Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™

I loved this game! The nemesis system is really cool and honestly, its really not anything particularly special or ingenious, I'm surprised it had not been done before (I'm sure it has in certain capacities). And that is why I leave a negative review. As a developer myself I cannot support greedy practices such as copyrighting a **simple** ass fucking game mechanic and then having the AUDACITY to not even fucking use it again. Fuck warner brothers. And fuck all of you that made this game 'very positive' off the back of their greed. The fact that everyone was fine with this has cost us all greatly as gamers.

The game overall is fine, but the controls are terrible. Characters are often jumping in random directions, or attacking some guy just standing somewhere. Further into the game they make opponents 'Harder' by just giving them more and more health until the whole fight is just slapping leaders in a corner for 5 min while occasionally running off to get health because you are being poked to death by archers. Fun when it came out but it does not hold up

Personally didn't like the game but either way WB does deserve a thumbs down.

I love this game. I also enjoy the story, even if it's not cannon. Also enjoy the cutscenes with Shelob and Celebrimbor.

Game Constantly Crashes after 1-2hrs. This is not a rare thing if look around this is pretty much standard normal with this game and well as can see this far down the line its never going to be fixed on their end.

[h3]tl;dr[/h3] I really tried but I can't bring myself to complete this game as the experience is simply too agonizing - while its predecessor was mediocre at best this one is simply a hot mess [h3]Overview:[/h3] Regain control of Talion - the Gondorian Ranger on his quest to take the fight up with Sauron. Relative to its predecessor it offers some minor improvements and qol changes, as well as the addition of (5 different) difficulty settings and online features. The general gameplay experience stays more or less the same. [h3]The Good Stuff:[/h3] I liked the ability to double jump and the "skill" to auto pick stuff. [h3]The Sorta-Kinda-Grinds-My-Gears-Stuff:[/h3] While the glorified nemesis system got some improvements and a bit more depth it is not possible to distract from it being a mundane and repetitive mess. It is still the only thing the game really tries to offer. Relative to Shadow of Mordor, the game is slightly less polished and offers more buggy moments. Also the loot system got a major rework. Instead of having set pieces of gear that you can improve you will get spammed with mostly worthless gear in an incredible shitty UI now. Some random encounters felt indeed ... random and become rather annoying soon. [h3]The Atrociously-Bad Stuff:[/h3] They successfully managed to take every little aspect from Shadow of Mordor that was plain and simple annoying and frustrating and made it even worse. They really doubled down on the uninspired repetitiveness and the agonizingly suffering through nonsense that still can not be skipped. You will now on average get introduced to even more captains. They have even longer voicelines and even more reasons to trigger a battle dialogue. Constantly getting thrown into skirmishes with at least 6 captains, with every single one introducing himself and having a good chance to cross blades with you and to get enraged after a while can lead to 18 mini-cutscene-dialogues that just take you out of the action. In a single battle. God damn, what a painful mess. Taking you out of the game and keeping you from playing is a pattern sprinkled over the entire experience. Like they are constantly trying to stretch the amount of time you will need to finish this game. Also, the Orc voicelines are an incredible step backwards. They really are atrociously bad, pure cringe at times, and not fitting at all. The overall less polished experience can get upsetting pretty fast, as the combat moves are also more repetitive and often clunky or inaccurate. Targeting a specific enemy can be a real B in the heat of battle. Lastly, the story is still just a sorry excuse for a "story". It is forgettable and petty nonsense. Lore hardliners will cry. It doesn't help, that the "story" coerces you to endure probably the worst boss fights in the history of boss fights. [h3]Achievement-Hunter-Things:[/h3] Nothing should be too hard or complex, just in part a bit grindy and prolonged. The more you delve into the nemesis/game system the more you will unlock naturally as many cheevos rely on that. BUT it is simply not fun, which makes the achievement-journey probably unbearable. Proceed with caution. [h3]Conclusion:[/h3] Yeah. Don't bother. Just don't. Just not worth your time.

