Middle-earth: Shadow of War

 PlayStation 4
User Score
4.9

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 1686 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 665 out of 1686
  2. Mixed: 265 out of 1686
  3. Negative: 756 out of 1686
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  1. Cashmoney900000
    Dec 12, 2017
    7
    So I just completed the main storyline. Overall gameplay has expanded upon what was already in place, I enjoyed it throughly WITH a few issues. The timing doesnt always seem like line up. The enemies ability to adapt is annoying when some of them have only one weakness to begin with (i.e. shield enemies need to be vaulted over, then they adapt and you can no longer do that). The storySo I just completed the main storyline. Overall gameplay has expanded upon what was already in place, I enjoyed it throughly WITH a few issues. The timing doesnt always seem like line up. The enemies ability to adapt is annoying when some of them have only one weakness to begin with (i.e. shield enemies need to be vaulted over, then they adapt and you can no longer do that). The story line was pretty good, it surprised me. I haven't got into the lootboxes yet, but it has gotten kind of grindy. Imagine Pokemon where you can only catch a pokemon at your trainers level. The game can probably be beaten in 1 sitting. Maybe around 8 to 12 hours of storyline gameplay only. Subquest and just going around merking s*** is what makes this game fun for me. ALSO I bought it at black friday. It is not worth more than 30$ imo. Not a bad game, just not long enough, and to combat that they add extensive grinding to compensate lack of content. Fun. But has its issues. Also f*** the lootboxes, Im not with that movement, at all.… Expand
  2. silencer
    Feb 9, 2018
    7
    Pros: Fun combat mechanics, moderately entertaining Nemesis system, beautiful environments and a diverse skill / inventory system.
    Cons: Nonsensical story, highly repetitive gameplay and bland characters.
    It's a decent game, but the grind at the end of the game is so annoying that I gave up and just watched the ending on youtube. If it had a cohesive story to support the grind, that    Pros: Fun combat mechanics, moderately entertaining Nemesis system, beautiful environments and a diverse skill / inventory system.
    Cons: Nonsensical story, highly repetitive gameplay and bland characters.

    It's a decent game, but the grind at the end of the game is so annoying that I gave up and just watched the ending on youtube. If it had a cohesive story to support the grind, that would probably be more tolerable, but as it is, it's just unbearable. This game is a "wait for sale", imo (I bought this new but with deep discount).    … Expand
  3. ToxicJimmy
    Dec 3, 2017
    7
    First off, I understand the bad user score and overall microtransactions have really gotten out of hand. BUT, how Shadow of War implements them is not completely ruining the game. If you choose to ignore the microtransactions it makes the game a little more grindy. However due to SOW's fantastic nemesis system it kind of makes it into an OK grind and still manages to keep it as anFirst off, I understand the bad user score and overall microtransactions have really gotten out of hand. BUT, how Shadow of War implements them is not completely ruining the game. If you choose to ignore the microtransactions it makes the game a little more grindy. However due to SOW's fantastic nemesis system it kind of makes it into an OK grind and still manages to keep it as an interesting experience.

    You can still obtain orc followers, training orders and items from "regular chests" bought with in-game-gained currency which is really easy to farm on higher levels. Basically all the microtransactions do are ensure that you get a legendary item or legendary orc follower, which defeats the whole sense of purpose and accomplishment that already is present in the game if you play it normally. I don't feel forced to purchase loot boxes to enjoy the good qualities of the game.

    With that out of the way:

    Pros

    ++ Nemesis System
    ++ Movement and Combat
    + A lot of skills with many variations
    + Graphics and Performance (Played on PS4 Pro)
    + Orc Pit Fights
    + Fortress Battles (Both offline and online)
    + Some updates are free without the need of a season pass
    + No crashes (personally)
    + Voice Acting (Except Talions generic dialogue)
    + Better story boss battles than Shadow of Mordor, even though some bosses are very "copy-paste"
    + Story is interesting at times

    Cons

    -- Loot boxes
    - Obsolete gear and item system
    - The need to occasionally enter the slow and laggy market section to purchase chests for in-game currency (mainly training orders)
    - Mediocre main character
    - Some glitches (like getting stuck) may require game restart
    - Repetitive Act 4 and Nemesis missions
    - Slow and grindy progression in late-game

