MaximusPayne
Member
Wow, really stellar reviews. Will pick up at some point this year. Maybe Black Friday or Christmas.
Speaking of difficulty levels, it would be impossible to review Shadow of War without addressing the inclusion of loot boxes and microtransactions that caused such a stir just a couple of months ago. In essence, loot chests can be bought from the game's market using Mirian, an abundant (and free) in-game currency, or gold - which is given out in much smaller measures and can, crucially, be bought with real money. These chests give out gear, XP boosts, new followers and training orders (essentially follower upgrades) for you to put to use, improving your fortunes as you go about the game world. Given how freely the game gives you skill points, gear and orcs to turn into loyal soldiers, however, these chests are wholly unnecessary. If you need them in order to get by in Shadow of War, in fact, you are almost certainly playing on the wrong difficulty setting.
The fact these chests aren't necessary, however, does little to diminish the awareness that they're very much a part of the game, especially when you're reminded of the market's existence by way of an announcement carousel every time you pause the game. With the market itself lacking the same polish as the rest of the game - the market keeper is an unvoiced orc who quite literally rubs his hands with glee when you make a purchase, by the way - it feels like something that was tacked on late into development at the behest of the publisher. Would it have been easier to ignore if the backlash to the announcement hadn't been so great? Possibly, but it still leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
SHADOW OF WARS MICROTRANSACTIONS FEEL AT LEAST GREEDY, IF NOT PREDATORY
I thought this was attached to Xbox, why is it listed as a PS4 review?
Theres fun to be had in conquering fortresses, but it does also feel a little like managing a small business. Shadow of Wars biggest problem is being overloaded with systems that dont feel integrated into the game in an organic way. And its constantly screaming at you to do things, which makes it feel like a fantasy to-do list. "Purify the Haedir towers! Reveal Shelob's memories! Open the Ithildin doors! Collect the Gondorian artifacts!" They might sound exciting, but involve little more than finding a thing then interacting with it.
Theres just too much going on. Too many menus, too much clutter on the screen, too many half-baked features. I would have preferred a smaller set of lean, refined systems to all this bloat. I had no interest in half the icons littering the map, and I found it difficult to get immersed in the story because of how unashamedly videogamey it all is. Our greatest asset is stealth! Celebrimbor says as he teaches me how to dominate orcs with the ring, which would sound insane if someone said it in the films or books. I never felt like I was in Middle-earth, and I rarely have trouble suspending my disbelief in games.
I'm curious to see how many reviews call out the loot boxes - or even mention it - and how much they ding the game for it. I don't have high hopes.
So damn stupid and pointless it seems.
All the people posting their sites here I need to ask you something in case you were the ones who reviewed it and played the first one.
Is the combat still as mindless and easy as in the first one?
Warner Bros. really hung a good dev like Monolith out to dry on this it seems.
It starts pretty damn solid, but then it just feels like you are doing the exact same thing over and over again. If the sequel improves the lack of variety, they might have a winner in their hands.To each their own, I feel the exact opposite of you. I loved the first one and I'm not really into the LOTR franchise.
I also couldn't care less about loot boxes and microtransactions if they aren't necessary.
The core of the game remains largely unchanged in that respect. You can roll right from one to the other, so if that's a problem, I'd skip it.
The last negative sounds far more impactful than the 3 positives.
Warner Bros. really hung a good dev like Monolith out to dry on this it seems.
Shadow of War PS4 Pro enhancements
While publisher Warner Bros has said very little in what to expect in the way of PS4 Pro enhancements, the game features two graphics options -- Favour Resolution and Favour Quality. The former ensures a consistent resolution while you play Shadow of War on the PS4 Pro while the latter emphasises effects and details over resolution. This could imply a variable resolution setting that comes into effect when choosing Favor Quality, though we were hard pressed to tell the difference when playing the game on a 4K monitor and a full-HD TV with Favor Quality on. Favor Resolution though, did result in sharper images and a cleaner picture. Weve requested Warner Bros for a clearer explanation of what these modes do and will update this piece if and when we hear from them.
Arent those also the negatives of the first?
The last negative sounds far more impactful than the 3 positives.
Bland open world huh? Wonder if any of the reviews will even mention loot boxes...
The last negative sounds far more impactful than the 3 positives.
Bland open world huh? Wonder if any of the reviews will even mention loot boxes...
Also sounds a pretty fair model that you never should feel any reason to buy anything.
I thought this was attached to Xbox, why is it listed as a PS4 review?
My question, after reading the review, would be why add it. As the review says, if you even consider buying one maybe you should check the difficulty.
Plus to get the most out of the nemesis system then you need to die. A lot.
Polygon -
Yeah definitely waiting for a sale or maybe the Complete Edition, as they are already talking about big expansions for the game.
Ugh. The world in the first one was such total shit. How can you make Middle-Earth so bland??
Good to see some reviewers dedicate a paragraph or two to the impact of microtransactions (although I could do without the condescension towards fan feedback.) Consensus seems to be that it's a clunky, unneeded addition that's easily ignored and forgotten about.
Being able to play without engaging with it... not gonna lie, that's a huge relief.
Funnily enough. Gamespot actually likes the new environments.
"A fool and his money are soon parted"These lootboxes just sound like paid cheat codes now.