User Score
4.9

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 456 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. Jul 1, 2023
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Lootboxes have tarnished the reputation of this game. My only complaint is that Talion didn't kill Eltariel in the end. What a shame. Expand
  2. Jun 3, 2023
    8
    I honestly don't understand why people are crazy with those loot boxes, you can play and enjoy the game without them. The gameplay is pretty nice castle siege, domination, betray, saviour the game has a lot of cool and unexpected random events, the nemesis system is really cool, every or in the game has its own voice, name, characteristics, weakness and story. The game is really detailizedI honestly don't understand why people are crazy with those loot boxes, you can play and enjoy the game without them. The gameplay is pretty nice castle siege, domination, betray, saviour the game has a lot of cool and unexpected random events, the nemesis system is really cool, every or in the game has its own voice, name, characteristics, weakness and story. The game is really detailized and I recommend it for Lord of the rings fans and other people who like rpg and such. Expand
  3. Apr 9, 2023
    10
    Awesome game I like it I was never a fan of lord of the rings games in the past but I like this game because it's a 3rd person brawler
  4. Feb 25, 2023
    8
    A great game that I enjoyed thoroughly - Shadow of War brings back enough of the excellent combat/stealth mechanics, world-building and narrative experience from its predecessor to make for an excellent experience. it also introduces some relatively enjoyable RPG mechanics, although these do feel a bit dated in 2023 (as opposed to how they felt upon release). And while theA great game that I enjoyed thoroughly - Shadow of War brings back enough of the excellent combat/stealth mechanics, world-building and narrative experience from its predecessor to make for an excellent experience. it also introduces some relatively enjoyable RPG mechanics, although these do feel a bit dated in 2023 (as opposed to how they felt upon release). And while the microtransactions present in the game feel baffling and out of place, they did not feel intrusive to me. Overall, a great experience and a solid follow-up to Shadow of Mordor. Expand
  5. Jan 31, 2023
    9
    An amazing game with a great story to tell and good combat mechanics. I just looked at the user reviews and like: WHAT THE HECK. I guess this is because the game did have microtransactions in the past. However, to the people who wrote negative reviews about this game, as of now, microtransactions have been removed! Plus, even if they were still here, they didn’t even affect the main gameAn amazing game with a great story to tell and good combat mechanics. I just looked at the user reviews and like: WHAT THE HECK. I guess this is because the game did have microtransactions in the past. However, to the people who wrote negative reviews about this game, as of now, microtransactions have been removed! Plus, even if they were still here, they didn’t even affect the main game as much. If you enjoy an action/combat game which also tells a compelling story, you should give this game a try. How would you not enjoy recruiting enemies to be your orc Pokémon?! Expand
  6. Jan 9, 2023
    10
    One of the greatest games ever made! I have never been this addicted to playing a game in a long time. The Nemesis is honestly the greatest innovation in any video game ever, to this day. The complexity and thought put into the system are truly commendable and needs to be implemented into games more. I know the game is very known and popular, but it is still underrated in my opinion. It isOne of the greatest games ever made! I have never been this addicted to playing a game in a long time. The Nemesis is honestly the greatest innovation in any video game ever, to this day. The complexity and thought put into the system are truly commendable and needs to be implemented into games more. I know the game is very known and popular, but it is still underrated in my opinion. It is one of the smartest and most fun games I've ever played, and I have the upmost respect for the devs. deserves an 11/10. I almost never write reviews for games, but I said for this one I need to do it. This game needs to be appreciated more. It should've been game of the year and in the top 10 games of all time just because of how intelligent of a game it is. Expand
  7. Apr 18, 2022
    8
    I played the game version without the loot boxes, and I liked it. Don't play the game for its story: there is one there, and it functions, but it is not in any way mind-blowing. It is enough to satisfy your Lord of the Rings hunger, and that is it.
    Hack'n'slashing Orcs doesn't get old very easily. And as you acquire more skills, it only gets better. And by the end I was mostly
    I played the game version without the loot boxes, and I liked it. Don't play the game for its story: there is one there, and it functions, but it is not in any way mind-blowing. It is enough to satisfy your Lord of the Rings hunger, and that is it.
    Hack'n'slashing Orcs doesn't get old very easily. And as you acquire more skills, it only gets better. And by the end I was mostly experimenting with how I could cause the most chaos and destruction.