    I totally understand if people won't buy the game simply because of the disgusting microtransactions, it's just that they're missing out on the awesome game that lies beneath the pile of **** if they can't see past them.    … Expand
  4. lager96
    Oct 26, 2017
    7
    This is not a bad game. This is not a great game. This is a good game that could have been much better. I like a lot about this game, which is why I'm so let down by many aspects of this game. To begin, I love the new fortress system where you can capturing and then defend them. Building your army in a area to then bring them to take a fortress is amazing! It's so rewarding to see yourThis is not a bad game. This is not a great game. This is a good game that could have been much better. I like a lot about this game, which is why I'm so let down by many aspects of this game. To begin, I love the new fortress system where you can capturing and then defend them. Building your army in a area to then bring them to take a fortress is amazing! It's so rewarding to see your effort pay off. Every time you dominate or kill an enemy captain in a fortress assault makes the hours building your army worth it. Even more satisfying, is when you make your way through the fortress and into the overlords room. It is the best feeling when you get that killing blow and take the fortress for you and your army. However, after the first three time it can get very repetitive. This can be due to how many times you need to do this (especially in Act IV: Shadow Wars). The amount of times must do this to complete the game is ridiculous. It is enjoyable when it naturally occurs but act IV outstays its welcome and leaves a sour taste in your mouth. The combat is also has positives and negatives. When you are facing three or four orcs it is smooth and fun but when you are facing large groups (like in the fortresses) it begins to show it flaws. Many times I was wanted to vault over a normal orc but Talion decided to jump over an olog just to have it throw me to the ground every time. This type of thing happened to often and completely ruined to flow of the combat. Even when I tired to use of finisher on a captain the game would use it on a grunt orc and waste it. The story is around 20 hours (not including shadow wars) and is okay. There are some cool things but nothing that sticks out to me and nothing I will remember in years to come. I also noticed that many of the orcs look and often have very similar names. This happened few and far between in the first game and it seems to happen even more often here. The amount of times I have seen an almost identical captain is insane and makes it an inferior system compared to the original game. The loot crates may be to blame for this because of how easy you can unlock captains. You can buy crates and get 100+ captains easy so the orcs will begin to look very similar. It may sound like I completely dislike this game but I don't. The story, mixed with the random events, plus the fortresses made for a fun 20ish hours. After you complete the third act, the game wares out its welcome and becomes very repetitive. I'm fine with some repetitive tacks but when the game is only repetitive, without the story to distract me, it get bored. This is a game that is good but was held back by a lot of small issues. Tolkien is probably rolling over in his grave by the violence being added in the world he created, hahaha.… Expand
  5. Realisti
    Apr 12, 2022
    7
    I think this game is decent time killer. I just finished all the quests and that's enough about this game for me. I don't know what people are raving about microtransactions and loot boxes because I didn't put a single coin in this. If you are into Middle-Earth lore this not it. It has some resemblance but no, it isn't. Mechanics are a bit crappy and there's still some weird glitches butI think this game is decent time killer. I just finished all the quests and that's enough about this game for me. I don't know what people are raving about microtransactions and loot boxes because I didn't put a single coin in this. If you are into Middle-Earth lore this not it. It has some resemblance but no, it isn't. Mechanics are a bit crappy and there's still some weird glitches but nvm. If you get it free or cheap, play, otherwise don't.… Expand
  6. thryce3
    Nov 9, 2018
    7
    The gameplay is still solid. The story is still secondary to the nemesis system. I really wished they built on that potential and really integrated the two. It's good, it's just more of the same.
  7. SuperkenGaming
    Oct 27, 2017
    7
    Middle Earth Shadow of War
    Lacking Soul
    I’m about to break most of your hearts, I didn’t like shadow of war as much as every other reviewer… As to me this game feels like a soulless cash grab Shadow of War is the sequel to the much better middle earth shadow of Mordor.. You once again play as Talion who sets out to bring balance to middle earth... As a less personal story compared to    Middle Earth Shadow of War
    Lacking Soul
    I’m about to break most of your hearts, I didn’t like shadow of war as much as every other reviewer…
    As to me this game feels like a soulless cash grab
    Shadow of War is the sequel to the much better middle earth shadow of Mordor..
    You once again play as Talion who sets out to bring balance to middle earth...
    As a less personal story compared to the first... the game struggled to keep my attention with its story or world…
