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. FewFew
    Oct 10, 2017
    10
    Shadow of Mordor on steroids.

    Great game; these review bombing people haven't even touched the game which shows how immature the gaming community truly has become.

    Get it, worth a buy at full price. Don't buy the MTX's if you don't want to as they are NOT needed.
  2. alijarchiie
    Oct 13, 2017
    10
    Guys i got this game 2 days ago and i found it great in every aspect so why zero everything improved i love the story . I love to be like a commander as commander Shepherd in mass effect and guide my army it feels good . maybe some fighting mechanic in the first chapter was better but it is great as a final
  3. saturday_youth
    Mar 29, 2018
    1
    So i bought the game with good will after reading a few reviews and thought to myself, man it can't be that bad. And of course it isn't at the beginning. It starts with a strong atmosphere that quickly shoots itself in the food with the terrible fan fiction approach to the tolkien universe. Spider transforms into women? New "the one Ring"? Ok so far so bad, i can get behind that. GameplaySo i bought the game with good will after reading a few reviews and thought to myself, man it can't be that bad. And of course it isn't at the beginning. It starts with a strong atmosphere that quickly shoots itself in the food with the terrible fan fiction approach to the tolkien universe. Spider transforms into women? New "the one Ring"? Ok so far so bad, i can get behind that. Gameplay counts in the end. The Combat delivers imo, so does the nemesis system. So far so good. But than it get's to the tokens that u use to buy the "LootBoxes", terribly designed, they float in the air like coins in a f2p running game. Full immersion break right there in your face. Same goes for the jewels (which will buff your weapons) and armor. Picking them up locks you in a terrible animation that takes way to long. Well designed? Not really.
    The Menus are even worse. They are uninspired and completely designed without the world of LotR in Mind. Easy to navigate? Yes but just not fun to look at. Besides this, it is fun to play but i've only played a few hours and the music already starts to get annoying. Then there are the "elven Soul arrows" who make annoying sounds which can't be turned off unlike the music and are nearly everywhere.

    So the game has everything it needed to succeed but somewhere along the line of development, something must have happened. Something bad that influenced gameplay and design. But let's end this on a good note: The World is beautifully designed.    … Expand
  4. samadhi2016
    Oct 18, 2017
    9
    I consider that metacritic should take urgent action against people who put zero (0) to a game causing great damage, many will be haters and other terrorist companies, a game is a play and however bad it may be may lead a 4 or 5 of note, but zero ?, I hope metacritic take this orientation pages as 3d games and are taking with the people hater, this game is a good game, in history,I consider that metacritic should take urgent action against people who put zero (0) to a game causing great damage, many will be haters and other terrorist companies, a game is a play and however bad it may be may lead a 4 or 5 of note, but zero ?, I hope metacritic take this orientation pages as 3d games and are taking with the people hater, this game is a good game, in history, playability and fulfills its mission… Expand
  5. axel64701
    Oct 19, 2017
    0
    Wow , this is like a ubisoft game, it's so boring,so repetitive ,so grindy..and ACT 4 is a disgrace to us all, just to take some bucks from microtransactions... very very low game, we have to discourage this type of games.
  6. INgUSRune
    Jan 11, 2019
    9
    9 of 10, why? 60+ hours of great gameplay - that's why! Seriously, I'm Tolkien fan, not so many thing in game lore arrange me, but storyline forged amazingly!
  7. PeterAlexander
    May 29, 2018
    9
    Shadow of War is an exciting and engaging sequel to the masterpiece that was the original. It expands the world and improves on the nemesis system.
  8. Kamarr
    Oct 24, 2017
    5
    This game is nowhere near a 10 nor is it a 0 pretty dumb how the gaming community is fighting between these two scores. So here is a real review.

    This game is an overhaul of the first game if you liked the first game then you will LOVE this one pretty much same controls and the game is fluid at times. I thoroughly enjoy the rag doll effects that happen sometimes really releases the    This game is nowhere near a 10 nor is it a 0 pretty dumb how the gaming community is fighting between these two scores. So here is a real review.