    As soon as you have leveled-up sufficiently, I strongly advise you to play the online Vendetta missions. They are an easy way to get nice loot and weapons, and some good captains for you army too. And because there is only one real focus/target per mission, you can really get into the action, and see how you can play-out the various enemies & other options against eachother. Good fun :-)

    All-in-all I give the game an 8 as I was able to amuse me with it for quite some time.
    Definite minus points are the orc caption introductions that cannot be skipped or turned off. Especially during fortress fights, it can get very tedious being forced to watch all of the captain introductions (as well as captain deaths) in the middle of a fight.
    Also, the parcour system generally works well, but when it doesn't work, and you get stuck on a small ledge, or just aren't able to climb something, it can be quite frustrating.
    The epilogue also could have been shorter: that still is quite a grind to get through. But it probably is like that because they used to use that to sell loot boxes.
    Expand
  8. Feb 25, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. لعبه حلوه والله ومدري ليه الناس ماتقبلوها الصراحه العالم جميل والقيم بلاي حلو اما القصه الصراحه اقل من عادي مو نفس شادو اوف موردن والشخصيات نفس شي Expand
  9. Feb 22, 2022
    10
    This has been one of my favorite games to play on Xbox. As a big fan of the fighting style of the Batman games, this game worked for me. I also like the storyline. After 124 hours of gameplay, I stopped playing, which for me is quite a bit. Usually after about 60 hours or so I lose interest in any game.
  10. Dec 23, 2021
    10
    Shadow of Mordor was a brilliant game, and SOW improves upon that, so you just can't go wrong with this game. It's much grindier than SOM, but this is the first game where I enjoy grinding more than the main story. One can never get tired of taking over fortresses and growing your army of Orcs. The new mechanics of siege, betrayal, shaming etc simply adds so much more depth in this sequelShadow of Mordor was a brilliant game, and SOW improves upon that, so you just can't go wrong with this game. It's much grindier than SOM, but this is the first game where I enjoy grinding more than the main story. One can never get tired of taking over fortresses and growing your army of Orcs. The new mechanics of siege, betrayal, shaming etc simply adds so much more depth in this sequel to SOM. Also, I must say, I haven't used a single micro transaction in this game, and you don't need them as you will eventually get good enough with all the great equipment and skills that you earn in mid to late game. Expand
  11. Dec 11, 2021
    8
    dont know why this game is so hated ? i loved this even more