    Basically Shadow of War feels like more of the same with none of the heart…
    It’s a cash grab riding off of the success of the original…
    The world is much larger this time, but bigger isn’t always better as every area in this game feels generic and unmemorable…
    Back are the assassins creed like syncing point that lets you scout out this games collectables to unlock new moves in the skill tree…
    Skill wise there isn’t anything special…
    You’ll easily have every skill unlocked by time you reach the end of act 3 which takes around 19 hours.. and is the base of this games story…
    skills for the most part unlock moves you had in the first game though they have 1 of 3 modifiers that take away their annoyances from the first game like allowing celebrimbor to counter attacks while you’re doing a ground finish or add an elemental effect to a special attack like poison or fire for example…
    There’s also a really cool weapon and rune system here where you can craft runes to give you boosts like xp or life drain.. and each rare, epic, and legendary weapon or clothing item has a challenge attached to them that will unlock a perk… giving a little personality to each
    These items of course picked up off of orcs with the same rarity
    Getting rid of the annoyances is the best shadow of war does, you’re now able to run extremely fast taking away the annoying fleeing enemy moments and there’s a cool double jump added to the parquor making you feel like you’re a super hero running through the game..
    Which honestly may be the reason I feel this world is so forgettable…
    I’m able to get around it so quickly that I never had the opportunity to notice or care about my surroundings…
    a new change that I’m not a fan of is the fact that special moves are now tied to a meter instead of attack chains… of course this meter is the only way to make this games boss encounters work... but I felt like I was less in control and that building up uninterrupted attack chains was unrewarded…
    a mix of both systems in the next game if one comes would be cool… where successful chains fills the meter at a faster rate than were given here….
    There’s also an eleven rage meter that lets you unleash multiple attacks while invincible, but this meter takes so ridiculously long to fill up that it might as well not even exist... I used it probably 4 times my entire time playing because I would save it as a just in case thing…
    The nemesis system is back once again but this time the game from the jump is focused on domination after the first act...
    It’s up to you to go and capture 4 towers to get to the end of the games story…
    though I found myself gaining followers naturally through story, I didn’t have to do much hunting towards the end…however in the first few hours, this domination thing is annoying as you’re only able to capture orcs at your same level or lower…
    you’re able to humiliate them and lower their level.. But all this does is make them run away and forces you to have to go find them again somewhere else…
    this to me felt like the game just wasting the players time...
    I see no harm in letting the player just take the orc at a lower level and letting them move on..
    With your orcs you can command them to kill other orcs or prove themselves and become the bodyguard of a warchief... you can assign an orc to be your bodyguard to help you in combat…you can also go capture the bodyguards of warchiefs and have them betray… making their battles easier as you can take out each warchief individually to lower the level of a fortress greatly with each one…
    While you’re doing these hunts and gathering intel for the weakness on your next target you have to be warry of how you treat your followers, as they’re able to betray you as well…
    and once you feel you’re ready to take on a fortress you assign your orcs to positions, you give them weapons and armies to increase your odds of success and you charge in to take what’s yours…
    The review has a bit of a negative tone, but Shadow of War is a really good game….
    Its more of the really great shadow of Mordor with deeper systems and less annoyances…
    But to me it also has less heart and soul…
    This is an enjoyable experience.. But a very forgettable one…
    I give Middle Earth Shadow of War
    a 7.5/10    … Expand
  8. notlaw
    Nov 8, 2017
    7
    shadow of war loot box arrrhhh score 0-0-0-0- haha I dont play online say I can happily say I didn't encounter any of it. The game itself is more or less just as good as the last the orcs themselves dont look quite as polished but with alot more variety it doesn't really matter. the story is abit of a hit and a miss but so was the last one. Shame about the massive grind wall at the endshadow of war loot box arrrhhh score 0-0-0-0- haha I dont play online say I can happily say I didn't encounter any of it. The game itself is more or less just as good as the last the orcs themselves dont look quite as polished but with alot more variety it doesn't really matter. the story is abit of a hit and a miss but so was the last one. Shame about the massive grind wall at the end that is what made me give it a 7 and not higher. Making you either pay or grind is really a poor decision by the developers but does it make this game a zero? Nah.… Expand
  9. Bob_Paulson
    Nov 9, 2017
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm very happy with this game except for 2 very distinct reasons:

