Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ Reviews

This game is amazing! Between the graphics and story line I quickly got involved in this game. No lag even in big battle scenes, truly wish I could find more games that play this well.

Very good singler player game the fact that you can make your own orc amy is soo cool the story is MID not much there the NPC are TRASH damn they just walk all over the place but the combat is very good and it feels good to fight captains and get them on your side and you can opgrade forts overall just very funny

This game has a great deal of potential behind all the jank with the nemesis system. Some of the best enemies I've fought in video games are in here, the way the nemesis system is capable of weaving mini stories of its own in a myriad of ways and imbuing the orcs with personality was genuinely intuitive. Check out Game makers toolkits' video on yt for an in-depth explanation of the nemesis system.

After completing Middle-earth: Shadow of War and unlocking every achievement, I can confidently say it’s a worthy follow-up to Shadow of Mordor. The game expands on the Nemesis System in incredible ways, making enemy interactions even more dynamic and personal. The story, while epic, feels even grander with the introduction of fortresses and the ability to command armies, adding layers of strategy to the gameplay. Combat is just as fluid and enjoyable as its predecessor, with a deeper skill tree and more customisation options. Achieving 100% completion was no easy feat, but the variety of challenges, collectables, and side missions kept me engaged throughout. With stunning visuals, an immersive world, and hours of content, Shadow of War is an incredible experience for any fan of action-adventure games or Tolkien’s universe.

Amazing game. Love the nemesis system and the combat skills. Its easier to say what I dont enjoy with this game rather than list everything I do enojoy so I will just do that. - The magnetic movement makes your character hard to control on PC - The Legendary Enemies scale way to hard on brutal difficulty (you can barely beat them if you are lucky enough that they are close to your own level, if not and they are 10+ above you. GG) - Gear rolling is too expensive I didnt even get to reroll my gear once whole game since its 10x easier to just farm new legendary gear instead of rerolling (i was even using the bonus loot to gems) - Max prestige takes too long to get (600 levels and you can get 2.5 per 10 min if you are running a XP fort settup it will still take 40-50 hours of NONSTOP grinding) The earlygame experience on brutal was very brutal and became managable by skill and gear. Would recommend doing it on brutal first playtrough. Satisfying

Great game. You know the new "ninja" Assassin Creed game, based in Feudal Japan? Its a reskin of this game. Except this one is better.

one of the coolest games i have ever played in my 21 years of living. the nemesis system is one of the best features in gaming. and yet, WB not only patented it to where nobody can use it till 2036 but then they shut down monolith which were going to use the nemesis system for the scrapped wonder woman game. fuck you WB. RIP monolith, you will be missed.