    maybe because of microtransactions and loot boxes? i played it on gamepass and had a lot of fun
    this game is great...loved the story and the way its connected to the movies
    A GREAT GAME
  12. Feb 28, 2021
    9
    2020 review - shadow of war is a great game, there is so much 10/10 in this game, but what holds this game back are 3 things, the characters besides Bruz, celebrimbor, and ratbag, technically the other characters are a step down from mordor, they aren’t bad, they are likable but they don’t have character any development , there just bland, technically 1 because ratbag and celebrimbor are2020 review - shadow of war is a great game, there is so much 10/10 in this game, but what holds this game back are 3 things, the characters besides Bruz, celebrimbor, and ratbag, technically the other characters are a step down from mordor, they aren’t bad, they are likable but they don’t have character any development , there just bland, technically 1 because ratbag and celebrimbor are returning characters, but Bruz is a great character because he is the only one that is unique and different from everyone else, the side quest in this game are very basic, it boils down to well written codex which isn’t a lot, and the difficulty is very challenging, the problem with mordor is how the second the end game of the game is way to easy, so they added the difficulty changes which is always good but the difficulty is not fair, in fact it boils down to fun challenge to ridiculous grind, but thats it, aside form the bad textures the game is so awesome, the nemesis system in this game is one of the best features in a videogame, this game is really good, now way better with the removal of the microtransactions, this game in 2020 is really good, buy it now Expand
  13. Feb 15, 2021
    10
    "Гриндить, гриндить и снова-таки гриндить" - как завещал нам вождь племени орочьего Гриша Шептун. Тут без этого никуда. Попытка в самом начале игры сразиться с капитаном 7 уровня закончилась позорной смертью, ибо не внял я главному лозунгу земель мордорских. Далее, сражаясь с равными либо с уровнем максимум +4 кэпами, скилл Талиона поднимали мы и сразили окаянного врага и всех прочих,"Гриндить, гриндить и снова-таки гриндить" - как завещал нам вождь племени орочьего Гриша Шептун. Тут без этого никуда. Попытка в самом начале игры сразиться с капитаном 7 уровня закончилась позорной смертью, ибо не внял я главному лозунгу земель мордорских. Далее, сражаясь с равными либо с уровнем максимум +4 кэпами, скилл Талиона поднимали мы и сразили окаянного врага и всех прочих, посягнувших на здоровье странника. Первая часть Средиземья была прекрасна, но ее явно не хватило, хотелось конечно же больше. И это самое больше с горкой нам отсыпали во второй части. Честное слово я еще ни разу так долго не играл в экшн от третьего лица. Мы с женой в общей сложности наиграли 50 часов чистого игрового времени. Да конечно мы проходили абсолютно всё: прошли все допы, завоевали все крепости, отразили все атаки на крепости, нашли весь полезный лут, заклеймили всех капитанов ну и естественно прошли всю сюжетку. Точно могу сказать в этот раз мне хватило! Можно даже было поменьше, но остановиться было невозможно ибо игра просто великолепна! Shadow of War в плане базовой игровой механики сильно не поменялась, включая и косячное управление, так что долго привыкать не придется. Но это лишь базово! Появилось конечно же и очень много нового: это и интересные многоуровневые прокачки скилов персонажа и его оружия; к привычному арсеналу добавилась глефа, хотя и не сказать чтобы очень полезная; появился такой важный элемент боя как эльфийская ярость, используемая при полном накоплении маны, для глобального истребления орков на экране; ну и соответственно получили мы в нагрузку различные способы добивания, клеймения и прочего изуверства. От этого всего разнообразия прямо-таки рябит в глазах и это очень приятное разнообразие и оно манит, оно затягивает. А еще затягивает просто потрясающий игровой мир: это и тревожный Минас-Итиль, заснеженный Нурнен, мрачный Кирит Унгол, огненный Горгорот, таинственный лес Карнан ну и конечно зловещий Минас-Моргул!!! О да, уже только этого вполне достаточно, чтобы кайфануть истинному поклоннику ВК, коим я собственно и являюсь. Сюжетная часть также очень интересная и захватывающая, наполненная валом событий и до боли известных персонажей вселенной Властелина колец. По Мордору, кстати, мы можем теперь перемещаться как на своих двоих, так и на карагоре, да на грауге, кстати они тоже здесь бывают разные, и да мы можем нынче летать на драконе!!! Хотя этот элемент в игре выполнен немного коряво. Самое конечно интересное в Shadow of War это охота на капитанов и их клеймение/убийство в зависимости от их воли. Тут уж включаем всю фантазию и навыки ибо каждый капитан это отдельный индивид со своими слабостями и сильными сторонами, в помощь нам костры, грог, моргульские мухи, пауки и мерзкие гули. Expand
  14. Oct 20, 2020
    10
    After all the **** about the games i was afraid it will not reach the quality of the first game. But after playing it with 100% i have to say that it is even better than the Shadow of Mordor! I hope there will be a third game in the near future.

    And they removed all the microtransactions from the game, it's sad that nobody who wrote a negative review about it comes back and edit it, if
    After all the **** about the games i was afraid it will not reach the quality of the first game. But after playing it with 100% i have to say that it is even better than the Shadow of Mordor! I hope there will be a third game in the near future.