    This game is an overhaul of the first game if you liked the first game then you will LOVE this one pretty much same controls and the game is fluid at times. I thoroughly enjoy the rag doll effects that happen sometimes really releases the stress when fighting tons of enemies.
    The Nemesis system has been improved dramatically but the RNG of seeing descent orcs is very icky which tries to capture you into paying real money to get them quick Epic/Legendary Orcs.(I'll go more into that later.)
    They dubbed down the graphics engine but easily understandable as there are usually 15-25 orcs at a time on screen so better performance. There are some minor issues I have with some of the clunky controls like lets say I try to roll dodge away from an enemy instead I try to roll over an enemy that has vault breaker(can't roll over these orcs). Another thing is how great it is to climb just about anything now it does get lame at times cause more times than not as you chase some enemies it will cause you to climb a wall as you run through like an underpass which is ANNOYING as Im chasing an orc not trying to climb to Mt.Everest. The game seems to be crazy grindy once you hit lvl 45ish+ which is ok as the game is a lot longer than the first but the story is very short and usually only grants about 15lvls through all of them.

    Now to talk about End game and if you need super strong orcs for the last part of the game. The answer for it is no a good player can easily make a difference in how easy the game is and setting up proper equipment can help you out dramatically. Like I carry 3 different swords all aiming for a different thing. Same with Daggers and Chest piece. Also if you can get the lvl 20-30 cloak to drop that restores ALL health on stealth atk keep it forever!! As it doesn't drop at higher lvls. Now the whole idea buying orcs cause the RNG of orcs appearing in rarity is utter trash and it really kills the game for me but I managed to make common orcs work as long as they have only 2 weakness or just 1 cause it happens and they can be a great addition to the team if you don't wanna spend $$. Now spending $$ to get the high lvl orcs for ranked play is bs to heres an example. I spend 20usd and get an legendary orc army then go attack someone on Ranked play during the battle an orc you just BOUGHT dies there goes 5usd lost. They really need to fix this issue as its not ok to sell push to win buttons in a Single player game. But just about everything else this game hits silver for me. Seeing my Nemesis form the previous game was really worth it as he kicked my butt so much and my warchief that joined was AMAZING!!