tried to play but gave up after 20 crashes . Running 5800x3d+4090 and i cant go past the first 2-3 checkpoints before the gpu stops accepting commands. Its a known issue, people talk about it on several forums (some suggest large paging but it didnt help me ) , noone has bothered to do something about it and apparently the only solution is to roll back my drivers which will then cause problems in other games that i play . Dont waste your money , support that doesnt solve a 5yr old problem for a game thats really not that old and belongs to an iconic UP , doesnt deserve it .

only like 50% of what you do is actually reflected on screen, this game tries to play itself and it's doing it very badly, not to mention the constant interruptions that take 20 seconds to finish, the unexplained controls, the over explained controls, and buttons that do not work because the game didn't predict you would press it. and I HATE!!!! the movement so so so damn much. the fantasy is very cool, everything is so close to feeling good, but the game is just so scared to let you hold the damn controller

Just the dynamic and the battle army strategy speaks for itself. Story on point, either main and DLC!

This game is a masterpiece and puffs my Cheeto every time I play it. 6,000,000/10.

Great use of the Nemesis system; combat is excellent, but sometimes repetitive. The story and graphics are both top-notch, but I wouldn't suggest this as a first foray into the world of The Lord of the Rings.

I love Lord of the Rings and everything that is epic swords, dragons all that good stuff but don't know all details and every bit of lore etc. This game is solid 10/10. Basically you are an undead Aragorn (Talion) fused with a racist ghost Legolas (Celebrimbor) going around unaliving orcs, ologs and everything evil in middle earth or making them obey you to join your army against The Witch King. The story is good The combat is absolute cinema with great movements It lets you explore on your own pace and the way you want. Your actions and choices affect your gameplay BUT there is no good option or bad option which is the best part. Absolute masterpiece.

Cons: Stealth is a bit too easy. Fights are easy to cheese. Hardest difficulty provides very little challange. Pros: I get to touch orc faces all day. I get to touch orc faces all day. I get to touch orc faces all day. I get to touch orc faces all day. I get to build a fun team trying to take over forts and other players forts.

I really recommend this game, especially if you’ve played the original. It improves on the gameplay of the first one and adds even more content. The gameplay really hooked me — I managed to finish everything in the game. The graphics are good, and the mechanics are great. The Nemesis system is still present and just as impressive. If you like the Batman Arkham series or Assassin’s Creed, I suggest giving this game a try. Highly recommended!

I loved Shadow of Mordor. Shadow of War seems epic by comparison. I've tried to get into it multiple times over 5 years to get into it, but the controls are just absolute garbage. Shadow of Mordor also had weird controls for climbing, but I was able to adjust. I cannot for this game. Everything I do just feels like a frustration fest. Some people are able to get past it for the cool game, but I cannot. It was a complete waste of time and money for me. Doesn't feel like the devs played it. If you like Lord of the Rings, this is like a comic book. Not quite true to story, but cool. The second game feels like it has a lazy story built around cool mechanics, but the first game is incredibly good in all aspects. Was sad when it was over.

I wish I could say better about this game, because the gameplay and systems, especially the nemesis system, is absolutely amazing. However, this game spits in Tolkien's face in the worst ways possible. It disregards just about everything. It gets most the lore in Middle Earth wrong and is nothing more than an insulting fanfic of a game. Somehow worse than anything else ever made for Middle Earth in the history of man. And that's including Amazon's attempts.

Ive played shadow of mordor and i thought that was fun... But shadow of War? Damn... Ive played all dlcs, collected every collectible and yet i still play it, because the game mechanics are just fun.

i like the nemisis system, the game is best played on gravewalker difficulty, which is very hard at first, but makes a very unique story for whoever plays it.

The flow is fun and engaging, I love the personality that they gave the orcs! Nemesis system is so interesting!

Good game with some flaws. Good: Cool combat system. All the different skills and enemy captain resistances give combat a good variety and keep it interesting. Big variety in different interesting captains Offline fight pits. Pretty fun to watch your favorite captains smash other captains in the fight pits and even if they lose you end up with a new strong captain. Bad: The shop system and ingame money. Seems pay to win oriented and doesnt belong in a mostly single player game. Online fight pits are definitely rigged in your oponents favor. Enemy captains and units spam their attacks while your captain and units barely do anything. Some fights I think my captains units didnt perform a single attack. Neutral: Decent story

Shadow of war is a very good game however for only a few reasons. Firstly, the only reason that it is good is because of the nemesis system. Otherwise it could be better with a few things such as the graphics. While it is open world i was able to walk for a good two minutes before i was ambushed betrayed and hit twelve times by an olog. during that time i killed two captains. Why? because i felt like it. |Another good thing about this is turninggggggggggggggggggggg slave into captain. REJHAHHAHAHHAHAHAH 7.9/10

One of the best games on the market, great combat, brutal story and a lot of gameplay after completing the main story 10/10 GAME

If you're on the fence about buying it, stop complaining and just buy it. I promise that you won't regret it...