    The Captain and War Chief endless speeches become very annoying. There needs to be a way to disable this "feature". A little bit is fine, but some of these bosses go on FOREVER.

    The second issue I have and is a huge let down for me is Act 4: Shadow Wars. It's just a series of defending your territories over and over and over again. This is just plain STUPID. If you want to play a never ending campaign of defending your castles, that's fine. Add it as an option. But to be part of the actual story line is a huge let down for an otherwise fantastic game. I feel like this was just added as filler and has no real purpose nor adds any value to the game itself. If the story is essentially ended after Act 3, then why add this? It really makes no logical sense.

    Honestly, the micro transactions really don't mean anything to me. I really don't care if it's there or not. I'm not going to spend any additional money on this game and I really don't have to pay attention to it if I want. I do spend the in game Miriin to add new Captains to my armies. But that's it.

    This game started out with a fantastic premise and has a great story line to continue the tale of Talion. But in the end I feel it falls way short of the original game Shadow of Mordor. I feel that scoring it as a 7 is a bit generous, but the overall game play is every bit as fantastic as the first game and what story there is, is also very well done. No game is perfect, but what's odd here is the game designers gave us too much of a good thing. For me the game is equal parts over the top good and over the top bad. In this case, a little bit less of both would have made a much better overall game.    … Expand
  10. CaptainPuGDoG
    Nov 16, 2017
    7
    Loot boxes,Loot boxes,Loot boxes,Loot boxes,Loot boxes,Loot boxes,or Grinding Grinding Grinding Grinding Grinding Grinding
    But this game have interesting story 8,and beautiful animation 8,and this fight animation only one,because of this, it is time to spend on Grinding
    World 5 all game design so primitive and unremarkable
  11. Targayrean
    Oct 12, 2017
    7
    It's such a good game it's such a shame they would cheapen it with micro transactions... It could be a 10/10 it nicely develops from the last game but I am almost ashamed myself for supporting such a cheap cash crab. I am glad people are taking a stand but I've now put a couple of hours in and I don't see a reason why it's needed- I would play with out them for a great game.
  12. spaghetti-cop
    Nov 7, 2017
    7
    Shadow of War is filled with a lot of great moments. Sadly there aren't enough of these to make the game reach the highs of it's predecessor. I was hoping more compelling campaign this time around with interesting characters, but instead it's more of the same cliches we got the first time around. To be fair, the plot has a couple interesting twists that were good enough to motivate me toShadow of War is filled with a lot of great moments. Sadly there aren't enough of these to make the game reach the highs of it's predecessor. I was hoping more compelling campaign this time around with interesting characters, but instead it's more of the same cliches we got the first time around. To be fair, the plot has a couple interesting twists that were good enough to motivate me to complete it, but it's the orcs that make this game worth playing; nothing else really. Once you finish each NPCs arc and complete the final mission, you'll get that familiar "that's it?" feeling that commonly plagues open world games like this one.

    The game just never finds its stride. Buffing Talion to god level and manipulating the story lines and progression of your orcs is a lot of fun, but it's a shame that the game cheapens this in its final act by turning orcs into stats to be purchased instead of characters to remember. Every strength the game has is marred by a weakness.

