Middle-earth: Shadow of War Reviews
Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a sequel perfect for the fans of the original game and fans of repetitive gameplay. They’ll love this game but they won’t be surprised at all. The combat system is really cool, the story is okay (albeit too long) but all in all Monolith took a step back as if afraid to do something new.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Loot boxes and a sexy Shelob aside Shadow of War is an impressive game in a franchise that whilst takes liberties with lore of the land produces a fascinating world full of captivating experiences.
An almost perfect sequel, but the true ending is behind lengthy grind or micropayments. Don't worry, though – you can see it somewhere else, and the rest of this exceptional game does not need them.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Despite the odd lull in gameplay, repetitive objective or feeling as though there's too much scale weighing you down – Shadow of War is completely inspirational in the way it's attempting to further narrative storytelling in videogames. The overarching storyline involving Talion is an engrossing one yet that almost becomes a sub-plot in itself – second to the mini meta-narratives you'll create amongst the factions of Orcs and Warchiefs you meet along the way. The voice acting and motion capture performances are really solid and the presentation is glossy and big-budget; it's as close to actually being in Middle-Earth as you're ever going to get. I'm about as swept up in this game as a Drake riding off into a fiery sunset; fantastic.
There is a chasm the size of middle-earth itself that separates the ingenuity of the game’s Nemesis system and the snorefest that is the game’s ‘point of interest’ system
Shadow of War is the perfect sequel- it builds on its predecessor's strengths, improves upon its weaknesses, and makes strong, smart additions of its own, bringing it all together for an addictive and unforgettable experience.
Shadow of War brings the video game to epic: it's an exciting tale in Middle-earth, less rich than Christian Cantamessa did with the first one, but in the same time throbbing.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Middle-earth: Shadow of War is an improvement over its predecessor in every way imaginable.
Shadow of War may not be perfect. Its camera can still get lost, Talion’s free-running can often be a hindrance rather than a help, and the UI can sometimes bug out for no apparent reason in menus and the main game. But these are little issues in a very large game, and even with the Loot Boxes as optional purchases (they truly are optional), I can’t help but recommend this game to any and all fans of open world adventures. With or without the DLC there are dozens of hours of playtime to be had, and it’s mostly of the highest quality. Recommended.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a definite improvement over Shadow of Mordor. People who played the first game and wanted to see serious growth will be pleased. There are times when it can feel a bit repetitive. I feel like I would have enjoyed it more if I could have spread the experience out over weeks, picking away at segments and really building up to those major sieges. But the Nemesis system does feel stronger this time around, with orcs that can be rather delightful as you continually fight them or prepare them to serve your own purposes in your army. If you don't take the story too seriously, you should have a good enough time.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War aims for the spectacle of the films, but falls short with a directionless, lore-breaking campaign.
Monolith knew it had something when they took the Nemesis System, made famous in Shadow of Mordor, and expanded it exponentially. The world has never seen so many diverse Uruk-hai.
An excellent sequel that goes on for perhaps a bit too long, just like The Hobbit
There's plenty here to love, but you will need patience and you will need resolve, because the orcs and their player-defined society is a thing of, as I said earlier, unnatural beauty, it's just a shame the rest of the game suffers in their expanded development wake.
At the end of the day, the big question is: Did I have fun? Yes, yes I did. I had fun killing the orcs, I loved the interactions with the story orcs, and when the combat behaves itself I enjoy the siege battles. The frustration isn't enough to make me glad it's over, and I'm looking forward to the additional story content coming in later. So with that, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find that corpse-loving orc again and kill it. With fire. And poison. And curse.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War like its predecessor is built upon the dynamic "Nemesis System." While the sequel offers an interesting story, it often becomes convoluted between the various arcs it wants to go in. Thankfully, the second by second gameplay has never felt better. With the addition of Shadow Wars, the best parts of the game will continue long after the story ends.
Endgame aside, Shadow of War hits the right marks, and is worth another run through the Black Gate.
A hell of a lot of game for your money and for the most part a ton of fun, sadly it outstays its welcome leading to total fatigue as you enter the overly long unnecessary home stretch.
If you're a fan of the Lord of the Rings mythology, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Middle-earth games don't compliment the lore of the books. Spawned from a series of epic fantasy novels, this loud, insane, adrenaline-filled open-world adventure certainly isn't true to the works of author J.R.R. Tolkien. 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.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War might not have had the best time pre-release, but it manages to be a solid, competent follow up to 2014's Shadow of Mordor. It's a gigantic time-sink of a game that's well worth your time and attention.