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Middle-earth: Shadow of War - Review thread
- Thread starter Theorry
- Start date
Emperor_Uriel
Member
What's this nonsense about certain Orc tribes being tied to premium editions of the game?
Do I literally have less enemy variety because I got the standard edition?
Do I literally have less enemy variety because I got the standard edition?
Ratchet and Clank
fuckin hell. i knew there was something i didn't like about these guys.
A Serious Man
Member
Those just give you access to DLC that isn't out yet, like a season pass sort of.
NullPointer
Member
I don't really understand this review. Most of the time spent is in showing off the depth and diversity of the game, but in the end its dinged for not having depth or diversity.
And it doesn't sound like they got to the true ending either. They mention that lootboxes are easy to ignore and only there for when the grind is too much, but it sure appears that they found the grind to be too much to finish.
Mr. PlayStation
Member
let us know sir!
Andodalf
Banned
well, It's pretty early game, so to be expected. Not all abilities and in a very confined and bland arena. It's kinda the point. a training wheels battle.
theonerayman
Member
She's a hardcore Tolkien fan. Her reporting during the time that shadow of mordor came out was top notch. This comment really is unwarranted.
Miyazaki’s Slave
Gold Member
Excited for sure.
Combat system of the first game itches that Batman scratch
Graphics were fine, expecting more of the same.
Lore building (although all expanded universe) was really fun for me as well in SoM hoping SoW does some more with it.
I really liked the first game and am hoping this game provides another 40 hours of play!
Combat system of the first game itches that Batman scratch
Graphics were fine, expecting more of the same.
Lore building (although all expanded universe) was really fun for me as well in SoM hoping SoW does some more with it.
I really liked the first game and am hoping this game provides another 40 hours of play!
These games are a total mess lore and story wise (and even tonally but that might be more of a video game problem). She's also a huge anime fan and I mean...it all kinda lines up. If she really is a "hardcore Tolkien fan" than the devs didn't listen.
theonerayman
Member
She very much is. How much they listened is unknown. But she knows her lore.
I've already seen/read all the story stuff (and the first game speaks for itself).
They didn't listen.
theonerayman
Member
While I felt like the story in the first one wasn't fantastic it was serviceable. And being someone who has read a ton of LotR stuff them bringing In Celebrimbor was pretty cool. But we know these games aren't going to be cannon but here is my thought. If Christopher Tolkien and the Tolkien estate are happy with it. Eh who am I to critique to harshly
Equanimity
Member
This made me laugh 😅
Calvinpewpewpew
Neo Member
Someone please tell me to play this in the 3 weeks I have before the fall rush hits us (and I become hopelessly addicted to COD again), but the urge to wait until my glorious shiny X1X comes out is just overwhelming me.
A Serious Man
Member
I am pretty sure Christopher Tolkien would vomit himself to death if he saw this game.
I mean, I'm not a purist by any means. But I'm pretty sure Christopher Tolkien would never have allowed this game to exist. But that's more because his father sold the rights long ago. I don't really see how anyone can look at these games and say they are tonally and thematically in line with those stories (lore is less important, it's the tone and themes that matter in the end).
theonerayman
Member
They have said in multiple videos that they work close with Christopher and the Tolkien estate on the game including the story.
A Serious Man
Member
Nah. They "work closely" to make sure they don't violate the bounds of their license (which restricts them to keeping the scenario within the time period and setting of the LotR books) but there is zero chance Christopher Tolkien is kosher with the story for this series. He hated the films for veering too far from the source material and those at least attempted to follow the themes and spirit of the books.
Andodalf
Banned
I Personally see this game is actually being totally in line with the themes. of Tolkien. I've seen a lot of coverage, and on the dev streams, they constantly hint at the answer to so many peoples complaints about the game's obsession with power. It's not just a byproduct of it being a game, it's very intentional.