    The combat this time around is very one-note. It's just chaos with berserkers, defenders, ologs always overwhelming you and the game devolves into spamming overpowered skills like chain consume and headshots. The first game had tighter encounters with more balance put into each one. The game ramped up its difficulty organically. Shadow or War just throws it all into the blender and makes combat feel like a mess. I think that's how I feel about it in general. It's a very tangled game that does a lot right and a lot wrong.    … Expand
  13. frederik1478
    Jun 16, 2022
    7
    A beautifully built game an improvement on the first but maybe just a bit too long on the side. The nemesis system and the Orcs have back and better den before even the combat have gotten some tuna to make it more fun and more varied to you can have your own play style. My biggest gripe about the game is there a lot of missions in the middle of the game that you feel like you're not goingA beautifully built game an improvement on the first but maybe just a bit too long on the side. The nemesis system and the Orcs have back and better den before even the combat have gotten some tuna to make it more fun and more varied to you can have your own play style. My biggest gripe about the game is there a lot of missions in the middle of the game that you feel like you're not going anywhere it just feels like the story stops in the middle and it only really picked up in the end again.And my second nepick about the game is the climbing is awful. It really feels like not fully control where you're climbing. i absolute love how they destroy the Lord of the Rings Canon in this game is it just me but I enjoyed when cannons get f***** with.… Expand
  14. Mortalus
    Oct 26, 2017
    7
    Let me tell you a story, Mortalus bought Shadow of War, Mortalus did not cry like a little **** about micro-transactions that are totally nonessential to the game. Mortalus on the other hand enjoyed the new upgraded nemesis system (which is now nuts), loot, running and jumping all over Mordor, collecting stuff, Mortalus died like 20 times on the hardest difficulty totally having fun. BeLet me tell you a story, Mortalus bought Shadow of War, Mortalus did not cry like a little **** about micro-transactions that are totally nonessential to the game. Mortalus on the other hand enjoyed the new upgraded nemesis system (which is now nuts), loot, running and jumping all over Mordor, collecting stuff, Mortalus died like 20 times on the hardest difficulty totally having fun. Be like Mortalus.

    Edit: As I finished the game, I must say the story was nice, but the game does not end, and that is where it all fell apart, you basicially need to achieve max level to get to the secret ending, I ended somewhere near level 50 with all my quests done, so all you are left with is killing orc captains, but I dominated all of them, so everything I was left with was shun my orcs from my army and then kill them, but it takes a lot of time, to get from level 47 to 48 you need to do 70 captain missions. It does get repetitive, it is very big grind to full level, I do not know why developers went this way, Still microtransactions are not needed, maybe those XP boosts might come in hand, to new players I might recommend gem your armor with XP gems and play on lower difficulty as you will not get extra health from green gems which you will sacrifice for the white ones, maybe this way you will be able to get extra XP from quests and actually finish the game for cut scene that lasts +- 1m30s. Overall the game was pretty fun until ACT 4.

    (I do support these micro-transactions as it is a way for developers to make some extra money for their hard effort, as far as they do not push you to buy those boxes, you do not need them at all, not a little bit.)    … Expand
  15. ryxerg
    Oct 19, 2017
    7
    All the microtransactions are LIES! you can purchase every item in the game via daily mission, and the grinding system are Middle-Earth WAY, if you don't like it just don't buy the game!
    The story are a little bit linear but its good anyway, the main reason you want to buy this game is about the gameplay not the story.
    The gameplay looks nice, but the control of the main char are not too    All the microtransactions are LIES! you can purchase every item in the game via daily mission, and the grinding system are Middle-Earth WAY, if you don't like it just don't buy the game!
    The story are a little bit linear but its good anyway, the main reason you want to buy this game is about the gameplay not the story.
    The gameplay looks nice, but the control of the main char are not too good, i play it on my ps4 slim and the main char sometimes do something that i don't want him to do.
    Overall the game is good but need some improvement at graphic and controlling    … Expand
  16. Azula-1994
    Oct 12, 2017
    7
    Shadow of War...

    Gameplay: The gameplay in Shadow of War is brilliant, I never get tired of killing orcs, Uruk's and other enemies, there are so many different combat options you can use to take down your foe. Graphics: The Graphics aren't terrible but I don't really see any improvement compared to Shadow of Mordor. Story: The story is way over the top and as much as they tried to    Shadow of War...

    Gameplay: The gameplay in Shadow of War is brilliant, I never get tired of killing orcs, Uruk's and other enemies, there are so many different combat options you can use to take down your foe.