    Now would I recommend buying this? Yes I would but I would stray away from Micro Transactions unless you do the daily quests and earn them that way. They really could have high 8-10 scores with this game but I feel they worked so painfully hard on the Micro Transactions they missed an amazing opportunity.    … Expand
  9. holiday_hawk
    Oct 18, 2017
    6
    I'd like to start by saying that micro-transactions have almost no affect on the game. I'm one trophy away from beating the game while platinuming it on PS4 and have not spent a cent on the game. If today's gaming community is foolish enough to buy them then I can't blame the developers for putting them in. With that said, Shadow of War is one of the most frustrating experiences I've hadI'd like to start by saying that micro-transactions have almost no affect on the game. I'm one trophy away from beating the game while platinuming it on PS4 and have not spent a cent on the game. If today's gaming community is foolish enough to buy them then I can't blame the developers for putting them in. With that said, Shadow of War is one of the most frustrating experiences I've had in a while. I had such high hopes going into to it after absolutely loving the first one (getting a platinum trophy on the regular and GOTY edition). Parts of SoW are really good, almost 9/10 good, but these parts are surrounded by a couple dozen hours of what is essentially frustrating time killer missions. There are far too many collectables, far too many missions for each faction, and the end-game fortress capture is horrible. I can't believe that when this game was playtested (and it's polished enough that I know it was well playtested) no one said "doing the same type of mission four times isn't fun, how about making fewer, but more memorable missions." If you're doing Gondor missions, be prepared to untie lots of soldiers, if you're doing Carnan missions be prepared to destroy lots of necromancer totems, and so on and so on. Without spoiling why, I'll just say that the final chapter of the game requires to defend your forts over and over again, each fort multiple times. This mechanic goes from amazing to beyond annoying so quickly. I found myself tired of it before the final act. The controls still need work, and this is unacceptable. The studio straight lifted the controls from Assassins' Creed, so they really only needed to fine tune AC's wonky controls. Instead, we're still left with controls that will have you climbing up walls when you don't want to, not climbing up walls when you want to, draining an orc off screen rather than the broken captain, and more. The worst part of all this is that buried in the middle of this tedious borefest is a great game. Some really fun, memorable missions are hidden in here. The new features such as pit fights and fort attacks are really fun at first too. It's only with an insane amount of repetition that they become aggravating. If you go into this game with a completionist mentality you're going to have a bad time. If you go into it thinking you'll just hit up the main story quest then it would be a really fun game. The developers should have left it a short, fun romp leaving you wanting more instead of a long, drawn out process leaving you wishing it was over.… Expand
  10. shiftyman
    Oct 27, 2017
    5
    Just on 20 hours in and it’s the most boring, repetitive game of 2017, there’s hardly any difference to the first one. The story is c grade trash. Zzzzzzzzz.
  11. Tsamblala
    Oct 22, 2017
    8
    The game is an ok improvement from the previous version. Most annoying thing in battle is to find an orc to drain or look for that damn elf shot.
    The Nemesis-system is not as amazing as they made it look. You cannot make friends with the orcs or make a choice between saving a follower or killing your nemesis, as was advertised.
    Overall an ok game but I personally expected much more.    The game is an ok improvement from the previous version. Most annoying thing in battle is to find an orc to drain or look for that damn elf shot.
    The Nemesis-system is not as amazing as they made it look. You cannot make friends with the orcs or make a choice between saving a follower or killing your nemesis, as was advertised.
    Overall an ok game but I personally expected much more.
    About the microtransactions, they aren't a necessity. I completed the game in 2 days and didn't even consider to buy anything. I don't like the MT but they didn't bother me because I was able to finish the game without them.    … Expand
  12. stash55
    Oct 25, 2017
    2
    I'm going to be blunt. If the market that's a critical component of the game is not bug-free, then don't release the game. I've given this game a 2 instead of 0 because in all fairness it's not easy to make a game, especially an open world game. As a gold edition purchaser I'm having issues with not receiving included content. Also, my market is bugged and breaks very frequently andI'm going to be blunt. If the market that's a critical component of the game is not bug-free, then don't release the game. I've given this game a 2 instead of 0 because in all fairness it's not easy to make a game, especially an open world game. As a gold edition purchaser I'm having issues with not receiving included content. Also, my market is bugged and breaks very frequently and randomly. Unless I restart the game, I don't have access of any kind to the market (server error). As you know, this means I can't deploy units in the army menu, which is a critical part of the game especially later on. I also don't receive gold after completing challenges ie I get notified that I've been awarded but the coins don't show up in the market. Hopefully these bugs are fixed soon but I can't change the rating here, it's just not acceptable to release a game in this condition.… Expand
  13. Gorka
    Mar 24, 2018
    0
    Nobody should buy this game, it is dreadful. Endless battles that are equal to the previous one. Go spend your money on a game that's worth it: Horizon: Zero Dawn. And I actually bought a ps4 to get the sequel to Shadow of Mordor. It ain't worth it.
  14. MeleeM
    Feb 24, 2020
    0
    Avoid PS4 version of this game. Hopelessly broken in Act II and cannot proceed with first fortress assault mission "The Etten". WBGames support is useless.
  15. JAX85
    Oct 11, 2017
    9
    Best 2017 open world action adventure game! Best story , best offline mode (i love story offline mode) best upgrading system , best graphic and best environment. If you love lord of rongs , you love Middle -Earth and you should buy this game! ❤
  16. Plopp00
    Oct 13, 2017
    9
    To all people giving this game 0/10 because of the microtransactions.

    Shut up and play the game before you give it a **** review. The microtransactions only helps you finnish the game earlier. You say that the critics says that evrything is great because they get paid to do it. But what if you took the time to actually analyze the games mechanics, gameplay and story. Then maybe    To all people giving this game 0/10 because of the microtransactions.

    Shut up and play the game before you give it a **** review.

    The microtransactions only helps you finnish the game earlier.

    You say that the critics says that evrything is great because they get paid to do it.
    But what if you took the time to actually analyze the games mechanics, gameplay and story. Then maybe you would pay them extra because the game is great with the nemesis system and the diffrent open-worlds you can explore.