    And they removed all the microtransactions from the game, it's sad that nobody who wrote a negative review about it comes back and edit it, if they fixed the problems that person had...
    Expand
  15. Jun 22, 2020
    10
    Лучшая игра по лицензии всех времен, лучший рогалик,уникальная экшн рпг,бит эм ап,наигранно тысяча часов,топ,не то что помойка на вроде ласт оф асс 2
  16. Oct 7, 2019
    8
    ..........uekfbs............ .........hsbf......................... ...........ndifube........
  17. May 6, 2020
    8
    Very captivating sandbox game, the combat works great when fighting multiple opponents, but becomes very boring when fighting 1v1. Sieges are epic
  18. Oct 4, 2019
    10
    The game is great and the history interesting. The diferents rivals, the IA from enemies, the graphics, etc. All is great. Right now, the microtransaction is not necesary.
  19. Jun 27, 2019
    8
    for me it is one of the games of 2017 that I have enjoyed the most until the last episode which became repetitive and makes me lower the note.
    is very superior both in narrative and secondary missions and in his world open to the first game and I highly recommend your purchase if you are a fan of the Lord of the Rings.
    Approximately its duration is 30-40 hours and if you add the last
    for me it is one of the games of 2017 that I have enjoyed the most until the last episode which became repetitive and makes me lower the note.
    is very superior both in narrative and secondary missions and in his world open to the first game and I highly recommend your purchase if you are a fan of the Lord of the Rings.
    Approximately its duration is 30-40 hours and if you add the last chapter then you can arrive at 60 hours
    Expand
  20. Jan 2, 2019
    9
    Middle-Earth: Shadow of War is an amazing game. The gameplay is so fluid and complex, yet easily accessible. The story is engaging, and has some very unexpected twists. It can be a little bit of a grind, however.
  21. Nov 26, 2018
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So far, only 12hrs in. I have the gold edition i got for $20. The micro transactions were removed. So far pretty good. They new armor + weapon upgrade system is good. Graphics on XBOXX are great. Expand
  22. Oct 26, 2018
    8
    Honestly, this game is awesome. Of course their is micro transactions. But their is in so many games that it didn't bothered me. And remind you that the price of a video game is the same than 40 years ago : around 70 $, as the price to make a game exploded. I think that micro transaction are a way for studios to get a little more money because of this fact. Without it, they would haveHonestly, this game is awesome. Of course their is micro transactions. But their is in so many games that it didn't bothered me. And remind you that the price of a video game is the same than 40 years ago : around 70 $, as the price to make a game exploded. I think that micro transaction are a way for studios to get a little more money because of this fact. Without it, they would have financial difficulties.
    But if I think this game is awesome, its because Middle-earth: Shadow of War is incredibly fun. The Nemesis system is working even better, orcs all have different personalities, cities are beautiful (Seregost is magnificent ), the storie is satisfying and leveling up is allowing you to get more power.
    You also can assault cattle or other player fortress, music is great. If you're looking for an great adventure in The Lord of the Rings's lore, get this game.
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  23. Jul 17, 2018
    10
    If you get past all the "Microtransaction Madness" all the comments are crying about, you'll find a repetitive yet fun game with a lot to offer. The First Act is one of the weakest parts since the story is not for everyone, but in the Second Act is where the game really starts to shine. The Nemesis System is one of the greatest addition to videogame history, the orcs you can find are allIf you get past all the "Microtransaction Madness" all the comments are crying about, you'll find a repetitive yet fun game with a lot to offer. The First Act is one of the weakest parts since the story is not for everyone, but in the Second Act is where the game really starts to shine. The Nemesis System is one of the greatest addition to videogame history, the orcs you can find are all hilarious and memorable, and the twist from the Third Act is just amazing.