    Graphics: The Graphics aren't terrible but I don't really see any improvement compared to Shadow of Mordor.

    Story: The story is way over the top and as much as they tried to tie into the trilogy it just doesn't make much sense.

    Do the Microtransactions take anything away from the game? the answer is yes and no. The game overall is solid, but the microtransactions and loot-crates are in the game and are very noticeable. The biggest issue is the end game where the ending is locked behind tedious grinding defending all of your forts successfully or you can fast track that by buying legendary orcs/uruks/trolls... overall at its core it is a great game that has lost part of its soul by corporate greed.    … Expand
  17. ryanjolly1
    Oct 13, 2017
    7
    People giving this a 0 because there's microtransactions. If they actually played the game they would know they are absolutely unnecessary and you don't have to buy crates to win, it's not pay to win, it's pay to get stronger.
    The story is fantastic, which is obviously expected from one of the biggest franchises in modern history. The combat is still in my opinion the best combat out    People giving this a 0 because there's microtransactions. If they actually played the game they would know they are absolutely unnecessary and you don't have to buy crates to win, it's not pay to win, it's pay to get stronger.
    The story is fantastic, which is obviously expected from one of the biggest franchises in modern history. The combat is still in my opinion the best combat out there in gaming, very fast, very slick. The loot change was needed in my opinion from the first one. Where you just got runes to upgrade your gear, you now drop new weapons and armour, along with upgrades and runes to make them more powerful.
    The reason I gave this an 7 and not a 10 is simply because of it's price tag, yes, microtransactions and bugs. $60 for a single player game with very small multiplayer implementations, and that's only the base game. You'll need to fork out extra for expansions if you didn't buy the higher editions of the game. It's wrong to have microtransactions, but, they aren't something you need to buy to beat the game, yes you need to grind for better gear to be able to finish the game, but overall, it's something to give you a boost, nothing more. BUT, having said that, WB are a disgrace, and being a multi billion dollar publisher, it's very wrong to ask for MORE money like they are, especially when you have 3 editions of your game.
    So, to the people giving this game a 0 simply because of MT's, you're idiots who simply haven't even played the game, who're following the crowd because it's not "cool" to hate on video games without even using the brain you was given.    … Expand
  18. ryuujin
    Oct 19, 2017
    7
    Shadow of war takes the nemesis system from the last game and blows it out of the water. This game improves on every part of it and the combat is also much better. I bought the gold edition and got the platinum without spending any extra money and the time spent was well worth the money. While many people play a game for its story, this game has a much weaker story than the predecessor andShadow of war takes the nemesis system from the last game and blows it out of the water. This game improves on every part of it and the combat is also much better. I bought the gold edition and got the platinum without spending any extra money and the time spent was well worth the money. While many people play a game for its story, this game has a much weaker story than the predecessor and doesn't improve the relationship between Talion and Celebrimbor. Even still though, the game was fun to play the highlight was the amount of personality that the orcs had. The game is good and definitely a must buy, even if it has an iffy story and the fourth act being a slight grind.… Expand
  19. Hyriu
    Oct 30, 2017
    7
    Great game good gameplay but also lootbox grind + market i just wish i could play as one of the Orcs :D
    gameplay has added features but feels almost same as its predecessor
  20. XxAlbertoBuzzxX
    Jun 2, 2020
    7
    MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF WAR
    ....................................................................
  21. AlbertoBuzz
    Mar 27, 2018
    7
    Es un buen juego en el que las criticas están exageradas, no necesitas pagar para pasarte la historia cómodamente, y todos los orcos se pueden conseguir jugando y subiéndolos de nivel tu mismo. Me parece un buen juego que mejora a el primer shadow of mordor.

    It is a good game in which the critics are exaggerated, you do not need to pay to spend the story comfortably, and all the Orcs    Es un buen juego en el que las criticas están exageradas, no necesitas pagar para pasarte la historia cómodamente, y todos los orcos se pueden conseguir jugando y subiéndolos de nivel tu mismo. Me parece un buen juego que mejora a el primer shadow of mordor.