I should preface by saying I've never watched any of the Lord of the Rings movies or read any of the books, so I came into both Middle Earth games with no context. The open world concept paired with taking down armies seemed like an interesting concept. The first Middle Earth game I found fun (though a little repetitive towards the end) and this one matches the same level of fun, though some small extra features that indicate its a successor to the first. I would recommend playing the first one, but if you don't care - certainly go for the second. The [b]gameplay[/b] of Middle Earth: Shadow of War (SoW) is extremely similar to Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor (SoM). In fact, the [b]gameplay[/b] from the Batman series can be comparable to how the characters combat from both SoW and SoM. There is a bit of button mashing with repeatedly pressing "X" to attack, but as the player gains experiences for their character, other special abilities become available. Some special abilities allow players to execute enemies, bump them back with special powers, or even perform acrobatics to evade and attack. This is nice that they added these variations in combat, however there are times (especially early in the game) I wish they added a few more ways to either kick, shove, or even do a power swing. In essence it seemed they wanted to push their special moves unlockable rather than add more manoeuvrers to attack in the game. Players that are swarmed by enemies can be overwhelming at first, but as the player masters the countering system and familiarizes themselves with the environment the impossible doesn't seem to farfetched. Exploding objects become crucial in these situations. Additionally, the player can also use stealth to sneakily take out enemies and even gather intel on their enemies. This game, compared to the previous one, focuses more on building an army for defending against raids and planning raids. I believe the devs called it the "Nemesis System" where the player has a dynamic (almost AI) relationship with the Orc captains. If an Orc captain (or regular Orc) takes out the player, they can get promoted and become even stronger (in which nemesis missions come up to take revenge). The player gathers information to figure out which orcs could possibly make the game a little easier, such as "dominating" an Orc whose a personal guard to a garrison unit in the castle. The new addition to the game series is the garrison and sieging castles systems. It's cool to do a few times but because it's a little redundant (as in run to this checkpoint, then this one, then this one, then a final little boss mission) it can get boring. The chaos of raiding a castle is there, but soldiers simply continue to spawn until the checkpoints are completed. This sort of ruins the fun of taking out opponents dynamically with a purpose, which again, takes away from the chaotic situation happening. The [b]graphics and visuals[/b] do certainly illustrate chaotic and cinematic situations quite well. This realm was certainly well done and borrows similarly to Mortal Kombat animations, both in the cinematic realm and the [b]gameplay[/b] realm. The in-game fighting resembles and borrows from the Batman series [b]control[/b] scheme. The actions are decently varied and since more actions can be unlocked it doesn't get too repetitive. The environment and atmosphere also further immerses the player in Mordor. The [b]sounds and music[/b] were also well done. The Orcs can be heard talking about whatever random thing going on in their lives and dialogue in the cinematics were done well. This part of the game does a good job further immersing the player into the crazy world of Mordor. The [b]music[/b] during the game doesn't get annoying and can slightly alter according to the location. So why the average review? Well, I encountered quite a bit of bugs while playing - such as getting stuck between rocks, buildings, and other random objects. This includes beasts (the character can call up during the game), Dragons, and other ally type units. The [b]controls[/b] really drove me nuts at points, especially when trying to run away from the oppoonents. Instead of smoothly jumping up on the wall, often times, even on little ledges, the character would get stuck on small slopes that simply require a step to get up. This portion of the game I found absolutely the most frustrating. Lastly, once the game is done there is some replayability, if you like repeating AAA game side mission quests that don't feel rewarding. The online aspects are cool and try to give a little more motivation to come back, but again, how the [b]gameplay[/b] is paired with the story being completed doesn't give me motivation to keep going. I'll recommend it, but knowing it's an okay game when it's on sale at an okay price. [h1]RATING: 7.9/10[/h1] [table] [tr]       [td]Gameplay[/td]       [td]B-[/td] [/tr] [tr]       [td]Story / Campaign[/td]       [td]B[/td] [/tr] [tr]       [td]Visuals / User Interface[/td]       [td]B[/td] [/tr] [tr]       [td]Sounds / Music[/td]       [td]B[/td] [/tr] [tr]       [td]Replay-ability[/td]       [td]C[/td] [/tr] [tr]       [td]Overall [/td]       [td]C+[/td] [/tr] [/table]

The best part of the game is definitely the Nemesis System. Watching orcs remember you and adapt to your fighting style is incredibly satisfying, and the power struggles between orc leaders can create some truly memorable moments.

After hearing that WB was shutting down Monolith, I came back to pay tribute to an old friend (Monolith, not WB) by replaying the Middle-earth games. I first played Shadow of War on PlayStation when it launched, excited after loving the first game—but my enthusiasm soured thanks to the infamous microtransactions and loot box fiasco that plagued the endgame. Now, in 2025, with all that monetization removed, I’m glad to finally experience the game as it was meant to be. Beneath all that corporate greed was always a solid game. Playing both Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War back to back, I appreciate their evolution—the improved combat, tactics, and enemy variety, even if some aspects can feel repetitive. But ultimately, it’s the Nemesis System that truly carries the experience. The main story is fairly forgettable, but the personal stories forged through battles with the Orcs make it all worthwhile. One of my favorite moments? I killed an Orc named Krakhorn. He came back as "Krakhorn the Machine," now sporting mechanical limbs after I had previously mutilated him. Naturally, I killed him again—only for him to return once more, taunting me for failing to finish the job. This time, he managed to kill me and was promoted to Warchief. Determined to put an end to him, I tried again… and again… but he kept returning. Eventually, I attempted to recruit him, but his Iron Will resisted, so I resorted to shaming him repeatedly. That backfired spectacularly. Instead of breaking, he became a Maniac, growing even stronger and capable of one-shotting me if I so much as slipped up. He climbed the ranks until he became Overlord, and at that point, I knew I couldn't take him down alone. So, I planted four bodyguards in his inner circle, waiting for the perfect moment to betray him. When the time came, my minions turned on him mid-battle, while I spent the entire fight dodging like my life depended on it—because it did. Eventually, my conspirators took him down, and I made his killer the new Overlord of Gorgoroth. So far, he hasn’t betrayed me… yet. Looking back, Shadow of War is a flawed but truly special game. Even after all these years, nothing quite compares to the chaos and emergent storytelling that the Nemesis System creates. Monolith’s work here was remarkable, and their innovation will leave a lasting impact on gaming. It’s a shame to see such a talented studio go, and their Nemesis system locked behind a patent, but their legacy lives on in the stories we’ve all created. Thank you, Monolith. You deserved better.