    For you hating on the story for changing some of the lore to fit the story: THE GAMES AND THE STORYS ARE NOT CANON!!!!!!!!!!    … Expand
  17. logangood
    Oct 11, 2017
    9
    Don't listen to the people giving this a 1-5 or around that. I guarantee they they didn't even play the game. The game is a lot of fun especially if you liked the first one. The end game is not locked behind a paywall and the loot boxes you can get just by actually playing the game. The game doesn't even pressure you into buying any. Need gear? Kill some captains or do some vendetta andDon't listen to the people giving this a 1-5 or around that. I guarantee they they didn't even play the game. The game is a lot of fun especially if you liked the first one. The end game is not locked behind a paywall and the loot boxes you can get just by actually playing the game. The game doesn't even pressure you into buying any. Need gear? Kill some captains or do some vendetta and capture fortresses. The microtransactions don't even make a difference in the game.… Expand
  18. CastielX87
    Oct 11, 2017
    10
    If you crying Wahhh Wahhh microtransactions blahh blahhh have not played the game you #Merica Reviews are not Valid. Trolls pff

    I love the game so far after 10hrs and have not needed your precious microtransactions. btw this is not the only game that has microtransactions. So i don't get all the Fake Reviews with 0's on them. It has been said by many legit reviews that you don't    If you crying Wahhh Wahhh microtransactions blahh blahhh have not played the game you #Merica Reviews are not Valid. Trolls pff

    I love the game so far after 10hrs and have not needed your precious microtransactions.

    btw this is not the only game that has microtransactions. So i don't get all the Fake Reviews with 0's on them.

    It has been said by many legit reviews that you don't need microtransactions to complete the game. Only if ur losers.
    And stop mimic youtube users that hate microtransactions    … Expand
  19. TheNpV
    Oct 11, 2017
    10
    Dont even read guys who write about, loot-case and microtransaction system, u can play even without this stuff, u need it ONLY if u wanna finish game faster possible, no more. Microtransaction system is Unobtrusive, u can finish game easily without even opening "shop" window. I do rly respect the creators of this game, couse they fixed all problems from previous game, even some littleDont even read guys who write about, loot-case and microtransaction system, u can play even without this stuff, u need it ONLY if u wanna finish game faster possible, no more. Microtransaction system is Unobtrusive, u can finish game easily without even opening "shop" window. I do rly respect the creators of this game, couse they fixed all problems from previous game, even some little moments like parkour mechanics. You dont even need to grind much to finish game, like some one said previously. This game is damn great, even more then just great, its perfect, if u played Shadow of Mordor, and thinking to buy this part - u must do it!
    Sorry for my bad English.
    If u play this game, u will enjoy it, only guys who didnt played, saying something about microtransaction.    … Expand
  20. KaptainKrunch
    Oct 17, 2017
    9
    To be honest I have no idea what game these people with negative reviews are playing. I'm about 608 hours in and I have yet to even visit the micro transaction marketplace. ALSO, I have yet to hit a single grind wall where i can't level.

    Even if I play for an hour or so I usually go up at least one level and receive 3-5 pieces of good loot. Micro transactions in this game are like a    To be honest I have no idea what game these people with negative reviews are playing. I'm about 608 hours in and I have yet to even visit the micro transaction marketplace. ALSO, I have yet to hit a single grind wall where i can't level.

    Even if I play for an hour or so I usually go up at least one level and receive 3-5 pieces of good loot. Micro transactions in this game are like a bottle of ketchup on the table of a steakhouse; its really there to be considerate, no one actually expects you to use it.

    If you are re-considering playing this game I IMPLORE you to drown out the negative user reviews. I've been both a gamer and LOTR fan for 10+ years and I absolutely love this game. 10/10 would recommend, 10/10 will be playing for dozens of hours in the coming weeks. (only gave 9/10 because I don't believe in perfection)    … Expand
  21. MG05
    Oct 11, 2017
    10
    I am not in habbit of writting long reviews but I just mention few points below.
    - The game is worth playing at least this year's best game and surely proved that as well in terms of all aspects, graphics ,story and gameplay.
    - For lootboxes which has became apple of discord for masses without any major reason as it does not effected the gameplay from any prespective as you can play    I am not in habbit of writting long reviews but I just mention few points below.
    - The game is worth playing at least this year's best game and surely proved that as well in terms of all aspects, graphics ,story and gameplay.
    - For lootboxes which has became apple of discord for masses without any major reason as it does not effected the gameplay from any prespective as you can play offline.
    - In the end go ahead dont just unllike the game beacuse of loot box thing.    … Expand
  22. Cherryleaf
    Oct 12, 2017
    8
    This is by no mean a perfect game, and I personally despise the very thought of Microtransaction's, but that does not make this game a bad one - cause this is by far no Pay-to-Win (not once have I felt compelled to buy anything for real money).

