Middle-Earth: Shadow of War

First and foremost to the people debating whether this game is an RPG or not, it is absolutely an open world RPG game. You can make builds, there is outfit customization, there are multiple ways to approach missions, camps, etc. And there are very interesting activities. It is an RPG game and I think it should be a very nice game model for developers wanting to make such a game. My favourite aspect of the game was the combat however. I don't think that I have played a game with a better combat and fighting system in my life. It is paired to the skill point upgrades amazingly so you don't get bored and it doesn't get repetitive and there are more and more ways to fight enemies. The story was very good and very interesting (something that I didn't quite expect to be honest) and the protagonist(s) I found very interesting and well written even though I hadn't even played Middle Earth: Shadow Of Mordor. The only reason why I am not giving this game a 10 is mainly because I think that in the end, in an attempt to officialize the game as non canon (it's story not affecting the movies which chronologically are later) they kinda ruin it . I believe that they could have wrapped it up better but it's not bad. Anyways this game is very very good and I definitely recommend it, especially if you are a Lord Of The Rings fan or like (F)RPGs.

This is hands down one of the best games ever made, it was faithful enough to the the books and the lore yes they added some things like the storytelling and the orcs funny dark humor dialogs and interactions but they nailed it and stayed faithful to the lore and the general mode of middle earth, it actually made the game better more engaging fun and amazing journey instead of fighting lifless orcs and personally i think tolkien would have been proud, the nemesis system is just legendary, the orcs remember you now and they know what you did they are not another loser npc's they feel real with unbelievable amount of diversity in their looks and abilities, the story was one of the greatest i have ever experienced about middle earth i loved it to the last second,but gameplay was on another level it was just amazing and fun, i am very proud of this game and it will stay on my recommendation list forever and there is nothing i would love to see more in life than a worthy sequel for this legendary game.

Regarding the loot boxes. People don't understand how this works. You do NOT have to spend money on the game more than you already spent. Do you need to do online vendettas and online fortress assaults to get spoils of war to get legendary orcs? Yes. But this is in game already. The people rating this 1 without actually understanding its not a requirement are ruining it for other people making them believe something that just isn't true.

Now that that is out of the way. The game is far better than its predecessor. They took everything that worked in the first game and tweaked it to make it better. The orcs can also cheat death which makes it for a more difficult gameplay. You also got watch who you recruit and kill. If one happens to a be a blood brother of another they will avenge the death of that brother whether they are a follower of you or not. They will turn against you. Also you have to be careful about hitting your follower captains. They can get tired of it and switch back to the other side. Others will switch back for various reasons and once they do you can't get them back. So that really only leaves one option. You can also be ambushed so be careful. I don't feel I am really that far into the game but I think a lot of things opened up now.

But anyways ignore the lootbox bs. I get a lootbox every time I complete an online vendetta and those give you gear on or around your current level. They can also give you legendary gear. I have got one full set so far. They are apparently 54 legendary gear/weapons, in the game that constantly can be upgraded if you fulfill the challenge requirement. This also goes for the Epic Sword of Dominion you could have received with a preorder. Starts at level 5 weapon and I have it up to 30 right now. Keep in mind you can't recruit orcs/trolls higher than your current level. There also seems to be no inventory limit. There is legendary loot boxes that you can get once you have accumulated enough spoils of war which you get for online vendettas and online fortress assaults. You get more for the assaults so you choose which way you wanna go about it. Believe the lootboxthing isn't nearly as negative if it really is at all as people are making it out to be.

I honestly prefer this game than the first one(Not that the first game is bad, but I like this one a whole lot better). Some of the controls I like better and some of the online I like as well.

This game is so good that I replay it every year... The Nemesis system is awesome and makes it fun to do the Nemesis-things. After you finish the story, which clocks in at about 27 hours, you can go on in the Shadow Wars. The fun is literally never-ending... There's not much to add. The combat is perfect, the storyline is well-written, navigation in games is also without a fault and the characters (yes even the Orcs) are all interesting. I give this game a 9,3/10.