to think Assassin's Creed was pretty atrocious in this regard, but Shadow of Mordor takes it to the next level. Makes the Assassin's CreedVisually decent but the game falls far short in the entertainment category. With repetitive fights topped with some of the worst controls ever to grace the gaming world, any difficulty above the easiest becomes nothing more than a chore. I used to think Assassin's Creed was pretty atrocious in this regard, but Shadow of Mordor takes it to the next level. Makes the Assassin's Creed franchise seem extremely solid.… Expand
  4. Man_of_duty
    Jul 23, 2020
    2
    The game suffers heavily from the typical open world game system. It has a lot of quests to complete, it also has no evolving continuity for the combat, the style is basically unchanged throughout the whole game. There is no visible progression from the previous title, it honestly looks like they just recycled the old game. Apart from fortress missions I can't tell any difference betweenThe game suffers heavily from the typical open world game system. It has a lot of quests to complete, it also has no evolving continuity for the combat, the style is basically unchanged throughout the whole game. There is no visible progression from the previous title, it honestly looks like they just recycled the old game. Apart from fortress missions I can't tell any difference between this game and its predecessor.

    Boss animations. There will be a point when you get so annoyed and tired from the unskippable animations of enemies making cringe statements. It was cool the first three hours but then it will just waste the time.

    The story is luckily entertaining that until the end, where everything feels so rushy. It's as if they expect the players to be LOTR experts. It looks like they just skipped some major stories to explain the upcoming events. I know that the game is referencing to the film series but also it would be helpful if they just kept the same pace and not make the ending look like an unfinished game. Can't be that hard if you just recycle most things from the previous game, right? Horrible finish of the main character's story    … Expand
  5. bread22
    Mar 2, 2021
    2
    Fun for first 2 hours, then repetitive repetitive repetitive. Developer just copy paste everything they can. All captains are the same, all war chiefs are the same, all fortresses are the same, even all executions feel the same. All player need to to is smash buttons.
  6. clarky
    Oct 13, 2017
    1
    It basically looks like it was made on the Oblivion Engine and it plays like a really poor hack and slash. I have no idea why the game has gotten so much attention. People are talking micro transitions which is a disgrace, but even so, why would anyone play this game long enough to want to pay for anything????? It is a **** game, boring, stale, dull, old, dated. No amount of DLC isIt basically looks like it was made on the Oblivion Engine and it plays like a really poor hack and slash. I have no idea why the game has gotten so much attention. People are talking micro transitions which is a disgrace, but even so, why would anyone play this game long enough to want to pay for anything????? It is a **** game, boring, stale, dull, old, dated. No amount of DLC is going to help make it a better game. Terrible. The worst game I have played so far in 2017… Expand
  7. davoz28
    Oct 14, 2017
    1
    Great game by a good studio (Monolith) with a scummy publisher (WB)

    Pros- Great game Great story Nemesis system is amazing Pit fight arenas for orcs after you cap a fortress is amazing. BRUZE!!! Cons- Map is kinda vague Controls are setup for console/controller convenience Sometimes the objective is not clear, for instance I tried to start a story quest but it kept    Great game by a good studio (Monolith) with a scummy publisher (WB)

    Pros-
    Great game
    Great story
    Nemesis system is amazing
    Pit fight arenas for orcs after you cap a fortress is amazing.
    BRUZE!!!

    Cons-
    Map is kinda vague
    Controls are setup for console/controller convenience
    Sometimes the objective is not clear, for instance I tried to start a story quest but it kept redirecting me to kill this captain. I had to kill him to do it apparently.
    It's still a gripe of mine that time passes in all regions not just the one you are in. This has resulted in me not having control/being able to help in missions. Some of my fave orcs get killed.

    And the big one: P2W crates. Are they required? Not necessarily. Are they needed? Kinda, unless you farm like a mofo.

