Middle-Earth: Shadow of War

MIDDLE EARTH: SHADOW OF WAR (2017) was definitely a worthy sequel to the Tolkien Middle Earth inspired ME: Shadow of Mordor and as a hardcore, diehard Tokien fan, I'm glad to have a sequel to the Middle Earth themed games to play. Since this game came out it's been both lauded and criticized, and I can honestly understand why. My opinion is often mixed as well. I tend to lean more on the optimistic side however, and remain just grateful to have a decent Tolkien-inspired game, and honestly because I did truly enjoy this series of games, I will rate it accordingly.

As other reviewers have said before, this game had strong similarities to Assassin's Creed series, as well as other similar parkour action styled games with elements of stealth, adventure, fighting, (i.e. Assassins Creed series, Watch Dogs, inFamous, etc.) however the unpredictability of the AI for the Orcs made this game really fun and much more strategic. I enjoyed the premise of the battlefield being the main focal point, recruitment of orcs, building your own army, all the while analyzing and dismantling the enemy army. Uber cool. And the revenge aspect often made it more enjoyable as well.

While it can still be a bit repetitive, (Aren't most games when you think about it?) the graphics are pretty great, cutscenes are visually praisable, and the story is compelling enough to drive the player onwards WITHOUT overstepping too much outside of the Tolkien lore and world. I really appreciated that the writers didn't want to diminish or tarnish an epic masterpiece world by adding too much of their own. Not saying everying here is cannon, per say, but just that it didn't really feel overdone or too butchered. I enjoyed how the many collectables offered room to share lore and background to players that might not know about it. Lastly, while Talion as a character was alright, I really liked the persona and portrayal of Celebrimbor as a main lead.

Overall, this game was really fun and offered a decent ammount of play time. While, not perfect, it was still pretty great for a Tolkien / Middle Earth inspired game and I hope to get more sequels in the future, as long as they don't stray too far from the literature or take too many liberties with the source material.

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.

Yeah, it's a fun game. I had fun playing it. It's Fun. Yep.

It makes you feel like you're in Middle-Earth. But it also makes you feel like you're Batman.

Shadow of War takes everything from its predecessor and improves upon it. It is everything the first game should have been. The nemesis system is incredible, the numerous large maps are amazing and provide plenty of beautiful locations to explore, and the combat is nearly perfect. The focus on warfare is really what make this game stand out from other action/adventure games. Where Assassin's Creed and Arkham focus on puzzles and solving mysteries, Shadow of War focuses on mass warfare between your army and Sauron's army. It also takes many elements from the wider LotR universe and gives them some screen time here, providing connections to the films and books. This is one of the greatest games I have ever played and that stands true as I play it a second time 2 years after release.

I've had Shadow Of War since 2019 and it is probably one of the most addictive games I have ever stayed grinding on. There's so much in this game that makes it a very deep, engaging experience. The amount of story quests you play, the amount of powers you get to unlock, the amount of upgrades to your character, the amount of locations you get to go to, the amount of people you meet, the amount of creatures you run into and especially the numerous amount of ORCS that you meet! Which I personally think the Orcs are the BEST thing about this game. They are the ones that keep you coming back!! You meet one, they talk to you, they kill you, you go back to try to kill them, but a different meets you, then that one kills you, then you recruit one, it fights for you, but then it betrays you later and so on! It is endless! I've probably met at least 500 different orcs so far of all different powers, voices, sizes, heights and weapons. What makes it even better is that every SINGLE ORC has a story behind them! Meaning they each seem to come from a different background, everytime you listen to them talk to you. At times it can be so upsetting, challenging, annoying, but that's what makes it so damn enjoyable. I still have to play the other two expansions. There's no doubt I'll get my hands on those when the time comes. I really wish more people played this game. It is too extraordinary to miss out on...