    And, as of 17th of July, the Fourth Act is no longer a grind, but a streamlined and shortened experience. Don't listen to the other critics, if you actually cared about the game and planned your defenses, you never had to buy one single lootbox and can carry your orcs from the beginning to the very end.
    Expand
  24. May 23, 2018
    9
    A really great game! Thank you Warner for closing the market for micro-transactions!
    I think those guys who gave bad ratings upon the micro-transactions can now give a honest review.
  25. Jan 4, 2018
    9
    Amazing masterpiece of a game.....Remember, the low user score is because of the microtransactions and also because the players who gave it a low score obviously struggled to complete it, or they never could complete it, if you are a bad boy like me then you dont need to spend a single penny on microtransactions, you just need common sense and skill......Also remember that the world isAmazing masterpiece of a game.....Remember, the low user score is because of the microtransactions and also because the players who gave it a low score obviously struggled to complete it, or they never could complete it, if you are a bad boy like me then you dont need to spend a single penny on microtransactions, you just need common sense and skill......Also remember that the world is full of morons who do not see a masterpiece when it is in front of them.......Also has a touching ending in honour of one of their team who died of cancer during the making of the game, i know everyone has opinions but some people should just be labotomised......Be don or be gone:) Expand
  26. Jan 2, 2018
    9
    I was a massive fan of the first game and it was without a doubt one of the best games I’ve ever played, so to say I was looking forward to Middle-earth: Shadow of War would be a massive understatement. Thankfully the game delivered in all areas and I would go as far to say that it’s better than the first game, which I didn’t think they would be able to do. The world in the game feelsI was a massive fan of the first game and it was without a doubt one of the best games I’ve ever played, so to say I was looking forward to Middle-earth: Shadow of War would be a massive understatement. Thankfully the game delivered in all areas and I would go as far to say that it’s better than the first game, which I didn’t think they would be able to do. The world in the game feels alive from the get go and it has so many things for you to do that you’ll be sinking hours and hours into the game. The story accompanying these hours of gameplay is fantastic and the best thing is that they keep things gripping and interesting throughout. The combat in the game is better than the first game in my opinion, and the main reason for that is because it just gives you more of a satisfied feeling. I was also very impressed with the skills and abilities that presented themselves and the game definitely gives you a rewarding feeling, which in turn makes you want to sink even more hours into it. The battles in the game have you sweating and keep you on the edge of the seat at all times, and I must admit that I’ve never had so much fun being in a battle on a game. The presentation side of the game makes Shadow of War stand out even more, and that’s because the visuals and sound design make you become even more immersed in the game. At the end of the day fans of the first game will fall in love with this game almost immediately. They’ve kept everything that was good from the first game and in some cases they’ve improved in some areas, which is absolutely fantastic. What really stands out in the game though is not once did I get bored when playing, and that’s amazing because I’ve sunk in a massive amount of hours. Without a shadow of a doubt Middle-earth: Shadow of War is one of the best game’s I’ve played this year and I can see the game being up for a number of awards. Expand
  27. Jan 2, 2018
    9
    SCORE: 9/10

    First off, the game is an improvement in every way from Shadow of Mordor - better combat, more varied environments, better graphics, better world building, better use of your followers, and no QTEs. It is a derivative game - combining the parkour of Assassin's Creed, the towers of Far Cry and Assassin's Creed, with the melee combat of Batman and the bow combat of Tomb Raider
    SCORE: 9/10

    First off, the game is an improvement in every way from Shadow of Mordor - better combat, more varied environments, better graphics, better world building, better use of your followers, and no QTEs. It is a derivative game - combining the parkour of Assassin's Creed, the towers of Far Cry and Assassin's Creed, with the melee combat of Batman and the bow combat of Tomb Raider or Horizon Zero Dawn, There are times with investigations - similar to The Witcher 3 and Batman. It combines all these aspects into the lore and world of Tolkien. It isn't canon by any means, but it is an enjoyable story and only the most die-hard fans would have a problem with it. My favorite book and movie ever is The Lord of the Rings, and I'm fine with the liberties this game takes.

    As for the microtransactions and loot boxes that people have complained about, it is far overblown. You absolutely do not need a single thing, and I have seen multiple gaming publications repeat that same things. When I read Metacritic and some forums, I would swear that the people complaining have never actually played the game. That said, I wish they weren't there because I don't like them in general and don't like where the games industry is headed with them.