    Game is 9/10, publisher is 1/10. Thats 10/10 right?    … Expand
  8. deathweeper
    Nov 28, 2017
    1
    This game has ogres, swords, war, arrows, violent execution, stealth, nemesis, tar pour and good graphics, so why the heck am so incredibly bored. I hate this game, it should be great but it just feel repetitive and uninteresting. The story is plain nothing, if you loved playing the first one and you feel you didn't have enough than this is an extra 30 hours for you, otherwise its an extraThis game has ogres, swords, war, arrows, violent execution, stealth, nemesis, tar pour and good graphics, so why the heck am so incredibly bored. I hate this game, it should be great but it just feel repetitive and uninteresting. The story is plain nothing, if you loved playing the first one and you feel you didn't have enough than this is an extra 30 hours for you, otherwise its an extra 30 hours for you to regret.… Expand
  9. Halyo
    Oct 8, 2020
    1
    Piece of trash AAA game, all tropes included :
    - **** stealth segments with braindead ennemies whose player detection makes no sense
    - abysmal button-mashing combat
    - garbage controls
    - **** american story full of "minority" pandering
    A disgrace to Tolkien's legacy.
  10. BregoGW2
    Oct 27, 2017
    1
    История игры не как не связана с миром Толкина, графика плохая, мир скудный, квесты отсутствую. Всю игру вы должны гриндить монстров...................
  11. Tk4Bullet
    Feb 24, 2020
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is an example why piracy will continue to grow. The story is fine, might get repetitive at some point but I was having fun till that happened. However, the game lags, freezes, sometimes also crashes. Loading a fortress defence takes about 5-10 minutes each time, while assigning a captain for a slot freezes the game for another 2-4 minutes for every 6 or 7 slots. As for the gameplay, some perks such as "no chance" or "adapted" are unfun to play against. Who the hell thought that if you die during a fortress defence, it is a loss already? It means that your captains automatically flee or won't fight anymore? A pity. Defending it is such a mess anyways, if your captains die in a middle of enemies, you have no chance to revive them because there is no way to target them, system will target anyone but him. But at least we have microtransactions in a 60$ game :D… Expand
  12. Voltron89
    Oct 10, 2017
    1
    Could be good game but you destroyed it with Loot boxes and microtransactions. I boycott this practice (you know what way) with my friends. You won't see penny. Game itself is a bit repetetive, there is a lot of grind, the nemesis system is great, plot is better, some orcs are intersting and battles are in my opinion well made, but repetetive and the same for every castle. Would be 7/10-Could be good game but you destroyed it with Loot boxes and microtransactions. I boycott this practice (you know what way) with my friends. You won't see penny. Game itself is a bit repetetive, there is a lot of grind, the nemesis system is great, plot is better, some orcs are intersting and battles are in my opinion well made, but repetetive and the same for every castle. Would be 7/10- but LOCKING TRUE ENDING BEHIND GRIND?!! So you force me to either GRIND IN SINGLE PLAYER GAME!!! or buy your dam loot boxes?! Giving that stupid RNG boxes in single player 60$ game? Are you out of your mind?!

    I only play it because I got free copy- DON'T SPEND MONEY ON IT. Wait couple of days and you know what to do.

    Shame on you devs, shame on you. People like you are destroying the game industry and our hobby.

    I hope you will go bankrupt. Don't buy this people. Let vote with our wallets, thats all they care about.    … Expand
  13. forbitz
    Oct 11, 2017
    1
    Its a pity that in a single player game greed has come into the equation, speaking of course about the micro transactions which ruin the end of the game. People should vote with their wallets and let publishers know we don't want this sort of thing in games we pay good money for.
  14. indranil_sldu
    Oct 16, 2017
    1
    DO NOT buy this game. And this is coming from someone who enjoyed Shadow of Mordor till death. Game feels like an expansion to the first game. Add to it the ridiculous price tag of Gold Edition, Microtransactions and Loot Boxes and you get the very definition of "joke". I bought the game on steam, but unfortunately I played for more than 2 hours, hence I can't refund it. But please doDO NOT buy this game. And this is coming from someone who enjoyed Shadow of Mordor till death. Game feels like an expansion to the first game. Add to it the ridiculous price tag of Gold Edition, Microtransactions and Loot Boxes and you get the very definition of "joke". I bought the game on steam, but unfortunately I played for more than 2 hours, hence I can't refund it. But please do yourself a favour and don't fall in the same trap as me. The story is bland. the characters are bland and the world feels dead and empty.… Expand
  15. GandalfsHeir
    Oct 20, 2017
    1
    Can't believe what the developers thought when forcing you in the last chapter to conquer and defend fortresses about 50 times. This dumb and repetitive gameplay took me about 20 hours. While the previous chapters had really good gameplay and story, this is the most annoying gameplay decision I have ever seen. And I'm playing games since 1992... They want you to buy the microtransactionsCan't believe what the developers thought when forcing you in the last chapter to conquer and defend fortresses about 50 times. This dumb and repetitive gameplay took me about 20 hours. While the previous chapters had really good gameplay and story, this is the most annoying gameplay decision I have ever seen. And I'm playing games since 1992... They want you to buy the microtransactions stuff to proceed faster, but the game costs 60 dollars, so why should I spend more money just to see the end?… Expand
  16. Bennorodon
    Oct 21, 2017
    1
    Einen Punkt gebe ich für einen tollen Anfang. Aber dass man das Ende nur sehen kann, wenn man 30 Stunden die immer gleichen Verteidigungen der eigenen Festungen vornimmt, ist einfach nur erbärmliches Gamedesign und Geldmacherei, denn man kann das Ganze nur beschleunigen, wenn man mit Echtgeld zahlt... Nachdem das Spiel bereits 50 Euro gekostet hat, soll ich noch draufzahlen für das Ende,Einen Punkt gebe ich für einen tollen Anfang. Aber dass man das Ende nur sehen kann, wenn man 30 Stunden die immer gleichen Verteidigungen der eigenen Festungen vornimmt, ist einfach nur erbärmliches Gamedesign und Geldmacherei, denn man kann das Ganze nur beschleunigen, wenn man mit Echtgeld zahlt... Nachdem das Spiel bereits 50 Euro gekostet hat, soll ich noch draufzahlen für das Ende, solange ich nicht kostbare Zeit mit Grinding/Leveling verschwenden will? Das ist wohlgemerkt kein Free2Play-Spiel, sondern ein Vollpreisprodukt. Und wenn man dann am Ende angelangt ist, wird die unbefriedigenste Endsequenz seit Mass Effect 3 gezeigt.
    Und noch was: warum kann man die zahllosen (bei mir bestimmt 200) Kämpfe gegen Captains in der Pit nicht beschleunigen, sondern muss sich 2-3 Minuten KI-Kampf anschauen? Warum muss ich mir bei jeder Begegnung mit einem Hauptmann oder Warchief Dialoge anhören, die ich nicht abbrechen kann? Antwort: Damit man mit Echtgeld auflevelt. Dankeschön für dieses frustrierende Produkt. EMPFEHLUNG: NICHT KAUFEN    … Expand
  17. ANHell
    Oct 28, 2017
    1
    Игра ужасная, плохая графика, скудные однотипные локации, задания отсутствуют, а весь геймплей сводится к гринду простых монстров на карте и так до бесконечности. Персонажи очень скучные и не интересные, а сюжет игры достоин отдельной поэмы провалов и разочарований. История игры вообще не как не связана с миром Толкина и не имеет не чего общего с Властелином Колец.