    Since seems that, not all of them, but many of those who gave the 0-3 score (and wow, there are a whole lot of them) and bash on the game in    This is by no mean a perfect game, and I personally despise the very thought of Microtransaction's, but that does not make this game a bad one - cause this is by far no Pay-to-Win (not once have I felt compelled to buy anything for real money).

    Since seems that, not all of them, but many of those who gave the 0-3 score (and wow, there are a whole lot of them) and bash on the game in their reviews, only lifts "Microtransactions" as their issue. Well, I can say this much - I got so much Mirian already early on, that I could easily spend a whole lot of it, and yet never feeling poor - cause like in other game’s with systems like this, the paid storefront here, feels less predatory and actually more like an unnecessary addition. The only difference (as I see it) is that the better and expensive chests just hands guaranteed better loot, but I personally rather get that in-game anyway.

    The GFX is gorgeous and the enviroments is stunning, as is the details on the Orc Generals/Officers, armor and weapons. The Nemesis system feels both familiar and improved since the first. The Skill-tree has some nice and awesomely helpful abilities, while others just feel "MEHH!!". Still there is variety enough that early on they matters, but later on you'll most likely have covered them all. Even though the Armor & Weapons looks neat and cool, but their abilities doesnt hand the same variety and awesomeness, also it becomes a tedious task to always be in need to un-lock their bonus abilities as soon as you get a better piece.

    The story is not all that compelling, but it doesn't bother me all that much since there is so many other things to do (some of the stuffs can after a while feel bit repetative). At its core it is a great experience, and for me personally, this game is a brilliant game that gives me more flesh and insight to one of the many untold stories in Middle Earth.    … Expand
  23. klaviernista
    Oct 10, 2017
    8
    Played a bit last night. Seems like Middle Earth, Shado of Mordor on steroids, which is a good thing IMO.

    For those of you bemoaning microtransactions in the game - there is a simple solution. Don't buy them. You don't need them to complete the game, and no one is forcing you to buy them. Its kind of like drugs. They are out there for sale, but no one is forcing you to seek them    Played a bit last night. Seems like Middle Earth, Shado of Mordor on steroids, which is a good thing IMO.

    For those of you bemoaning microtransactions in the game - there is a simple solution. Don't buy them. You don't need them to complete the game, and no one is forcing you to buy them. Its kind of like drugs. They are out there for sale, but no one is forcing you to seek them out and buy them. Panning an otherwise good game for the inclusion of microtransactions that are not required and aren't being implemented in a way to distract from gameplay is just stupid.    … Expand
  24. Prekkan
    Oct 11, 2017
    8
    All this negativity for microtransactions Is starting to get old. I personally don't care If you can buy yourself a legendary army from minute 1 or not. As long as It doesn't make the game impossible to complete without, It's not an issue. It's a option If you want to purchase the boxes or not. But onto the review!

    For the few hours I've played, I absolutely love It. All the new skills,    All this negativity for microtransactions Is starting to get old. I personally don't care If you can buy yourself a legendary army from minute 1 or not. As long as It doesn't make the game impossible to complete without, It's not an issue. It's a option If you want to purchase the boxes or not. But onto the review!