Shadows of war is a weird game for me because it jumps back and forth from being a decent 'passable' game, to a Great and addicting one. While feeling like a chore sometimes, the combat, stealth, and nemesis system make up for it and keep the game consistently enjoyable. IMO, while the story gets weird, it ultimately wraps up beautifully; with Talion getting the ending he's long deserved and concluding the series after countless long fought and arduous battles. Combat is occasionally buggy, and the complexity of the nemesis system sometimes make the AI act weirdly. These bugs however are relatively minor and were only noticeable for me once they being happening consistently in the grind throughout the late game. And the AI only begins acting weird if you absolutely CULL the orc leadership pool. The game's overall performance generally overshadows these issues, however. All in all, the game is a very solid 8/10. WB gaming is doo doo btw

Have always and will always love this game. Also my kid is super into it and likes to know all of the Orc's names and what they're afraid of.

The juice ain't worth the squeeze. Overall the game is very grindy for a single-player game. Gear progression is painfully slow, all remnants of the aggressive monetization, that got removed at some point. Story is alright, but a lot of important elements are just retold by an NPC, ending is ruined. Gameplay is generally good, but controls are clunky at times, sometimes Talion just priorities the wrong thing (like climbing over dodging, or special attack on grunt instead of leader)

very unique mix of different gameplays which all work out greatly together

Still one of my favorite games, its just great, we absolutely need a successor.

This game suffers from the same dumb gimmick that EVERY single sandbox crawler has - IF YOU CAN CLIMB IT, YOU WILL STICK TO IT, EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T WANT TO. Every single game is like this - you can climb any surface so naturally, whenever you come into contact with ANY surface, you want to cling to it like spider-man, right? It's so very annoying to be trying to run, jump, fight enemies all while trying to UNSTICK MYSELF from every barrel, wall, rope, swing, slightly elevated surface I come into contact with. I hate that this game has so many abilities tied to 1 or 2 buttons, so the climb button is the same as everything else. The controls are a goddamn nightmare. The story is fine. I don't know, some shit about revenge for his wife or some garbage. I can't get over how stupid and annoying the controls are.

It has everything good from the last game and adds bigger fights and more gore

Middle-earth: Shadow of War — 18.6 h played Score: 8 / 10 (Recommended but not essential) The Nemesis System still delivers the most dynamic, personalized villains in any open-world action game, and the fortress-assault layer makes those rivalries feel meaningful. But repetitive regions and B-movie story beats prevent it from reaching true classic status. ### What made it worth the time * **Evolved Nemesis drama** – Uruk captains remember every humiliation, come back with counter-traits, and sometimes betray you mid-siege. Turning an orc who once executed me into my personal bodyguard never gets old. * **Fortress sieges** – Recruit an orc strike team, breach walls with graug artillery, duel the overlord in the throne room. Tactically swapping bodyguards mid-siege rewards all the Nemesis grooming. * **Fluid Arkham-style combat** – Still the slickest melee in a Tolkien game: perfect-timed counters, elemental gear, wraith finishers, and just enough punishment to keep you on your toes. * **No more loot-box grind** – 2019 Definitive Edition patch removed microtransactions and rebalanced Act IV’s Shadow Wars, so the late-game no longer feels like a cash grab. * **Follower banter & betrayals** – Orcs sing about your exploits, then sometimes back-stab you for drama points. It’s procedural storytelling done right. ### What held it back | Issue | Why it matters | |-------|----------------| | **Recycled map layout** | Five regions share similar outpost templates; once you’ve cleared one, the wow factor drops fast. | | **Lore-light blockbuster plot** | Talion’s broody arc and Celebrimbor’s one-liner rivalry won’t win Tolkien purists; emotional stakes feel Marvel-lite. | | **Gear menu clutter** | Gems, gear tiers, and perk slots stack on top of a sprawling skill tree—manageable, but busier than it needs to be. | | **Performance dips in big sieges** | Huge orc waves can drop below 60 fps on an i7-11700K / RTX 3090 at 1440p Ultra. | ### Final verdict If you love the idea of building your own orc hit squad and storming fortresses they once defended, Shadow of War (Definitive Edition) is still an easy recommendation—especially now that the microtransactions are dead. Accept the recycled outposts and pulpy plot, and you’ll find one of the most replayable action sandboxes of the last decade.