    Больное смотреть как    Игра ужасная, плохая графика, скудные однотипные локации, задания отсутствуют, а весь геймплей сводится к гринду простых монстров на карте и так до бесконечности. Персонажи очень скучные и не интересные, а сюжет игры достоин отдельной поэмы провалов и разочарований. История игры вообще не как не связана с миром Толкина и не имеет не чего общего с Властелином Колец.

    Больное смотреть как создатели игры, позорят прародителя всех фентази игр и что до сих пор не одна студия не сделала достойной игры по данной вселенной, но эта игра одна из худших.    … Expand
  18. Bellybutton
    Oct 28, 2017
    1
    I was playing most of the time offline, so I was wondering about the big amount of currency I was carrying with me and was asking myself where I could spend that money.
    Well after visiting the online market I could not really believe my eyes. As many people stated already, it is a total disgrace introducing micro transactions for a single player game.
    I just wanted to finish it as    I was playing most of the time offline, so I was wondering about the big amount of currency I was carrying with me and was asking myself where I could spend that money.
    Well after visiting the online market I could not really believe my eyes. As many people stated already, it is a total disgrace introducing micro transactions for a single player game.
    I just wanted to finish it as quickly as possible and be done with the game. I did not even realize that the game was basically over when the sequence with the wars started.
    I really regret any minute spent on that game    … Expand
  19. Corefitz
    Feb 15, 2020
    1
    Fast travel crashes the game, so I can't change region... which the game doesn't explain how to do anyways... I'm at a loss for words... Oh! yeah, and you get 1-shot because of the Nemisis System... so there's that... Seroiusly breaks the pace of the game.