    For the few hours I've played, I absolutely love It. All the new skills, equipment's and mechanics for the captains Is just so much fun. New various puzzle solving makes you interact more with the collectables. Even added quotes from the books that you have to solve! If you liked Shadow of Mordor, you're gonna love Shadow of War. It's the same idea with a lot more content. Worth all the money.    … Expand
  25. bcdserra
    Oct 10, 2017
    10
    I'm having a lot of fun with this game, MT's or not. Gameplay, locations, atmosphere, graphics, I'm having a blast ! There have been more games with hard grinds to get endgame stuff this year, this one just gives you the choice to pay for it or not. I won't. I've grinded out Nier's true ending and +8 chips, I've grinded out Zelda's lvl 4 armors, I've grinded out Nioh's max level divineI'm having a lot of fun with this game, MT's or not. Gameplay, locations, atmosphere, graphics, I'm having a blast ! There have been more games with hard grinds to get endgame stuff this year, this one just gives you the choice to pay for it or not. I won't. I've grinded out Nier's true ending and +8 chips, I've grinded out Zelda's lvl 4 armors, I've grinded out Nioh's max level divine weapons. None of those gave me the option to pay for them. I do it because I like it. The option being there does not bother me one bit. I'll just work hard to get the best gear and max lvl orcs and if someone else wants to pay to have that it's their problem.… Expand
  26. BatmansLavaLamp
    Oct 11, 2017
    10
    With the short amount of time I've been able to play Shadow of War I'm already blown away- Compared to the first game, the visuals are a masterpiece. The opening cinematic is fantastic, with a style that could be mistaken for an animation feature film. This is probably because the first game had to be ported for PS3 as well as PS4, so the graphics on PS4 had to be sacrificed.
    The gameplay    With the short amount of time I've been able to play Shadow of War I'm already blown away- Compared to the first game, the visuals are a masterpiece. The opening cinematic is fantastic, with a style that could be mistaken for an animation feature film. This is probably because the first game had to be ported for PS3 as well as PS4, so the graphics on PS4 had to be sacrificed.
    The gameplay and animations feel so much more fluid than Shadow of Mordor. Don't get me wrong, SOM had incredible gameplay, but it always felt like it was lacking in variety, with only a couple different animations for each combo. SOW has outdone itself in terms of gameplay mechanics.
    Also, when you think of games like Destiny (for comparison, no bias), the sequel was very good in its own right, but it wasn't that much of an improvement from the first game. Shadow of War, however, has absolutely smashed this sequel out of the park. The map is massive, with the in-menu world map being 3D rendered. New mechanics, combat moves, Uruk variation, enemy types and environment settings. It has a much more flushed out nemesis system, and RPG elements never before seen in SOM. The progression feels perfectly paced, with the story starting a little while after the events of SOM.
    As for the story, I cannot say, as I have not played anywhere near enough of it. But just from the opening few missions, I can already say that it is going to be one to remember.
    In terms of accuracy in the LOTR universe, the names of places, the placement and map generation, and even time- they're all perfectly flushed out and thought about carefully. As a massive LOTR fan, I am not disappointed by how they have portrayed the game.
    In conclusion, this game has definitely been worth my money and time, and I cannot wait to play more of it. WB and Monolith have not failed to impress, as always.    … Expand
  27. aory
    Oct 10, 2017
    8
    This is a great game, all the loot box whiners haven't got a clue. Play the game, play the quests, follow the story and side quests and there isn't much to complain about. Its no 10/10 but it is overall pretty good.

    Loot boxes are pretty fail, but not necessary. As usual, they are for the lazy gamer, just like all the garbage reviews.
  28. PsychoNinja69
    Oct 10, 2017
    10
    This game is amazing. People spamming 0 and 1 star reviews are just mad because they aren't good enough at the game to enjoy it. If you enjoyed the first game or The Witcher 3 than you will love this game.
  29. knightwhosaysni
    Oct 10, 2017
    10
    Ok let me just say one thing here: If you don't want to have the end be so grindy and **** like people are **** about, then don't power through the game. And for **** sake, would you all just shut up about the **** microtransactions. I don't like them either, which is why I AM NOT BUYING ANY **** LOOTBOXES, Besides everything I have read about them says that if you actually invest timeOk let me just say one thing here: If you don't want to have the end be so grindy and **** like people are **** about, then don't power through the game. And for **** sake, would you all just shut up about the **** microtransactions. I don't like them either, which is why I AM NOT BUYING ANY **** LOOTBOXES, Besides everything I have read about them says that if you actually invest time into the game then the lootboxes are completely unnecessary.

    Now that that is out of the way: I **** love this game already. I've defeated a **** ton of captains already and each and every one was unique and fun to fight against, required different tactics, and had different personalities.

    The combat is pretty much the same as the first game, but that's a very good thing here. The first game had amazing combat and this is no different. Its very similar to games like Assassins Creed or Batman: Arkham Asylum. One thing I love that Monolith has added to the game is dismembering enemies. It happens at random but man does it look cool when it happens.

    I like all the RPG elements that were added also. Captains, and warchiefs now drop loot that you can add to Talion to customize him as you see fit. They are also able to be broken down into Mirian, the games in game currency to buy things like gem slots for your gear.

    I haven't made it out of the first area yet, but that's because it is just jam packed with things to do and also because i want to level up my character so he isn't underpowered later on in the game. One of such things is clearing out all of the captains from the army screen. I like to think of it as sowing chaos among the ranks of Orcs, because whats an army without its captains?