    It is a good game in which the critics are exaggerated, you do not need to pay to spend the story comfortably, and all the Orcs can be achieved by playing and by uploading them level yourself. I think it's a good game that improves the first shadow of Mordor.    … Expand
  22. HeavyMetalSloth
    Jul 22, 2020
    7
    This was my first Middle-Earth game that i played. I didn't play Shadow of Mordor because players suggested I would be exhausted by the end of Mordor before jumping into this one and they were right because when this game ended i was just exhausted from playing it. Here are my likes and dislikes about the game:

    Likes: - I like how you can drain health from other enemies, though i wish    This was my first Middle-Earth game that i played. I didn't play Shadow of Mordor because players suggested I would be exhausted by the end of Mordor before jumping into this one and they were right because when this game ended i was just exhausted from playing it. Here are my likes and dislikes about the game:

    Likes:
    - I like how you can drain health from other enemies, though i wish it was executed faster seeing how you will have Orcs swarming you most of the time.
    - This game puts Assassins Creed wall climbing and aerial traverse to shame.
    - The skill tree offers a lot of really cool things for you to do.
    - Fast travel, and boy was it needed.
    - The enemy counter system works really well.
    - How the game gives you a couple of chances to live when your health is depleted as long as you hit a well timed button.
    - The different environments were cool.
    - Bruz and Ratbag are hilarious as well as other Orcs I encountered.
    - Building your own Army was cool too.

    Dislikes:
    - I hated how many Orcs would swarm me every time i was either spotted or battling another Orc. Especially when reinforcements arrive because all i was trying to do was get an artifact or something but it seemed like a grind to just get that.
    - For me the story up until the ending was good. Just when i thought the story ended it in fact did not and turns out you have to do more EXTREME TEDIOUS GRINDING which i did not do because I was already in the mindset that the game was already over. So i guess everything i did in the game was kind of pointless unless i were to take over every fortress in order to get to the true ending which is not worth my time.

    Misc:
    - I was overwhelmed earlier on in the game because i had not played Mordor but slowly caught on.
    - The Orcs are super dumb.
    - The game is a grind.

    I enjoyed this game and was about to give it an 8/10, but considering all of the grinding you have to do in Shadow Wars to get to the true ending it just wasn't worth the effort or time.    … Expand
  23. BlitZeR_95
    May 19, 2019
    7
    I stopped playing this game back when I saw a lot of microtransactions, but once I heard they removed it I came back to it to try it out. This time it isn't as grindy as it once was and it's a better game. The game was already good but it was the major microtransaction in a single-player game is what held the game down from being a good game. I'm glad it's better now but maybe it's tooI stopped playing this game back when I saw a lot of microtransactions, but once I heard they removed it I came back to it to try it out. This time it isn't as grindy as it once was and it's a better game. The game was already good but it was the major microtransaction in a single-player game is what held the game down from being a good game. I'm glad it's better now but maybe it's too late since everyone already see this as a really bad game… Expand
  24. Rodrigo23
    May 17, 2018
    7
    This game really disappointed me. The world is full of useless secondary activities and stuffing to give a feeling that "there are many things to do". The mission menu is messy and confusing. The story is terribly boring, and the characters without charisma and for oblivion. The new multiplayer mode does not add much. The best thing is the nemesis system, the orcs are the only thing and the best.
  25. tcole_93
    Jun 4, 2019
    7
    Disclaimer: I just played this game for the first time in mid 2019 and the loot boxes that seemed to have caused a lot of controversy have been removed.

    To sum this game up simply, it's addicting and fun to play though the story never really interested me. I am a fan of the LOTR trilogy but I am no expert by any means. I played Shadow of Mordor a few years back and never really got    Disclaimer: I just played this game for the first time in mid 2019 and the loot boxes that seemed to have caused a lot of controversy have been removed.

    To sum this game up simply, it's addicting and fun to play though the story never really interested me.

    I am a fan of the LOTR trilogy but I am no expert by any means. I played Shadow of Mordor a few years back and never really got into it. I found this game to be more enjoyable. The combat is excellent and the nemesis system works very well. I really took my time building my army up and enjoyed the grind of capturing the different regions. The story fell flat, however. And I would say is my biggest negative.