    I suppose the game looks nice but... that's about all there is to it.
  20. lilkillpappy
    Oct 20, 2017
    0
    my initial review was a protest review because of the micro transactions, but I got my hands on a copy of the game and put in 20 hours. I did not and will not ever buy a game with micro transactions. I am very happy that I didn't buy this game because it's cheap, ugly, boring, and a tedious grind. I don't know what game the "journalists" played but this game is god awful. It is full ofmy initial review was a protest review because of the micro transactions, but I got my hands on a copy of the game and put in 20 hours. I did not and will not ever buy a game with micro transactions. I am very happy that I didn't buy this game because it's cheap, ugly, boring, and a tedious grind. I don't know what game the "journalists" played but this game is god awful. It is full of repetitive tasks to do all over the map, the combat attempts to be like Arkham Knight but is more like Assassins Creed Syndacate, but it doesn't have a good story like either of those games. This game feels like it was designed from the top down to encourage you to use the loot crates and purchase items with real money. This isn't even a game. It's gambling with real money for in game items disguised as a Lord or the Rings game. This is not a detail oriented or well designed game. It's some mechanics with 6 different types of tasks repeated and scattered across a cheap lazily designed open world. The graphics are not pretty to look at, the orcs look childish and stupid, not scary at all. The combat is not challenging and it's very repetitive. The main quests are not interesting at all. Pretty much a blur of hyperbole. The reason that people are liking this game is because it's addictive, because it was designed to be addictive from the ground up. It is in no objective way a good game. I would go as far to say that it's not really a video game. It's a gambling machine.… Expand
  21. iamthewizard2
    Oct 10, 2017
    0
    Don't buy this rubbish. If you do you're part of the problem and you're supporting bad unethical practices in video gaming. Go and buy Divinity Original Sin 2 instead.
  22. KalrocVN
    Oct 13, 2017
    0
    Utter garbage cash grab. The full price of this game with all the "at launch" DLC is $80. That's actually fine with me. But then to stack in-game purchases of loot boxes on top of this in a single player game?! And to hide the actually ending behind these in-game purchases? These developers have lost their minds. Time to learn the hard way, fellas.
  23. RoosterJuice
    Oct 12, 2017
    0
    Microtransactions in an $60 single player game is like buying a nice car and then after driving it for 1 year, a message pops up on the dashboard saying you can only drive a maximum of 40 mph unless you purchase more "credits".

    Unacceptable filthy greed.
  24. out2kill
    Oct 12, 2017
    0
    Glad this game got cracked day one even with the latest Denuvo. The devs and publisher deserve to be kicked in the family jewels until they pass out for this disaster of a lootcrate system.
  25. ocinom
    Oct 26, 2017
    0
    Does it have lootboxes that destroy the game? Why, yes it does. So I automatically download a free game for me. Sorry not Sorry you greedy punk publishers
  26. sherbz
    Nov 24, 2020
    0
    No way near as good as the first one. Certainly not terrible by any means. But theres a few glaring things which stand out as either pretty annoying, or even downright stupid. The first is that the game released with microtransactions and loot boxes in a single player game. Thats a huge no no in my book. I only bought it once they had been removed from the game, otherwise i wouldntNo way near as good as the first one. Certainly not terrible by any means. But theres a few glaring things which stand out as either pretty annoying, or even downright stupid. The first is that the game released with microtransactions and loot boxes in a single player game. Thats a huge no no in my book. I only bought it once they had been removed from the game, otherwise i wouldnt have bothered. But Monolith compromised the integrity of their game in order to include them. And that i think is a real shame. The second is that the end of the game was a chore. So much so i didnt bother trying to do all of it and just watched the ending on YouTube. And the reason it was such a chore is because they had to make their monetisation system seem worthwhile in buying. Even with them removed the game was still a drag. Personally i wouldnt bother with this and just play the original. Which is a far superior game IMO.… Expand
  27. Bogzy
    Oct 10, 2017
    0
    Microtransactions, especially in a SP game, are a plague on the gaming industry. Don't support a game like this, just watch a stream if u wanna see the game.
  28. Hofra
    Oct 21, 2017
    0
    You pay for a game with the true ending behind a paywall. Microtransactions are the new cancer that is destroying videogames. They ruined a game with a lot of potential because of greed. Do not buy it until they change their policy.
  29. DSLevantine
    Oct 12, 2017
    0
    Micro transaction and Denuvo DRM, that's a big no no. From these two we know how greedy the corp is and how far they will go to milk all the money from players. This is a disgusting business model and should not be encouraged.
  30. faircritic
    Oct 15, 2017
    0
    I just want to make it clear for Warner and all gaming companies.:
    THIS IS NOT A F2P MOBILE GAME TO BE PLAGUED disgustingly BY MT.
    STICK IT THROUGH YOUR HEADS, AND PUT TO WORK THAT FEW LITTLE CELL BRAINS OF YOURS.
    For the gaming community: Don´t bought this game. Dishonest business practices = pay to win formula.
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Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017
69
#69 Most Shared PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 16, 2018
    60
    A huge game that, despite of the quality of the fight and the delight of the Orb, offers paradoxically very small. It's not a failure, but we were expecting more. [Issue#279]
  2. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Dec 30, 2017
    76
    Nemesis is a one-hit wonder of a mechanic. Everything else in Middle-earth is mediocre at best, but Nemesis makes it all worthwhile, since every playthrough is truly unique – a feature none of its triple-A competitors can offer. [Issue#225, p.38]
  3. Riot Pixels
    Dec 23, 2017
    63
    A lot of people were upset to find out that Shadow of War has loot boxes, and they are kind of annoying. Unfortunately, loot boxes is the least of its problems.
    Read full review
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