    All in all, I am having a fantastic time with this game. I'll be giving an update later in the game though to see if my feelings changed.    … Expand
  30. GamerFLAG12
    Oct 11, 2017
    9
    TL;DR, unless you want to read an honest review. High five at the end.

    For everyone going through looking at reviews, please ignore these Metacritic user reviews giving the game a 0 score. All of them are people complaining about microtransactions, without even playing the actual game and reviewing it based on what it's worth. ($60, same as every other game out there) Having played    TL;DR, unless you want to read an honest review. High five at the end.

    For everyone going through looking at reviews, please ignore these Metacritic user reviews giving the game a 0 score. All of them are people complaining about microtransactions, without even playing the actual game and reviewing it based on what it's worth. ($60, same as every other game out there)

    Having played nearly 15 hours of the game already, I've been having a blast. I was a big fan of the original, and this game was an on-the-fence buy for me due to time, but honestly, do not regret buying it at all. More than enough content and nowhere near the end still, also I've only explored two regions to this point, imagine all that I have left to do and explore.

    Microtransactions play such a small part in the game; you can probably get 60 hours of game time without even considering or looking at them, according to most people that have put in that amount of time since getting their early copies. The only benefit you get from them is getting higher ranked orcs, which you can do in the game yourself, better-ranked gear, which you can get in the game, and some XP/loot bonuses, which you can't get in the game, but don't make it that game breaking.

    The gameplay has been thoughtfully tweaked from the first game, based on player feedback over the past years, making the combat system more fluid and diverse. You can have different combat styles now, ranging from assassin to warrior to archer to a mix of all three and more. (personal favorite is Mount Rider, love my Caragors) All skills benefit from so many new additions or tweaks that it plays like the previous iteration while bringing in a whole new truckload of options. (i.e., Poisoning Grog Barrels from afar, then shooting them to cause an explosion, resulting in a poison-proof captain cheating death and hunting me down)

    The story is going to be either a hit or miss for some people, it is genuinely exciting and brings new lore to LoTR, people saying there is no lore or story are incredibly wrong and probably lazy enough to skip all the conversations and lore items found throughout the world. I have barely done some of the story missions and have found myself immersed in the game's story and it drives me to continue. Obviously, there are going to be sure things that don't make sense at first *cough* Shelob *cough* but give them time to explain it in the story, and it falls in place making it all the more entertaining.

    Graphics are a step up from the first game, some of the reviews on here have said they are awful and the reduced resolution. I have played both the PS4, PS4 Pro and Xbox One versions (PS4 being my main copy) and on all three consoles, it looked great, with some apparent advantages on PS4 Pro for textures and the overall fps rate. Someone on here went as far as to say the original games graphics were better, which is entirely crazy. Apparently, this user had both games playing side by side to make this comparison, because from what I've seen they are a definite improvement over the original.

    Grinding is another big thing people are complaining on. Most of these players don't care for having to grind; they are just using it to bolster further their hate of microtransactions, which once again are not necessary and you can ignore entirely. If you are playing a game in this day and age without some grinding, then I'd like to know what it is because most games (good ones at that) have grinding implemented in some way. (i.e., Borderlands, MGSV, Diablo, Overwatch, Dark Souls, Witcher, Nioh and much more) For most of the people complaining about grinding, please do understand that RPG/ARPG video games that have endgame content or open worlds aren't going to give you a never-ending story unless you plan to pay them. ("DLC! Oh no I have to spend money for more! Unthinkable!" -Most of the Negative Reviewers) Now, this is where the loot and nemesis systems and oodles of side missions come in, to give players a goal to get better loot and keep coming back to take on stronger enemies. If you don't like those systems, then you shouldn't be playing games built mainly for looting or open-world adventure, which is done exceptionally well in this game.

    See I haven't gotten to the end quite yet, but friends and professional reviewers I know have gotten to the end have not complained about a single thing, other than a lack of a stellar ending. So people complaining about all these issues are either nitpicky gamers expecting $60 to be a lifetimes worth of gaming in 2017 or plain crazy.

    Make your own opinions, buy the game and play it, because it honestly is a great game. Most people complaining about microtransactions are merely doing so because they feel compelled to buy these to compete with other players, who do this as well.

    Will be playing this for the next couple of weeks or months.

    Thanks for reading, hope it helps, here is your high five ( O.O)/    … 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

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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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