Semi spoiler stuff / my speculation
In SoW, you aren't a good guy. The devs say that the bright lord expansion was the feel they mean to have in SoM, and it pretty clearly shows Celebrimbor as evil and his desire for power to be very bad. This game is that times 10, and Talion will pay the price for going along with Celebrimbor. Obsession for power is the cause of every villain's downfall in the legendarium, from Morgoth to Sauron. This game will continue that theme as Talion and Celebrimbor face dire consequences for their actions, that see them fade from power and lead into LoTR proper.
They 10000000% are totally not doing that. The Tolkien Estate is furiously against any form of commercialisation of Tolkien's stories. They have never worked with anyone willingly on developing or consulting on stories. If they had any involvement with Shadow of War it's probably to prevent the writers of the game to use anything from The Silmarillion. Which WB does not have the rights for. They "worked" with Peter Jackson the same way for the movies.
@Andodalf: except the games never show the consequences and simply revels in the violence of its poor-mans-Aragorn protagonist. The games don't care about consequence, it's a beheading simulator. But like I said before, this is more a problem with video games in general being very violent and usually about war, killing and power fantasies.
Something the books repeatedly show the (often times bad) consequences of and often times outright condemm. It was written by a war veteran who saw all his friends die in a horrific war. He wrote LOTR to tell it's readers, power is not worth it because it brings death and destruction. Shadow of War (and many video games) revel in it.
PHOENIXZERO
Member
Whoa, never seen a score lower than 4/5 from these dudes.
But every DLC for every WB published game has been terrible man
I'm ignoring that the regular version was $35 and pretending that I'm really only paying $10 more compared to the full price. ¯\_(ツ
_/¯ Though yeah, with my luck all the upcoming extra content will be an hour long or less shit like the Arkham Knight DLC which thankfully I ended up not paying for (they instructed to allow refunds and GMG did but the season pass never got removed from my account) after the debacle with the PC version which I also got from NVIDIA's promotion at the time.theofficefan99
Junior Member
Anyone know if scenes from the Announcement trailer are in the actual game (minus the scene where Talion yells "Wraith!" and the scene with Shelob)?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPhOCXzLBKA
I'll be sad if 1:35-1:44 aren't in the game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPhOCXzLBKA
I'll be sad if 1:35-1:44 aren't in the game
ST2K
Member
No, they work closely with Middle-Earth Enterprises.
They are not Chris Tolkien. Chris has sued them before over them overstepping their bounds in licensing.
theonerayman
Member
You are correct. I was incorrect in who they were working with. And considering how much stuff they are basing from the Silmarillion and did as well in the first game, I wouldn't be surprised if there was more lawsuits. I apologize for my previous incorrect posts. I misunderstood who they were working so close with. And I am not above saying when I am wrong, and I was very much incorrect previously.
DarkoMaledictus
Tier Whore
I think what bothered me the worst was this :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AV9W2ZdmjU
Combat was a joke...
Andodalf
Banned
Yes I agree they did not in SoM, But they heavily hinted that they will here in SoW. I guess we'll actual has to see what's in the game before condemning it. I really think a condemnation of power is what SoW will end in.
ST2K
Member
It's cool. Just pointing it out because I'm sure if it was up to the Tolkien Estate this game would be dead and buried long ago.
Brad Grenz
Member
You can see the stick up Christopher Tolkien's ass from space.
I'm into it.
After playing for a bit yesterday I'm up to lvl 23 without any xp booster. I don't understand why you would use the loot box for a random guy when you can check all the traits of the units on the field and I've had a handful of legendary guys so far. If 40-50 is the end game lvl then I don't see it being a problem for me, but if the leveling gets sluggish I could see it being a drag they stretched out the end to try and get folks to buy an XP booster..
People on the internet really love picking the one female writer out of a team to blame any story problems on, huh.
Sad Affleck
Member
Review from the greek site Ragequit.gr in english:
70% score.
http://ragequit.gr/reviews/item/middle-earth-shadow-of-war-pc-review-english-review
70% score.
http://ragequit.gr/reviews/item/middle-earth-shadow-of-war-pc-review-english-review