    Overall, if you're looking for a fun game to play a good 50+ hours on, Shadow of War is a nice pick up. Just don't expect anything mind blowing.    … Expand
  26. Burattix54
    Jun 26, 2020
    7
    The game got review bombed at launch, but it isn't objectively bad, they even changed the last section of the game to be more bearable, and removed microtransactions. I still advice not playing it because it's the worst part of the game, and just watch the ending on youtube, it's not a great ending anyways.
  27. Unicron666
    Jul 21, 2020
    7
    Loved the actual gameplay but I can't give this a high score because it was ruined by greedy people.
  28. bergcamp101
    Aug 13, 2020
    7
    The game is actually good, it has all features from the first part, adding new ones, and story is good, ending cutscene is totally worth playing it. But. The controls are horrible. It's like you play a dinosaur, or Homer Simpson. Talion is slow as turtle, it takes about second for him to implement your commands. Literally, a second. My favorite feature, is when you're running from orcs,The game is actually good, it has all features from the first part, adding new ones, and story is good, ending cutscene is totally worth playing it. But. The controls are horrible. It's like you play a dinosaur, or Homer Simpson. Talion is slow as turtle, it takes about second for him to implement your commands. Literally, a second. My favorite feature, is when you're running from orcs, then try to open a menu with the options button, and by the time the menu actually opens, Orcs got you and kick you. Never seen this. And grinding is in place... When you finish the game, you actually think, that you've been on the war, and you'll never want to return to this place again.… Expand
  29. kc0321
    Mar 21, 2021
    7
    Although the story is pretty weird, the combat system and graphics still worth noticing.
  30. drlowdon
    Aug 5, 2022
    6
    Continuing from the events of Shadow of Mordor, Talion (who is still infused with the spirit of the elf lord Celebrimbor) travel to Mount Doom to forge a new Ring of Power. The ring soon falls into the wrong hands however…

    Upon release Shadow of War, rightly, received a lot of criticism for the inclusion of loot boxes and micro-transactions that made levelling up your character to the    Continuing from the events of Shadow of Mordor, Talion (who is still infused with the spirit of the elf lord Celebrimbor) travel to Mount Doom to forge a new Ring of Power. The ring soon falls into the wrong hands however…

    Upon release Shadow of War, rightly, received a lot of criticism for the inclusion of loot boxes and micro-transactions that made levelling up your character to the required level a grind unless you paid real money. Thankfully these have now been removed, but this game still remains a bit of a mixed bag. At the core of the game is the excellent ‘nemesis system’, that has enemies remember your actions, and both the stealth and combat are extremely satisfying. The story missions however just aren’t particularly interesting, and are usually less enjoyable than just trying to take out enemy captains. Shadow of War can also feel overwhelming at times with an almost endless list of quests and collectables being constantly thrown at the player, and as a result the game just goes on for far longer than it needs to. The end result is a decent game, but one that is inferior to it’s more focused predecessor.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

65
#65 Best PS4 Game of 2017
12
#12 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2017
13
#13 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 69 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 53 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 69
  3. Negative: 0 out of 69
  1. CD-Action
    Dec 19, 2017
    80
    I was annoyed by various flaws (both technical and design-related) and tedious, dragged out final stages of the campaign, but overall I enjoyed the ride. It looks like the developers wanted to stuff the game with all the best elements Middle-earth has to offer. Shadow of War’s atmosphere is terrific and watching Talion rise in power is surprisingly addictive. [12/2017, p.62]
  2. Cubed3
    Nov 26, 2017
    70
    A handful of issues, some much more annoying than others, do not negate how solid of an action RPG Middle-earth: Shadow of War is. A tremendous achievement for the team at Monolith Productions, this is an exciting, if not sometimes slow, and too often unfair, title that manages to be as impressively fun as it is big.
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  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Nov 20, 2017
    60
    Big, brutal, and - alas - bloated, Shadow of War is a disappointing follow-up, conjuring battles of grand scale and then deadening their impact through grinding repetition. [December 2017, p.79]
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