    The game is super fun, looks to have 40-60 hours of extended gameplay for just one play-through, and offers ultrawidescreen gaming that performs very well at 3440x1440p on ultra everything with a 1080ti.
    Expand
  28. Dec 30, 2017
    10
    The sequel to Shadow of Mordor, Middle Earth: Shadow of War has improved and expanded on the award-winning game. It's graphics are so much better than its predecessor, the Nemesis System is expanded on greatly, the main characters are shown in a lot more depth than before and the story is both engaging and interesting as it somewhat ties in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I found the siegesThe sequel to Shadow of Mordor, Middle Earth: Shadow of War has improved and expanded on the award-winning game. It's graphics are so much better than its predecessor, the Nemesis System is expanded on greatly, the main characters are shown in a lot more depth than before and the story is both engaging and interesting as it somewhat ties in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I found the sieges to be quite fun, the random orcs have much more personality than Shadow of Mordor (my personal favourites being the Singers/Bards and the Orcs that say "maybe you've got a problem with one Orc, maybe a hundred, but ALL orcs, maybe the problem's with you"), and the combat is fun with a tonne of new abilities. In addition to this, we get to fight amazing enemies such as a Balrog and Sauron (not in a quick-time event this time). Even better, Ratbag returns for the sequel and Ologs make a splendid entrance into the game with the introduction of everyone's favourite Olog betrayer, Bruz the Chopper. Even with the micro-transactions, this game improves almost everything I loved about the first game and made it even better. My only problem, you can't Shadow Mount unbroken graugs as you could in the original (but they fix it by allowing you to summon your own dire caragor, graug and even a drake). All in all, an exceptional game which everyone should play. Expand
  29. Dec 3, 2017
    10
    I think that this game has a ton to offer, a great story, engaging side missions, and even a really great army building feature. The loot boxes were done in such a way where they are not pay to win. You can get a loot box and it will not make your character overpowered because it will scale to your player level. I personally am not one to buy lot boxes i feel that they are needless in aI think that this game has a ton to offer, a great story, engaging side missions, and even a really great army building feature. The loot boxes were done in such a way where they are not pay to win. You can get a loot box and it will not make your character overpowered because it will scale to your player level. I personally am not one to buy lot boxes i feel that they are needless in a game like this...So i didn't buy any, and i got to experience the game in its entirety and loved every minute. If you find yourself needing to buy lootboxes, this probably isnt the game for you lol Expand
  30. Nov 29, 2017
    9
    Great game that improves on every aspect of the original. A lot has been mentioned already. One thing I particularly like is diversity in the environments, i.e. it's not all grey and gloomy like the first game.
    Looks AMAZING on the Xbox One X in 4K. Micro transactions are optional, unnecessary and can be ignored.
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 38
  2. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. Nov 29, 2017
    88
    Perhaps you might slap your forehead in dismay by the goofy plot or looseness to the source material but what's undeniable is, that Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a lot of fun.
  2. Nov 13, 2017
    60
    Middle-earth: Shadow of War has high production values and is a fun open-world slashathon, but it's stretched thin. The storyline starts off promising, but all of the interesting characters get pushed aside to make room for nothing of consequence. Hours upon hours are lost to the abyss as players engage in a relentless cycle of gear upgrades and Orc recruits. Assaulting fortresses and conquering territory loses its appeal a bit too quickly. The game is pretty entertaining in short bursts, especially when Talion can make full use of his powerful abilities. Still, the lack of finesse when it comes to combat will make fighting feel a bit bothersome. The Ranger is at his best when he's eliminating the opposition with surgical precision, or making use of hazards in the environment. All in all, this title is worth a look; just don't expect to grow too attached to it.
  3. games(TM)
    Nov 3, 2017
    70
    While it's huge and complex in many of its systems, it still feels as if it is caught in 2014. [Issue#194, p.68]