This game is amazing. A really well driven story game. Great gameplay mechanics. They need to make a sequal where they remake the whole story and add him as a nazgul

Great, cheap now, for more or less 100 hours game really worth it

Good game -combine both and you will have a much better game

A person can get stuck in a level ad infinitum. That is a problem. I have started to figure out the game, but for some reason, I was a bit slow. I've enjoyed fighting the various bosses, although some can be maddeningly difficult to defeat. But, just as with David and Goliath, each boss has a weakness that can be exploited.

Good story and creative gameplay especially with the orc pvp arena

Put quite a few hours into this game over multiple accounts and consoles, might be my favorite game oat👍

It's like Assassin's Creed's snobby brother who went to a good university. It does it's homework. More immersive and funnier than it's contemporaries. Easy on a macro level, genuinely challenging to complete. The kind of game you never really "finish", starting my 4th platythru now. Plays with LOTR Lore in a fun way.

Love this game, but it has some serious keybindings issue, sometimes i cannot raise the dead sometimes i cannot consume even though my might is full. Cant 100 :(

So much fun! Great gameplay that gets addictive really quick. 10/10

Phenomenal game. While it may follow some of the patterns of triple A games today, it has so many unique mechanics features that make it stand out. The nemesis system, obviously, but also great boss fights, story, animations, and replayability. i have thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend to not just fans of LOTR, but people who want a good game. (P.S. play Shadow of Mordor first)

Better than any assassins creed ever made even black flag but copyrighting the nemesis system is unforgivable

Mindless fun of slashing and dicing everything bad in Mordor. Nemesis system is great too bad WB is keeping it locked.

Seek my game notes on the demo and the Full game it Would be a 2/5 OR a 3/5 if these updates where given-- it just needs the bounce animations to stop, bounce animations like the troll and shield bearer push down or push back and the too many arrows and spear bounce animation also the big beast troll attacks, far more QTE button press comeback Kills, oh yeah STOP forcing an railroading player to use features just offer them an let them test abilities out as they appear all at the start is preferred, as progression is not fun for all players, whole balrog fight has to be done better as in let the player actually ignite their sword and stab the demon in the head just after they climb up a arrow ladder on the back, like Legolas, and sliced away any hand grab defences by the lamest looking balrog I've ever seen so far, to 100% and the Story took a bit too long but meh I would like it if where A Bit shorter to complete

My all-time favourite. The game-play is very good; the plot is nice; DLCs could be better but those are very enjoyable too; Even side-quests are very fun. Not lore-accurate but the game is too good for that to be a problem. and Talion is one of the best main characters of all time. Love him with my whole heart

great game,ending felt a bit rushed in my opinion. 9/10

really cool game with amazing ai and mini events

Such a good game. I've replayed this and Shadow of Mordor multiple times and do it at least once a year. I'm very happy with the game and the nemesis system. It creates a lot of different Uruks and good difficulty.

Even 8 years later it stills hold up. I do recommend playing this game. Recruit Orcs and make a army, take Fortress one to the next. And find cool Orcs and recruit them into your army. And rinse and repeat over and over. This did have improvements from the last one Shadow of Mordor. I do recommend playing Shadow of Mordor first before playing this one. If your a achievement Hunter playing this game won't make you want to play the first one lol.

I remember playing this when it first came out on the PS3. Runs even smoother and looks even better on PC. Not to mention a few mods bringing it a breathe of fresh air to make it feel like a completely new experience.