Middle-earth: Shadow of War Reviews
The whole experience feels so utterly soulless it's hard to really care about any of it.
It’s a shame really, because under a whole load of mess, there’s a game just waiting to be refined and perfected. Shadow of War did in fact right some wrongs, but it lumped them in with some odd choices that really prevent you from investing in a system that they have peacocked left and right.
It's a long game, but filled with repetition. If you want the most hours for your dollars, this might be a good place, but the time I spent here was only mediocre, and I could have found better.
All in all, this title is worth a look; just don't expect to grow too attached to it.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War doubles down on every single aspect of Shadow of Mordor, for better and worse.
This sequel expands on the vaunted Nemesis system in wildly entertaining ways, even as it falls short around the edges.
Unfortunately, while Shadow of War is a decent enough game, it never manages to capture what made the original so special. Bigger isn't always better and in Shadow of War's case its doubly true.
Shadow of war had a great opportunity to Succeed and reach a level of public success that other games didn't had, but unfortunately with the focus of the studio on the nemesis system and the justification of the micro transactions the rest of the game's sides have been Neglected and dwarfed in favor of the nemesis system which for many times feels that the presence for that system is just unfair to it.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
All in all, as a newcomer, Middle-earth: Shadow of War brings somewhat clunky controls, unnecessary loot boxes and an ending effectively locked behind either paying or grinding leads to a sour first impression. The game looks brilliant, sounds brilliant and really grips you with it’s updated rendition of the Nemesis System… But I can’t help but feel that there’s better out there. It’s a fun walk through Mordor, but a fun game…? Perhaps not entirely.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a worthy sequel to the original Shadow of Mordor game in many ways, but it manages to fall short in a handful of others that are impossible to completely dismiss. That is a shame, since Mordor was my contender for Game of the Year when it released, and I had high, similar hopes for Shadow of War that unfortunately doesn't reach those lofty expectations I had hope for.
There’s a lot to like and the nemesis system is really great but I wish that the game built around it was more interesting and engaging.
Shadow of War is absurdly fun to play, with excellent combat mechanics, a deep progression system, and plenty of enemies to defeat. However, it's let down by an incoherent plot and its disappointingly poor treatment of Tolkien's work.
Shadow of War managed to grab hold of me much harder than any other open-world game ever has. Despite its inherant faults, I still had a great time playing through, and can’t say I regret the hours I put in to it.
Ultimately, Shadow of War is a good game that isn’t as endearing as its predecessor or as revolutionary in its ideas. While it adds layers of new mechanics on top of the emergent gameplay found in the first, its creaky fundamentals, questionable endgame, and lackluster story hold it back from being quite as essential as what came before it.
Shadow of War is a nice sequel to Shadow of Mordor. But, as with Mordor, some of the plot holes and annoyances are here and it stops this from becoming a great game. For me Monolith have gone out to improve the Nemesis system, which they have done very well with. But, in doing so forgot the most important part of any game. Tell a good story! If you’re a Tolkien fan and have issues with the lore being played around with, you will find yourself as rage filled as some of the orcs you’re going to be fighting. But, if you’re a casual LOTR / fantasy fan, then the story is there for you to enjoy and make the most of.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War wants to be too much at the same time and ends up (besides a greatly improved Nemesis System) in a repetitive mess that doesn't shine in terms of story and graphics. The integration of the Lootboxes doesn't effect the game as much as we expected but it still shouldn't be in a Singleplayer title to begin with. Fans of Lord of the Rings still get to see some of their fan favourites and the gameplay this time is really solid.
Review in German | Read full review
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. While those issues will definitely find their way into your grinding teeth and clenching hands at least a few times throughout the experience, Middle-earth: Shadow of War has more than enough merit to keep drawing you back in.
If you spent more than a few hours with Shadow of Mordor, there's little doubt you'll find plenty of reasons to do the same with Shadow of War . And there's little reason to think anyone curious about the first game wouldn't find plenty to love in the sequel.
The base gameplay is more than solid, but the overall experience feels lessened by a combination of unnecessary expansion and lots of repetition.