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Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor |OT| One Title to rule them all

Papercuts

fired zero bullets in the orphanage.
Just got a x175 combo doing the 50 kill arena for one of the sword missions. Man, this really is just like Batman, haha.

The little nuances that work in that game work the exact same here. Vault when someone is about to attack instead of counter and you get out of harm's way, the way you can commit to an attack and interrupt it with a counter, the direction + button to commit to an enemy far away with your execution(like a takedown). If you were proficient in the Arkham series it translates basically exactly over to this.
 

Kilau

Member
Within 5 minutes of entering the open world portion of the game, I ran into a random Captain while on the way to the first quest. I incorrectly figured that, because I had just started and the game was obviously throwing this guy at me, he would be easy pickings. I was wrong.

I snuck up to his camp of 6 or 7 orcs, quickly stealth killed 2 of them and went for the Captain. He immediately grabbed me and threw me like a rag-doll, taunted me, and then proceeded to blow a war horn that brought in a wave of easily 30-40 orcs and 2 additional Captains. I barely managed to escape after slaying a good 10 or so orcs and running for my life.

Now one of the Captains I ran from is hunting me. This game is amazing.

sogood.gif

I need to keep a video of each time I take one these bastards out, it's so rewarding when you sneak into a stronghold and hear the Uruks talking about you and then you finally kill the captain that loop off the head of the captain that got you before.

I really love this system.
 
You guys need to make y'alls mind up, is the game easy or not? Jeeze

The problem with gauging the difficulty is the emergent nature of the game and the freedom you have in setting goals for yourself and picking an approach.

Yes, if you engage any random patrol of 4-5 uruks, you're going to wipe the floor with them. But running into the middle of a stronghold and trying to draw out the war chief there by meeting a completely random condition (e.g. "make 5 supporters flee in terror") as you get swarmed by guards and patrols / wildlife piling in, is definitely challenging.

You can make things fairly easy on yourself by chipping away at the uruk strength one patrol at a time and gaterhing maximum intel, as well as only picking battles where the big guy isn't solely focused on you. Or you could go full renegade and just charge in even if your target's entourage looks like a battalion.

As it's early days, you're going to see posts of people breezing through and people hitting walls in equal measure. That's just the nature of the beast - there are no difficulty sliders or carefully crafted levels with predictable placements and waves. I personally find this exciting and fun... .but I can definitely see some people craving a more structured and tailored experience.
 
God damn this game! So guuuud!!

So I'm sneaking around a stronghold trying to get to a certain captain for the main quest. From the bushes I see another unidentified captain with two bodyguards patrolling the area. Thinking I can handle him easily I assassinate the two guards and lure him away towards my trap. He follows me, I turn around and shoot down a hive above him, apparently doing nothing (must have been one of his strengths). Turns out he's a hunter and his spears takes away more than half of my health per hit.

So we get into an awesome fight which with some skillful dodging is looking like my win, just for it to turn around on me when he'a almost dead. When at 25% or so health he enrages, gains some health and becomes scary as fuck. Not only that but my nemesis that has killed me twice before shows up from nowhere. I get scared shitless and try to run away. Apparently the Hunter captain hates that and enrages further gaining full health. I run around trying to find herbs to heal up while dodging these two captains best I can, and when things finally start turn around (found a herb and did some damage to my nemesis) two other captains show up with some orcs.
It turns into a heated battle but with some masterful fencing and luck I manage to kill three of them (including my nemesis). The victory is short lasted however when about 10+ orcs shows up, I decide that's too much for me and run away to hide in a tower.

Thinking the whole thing is over I begin once again on my quest to find this particular captain. Before I know it I stumble upon another random captain just like before. Turns out it's my Nemesis! He somehow survived the last battle and has gained even more power and a scar (half his glorious helmet is gone).

Shit just got real!
The best thing about all of this is that finding the captain for the main quest was the ONLY thing the game was actually requiring you to do. Everything else happened completely organically. Can't wait to play tonight after work. :D
 

FatalT

Banned
i ask this question for the last time before i open my ps4 copy, is there any screen tearing on the game? any? at all? reason i ask is because i literally get sick, motion sickness, weird but nothing i can do about it
I haven't had any screen tearing or frame rate drops in the 4 hours I've put into it so far. Open it up!
 

Arken2121

Member
Alright so after installing the ultra textures I notice no change in fps. It looks nicer than before but runs just as well.

Edit: I also noticed my Memory usage hasn't gone up at all.
 

Xyber

Member
Alright so after installing the ultra textures I notice no change in fps. It looks nicer than before but runs just as well.

Edit: I also noticed my Memory usage hasn't gone up at all.

Better textures won't make the FPS go down, it can make the game stutter though if it wants to use more RAM than you have and have to start swapping it out.

What exactly is the difference of the two? Can you choose freely between these two options and why would you choose one over the other? Questions questions.

Advance time makes plants regrow and some battles between orcs play out like duels and stuff.
 

SJRB

Gold Member
"Nemesis" system sounds about right. I kill this fuckface once but he appears randomly a bit later and kills me. I resurrect and hunt him down for vengeance. I battle him but a huge gangfight ensues, three other captains join the fight. Shit gets crazy, I get rekt. Now I have three captains I want to kill. The captains all have grown in power, some of them have insane strengths.

This game is crazy addictive, I've been playing for about 4.5 hours but time flew by like it's nothing.
 

VanWinkle

Member

That's some good stuff right there. Completely agree with the review, at least with the couple of hours I've played so far.

You know, I've been an opponent to single player only games - besides those big rpgs like Elder Scrolls and what not - because I want a lot of content, or at least something like multiplayer where, even though you're technically playing the same content, your interactions are unique and different, because every player plays differently.

This is a game that has managed to give that same feeling to a single player only game. And it's incredible.
 

Arken2121

Member
Better textures won't make the FPS go down, it can make the game stutter though if it wants to use more RAM than you have and have to start swapping it out.



Advance time makes plants regrow and some battles between orcs play out like duels and stuff.

I understand now. Just I haven't noticed any stuttering at all and again, based on the GPU-Z app running, my VRAM usage hasn't gone up.
 

Lime

Member
The game truly knows how to piss you off when you not only die, but the enemoes become better by it.

That might be a design idea for the next Dark Souls.
 

Grief.exe

Member
Within 5 minutes of entering the open world portion of the game, I ran into a random Captain while on the way to the first quest. I incorrectly figured that, because I had just started and the game was obviously throwing this guy at me, he would be easy pickings. I was wrong.

I snuck up to his camp of 6 or 7 orcs, quickly stealth killed 2 of them and went for the Captain. He immediately grabbed me and threw me like a rag-doll, taunted me, and then proceeded to blow a war horn that brought in a wave of easily 30-40 orcs and 2 additional Captains. I barely managed to escape after slaying a good 10 or so orcs and running for my life.

Now one of the Captains I ran from is hunting me. This game is amazing.

God damn this game! So guuuud!!

So I'm sneaking around a stronghold trying to get to a certain captain for the main quest. From the bushes I see another unidentified captain with two bodyguards patrolling the area. Thinking I can handle him easily I assassinate the two guards and lure him away towards my trap. He follows me, I turn around and shoot down a hive above him, apparently doing nothing (must have been one of his strengths). Turns out he's a hunter and his spears takes away more than half of my health per hit.

So we get into an awesome fight which with some skillful dodging is looking like my win, just for it to turn around on me when he'a almost dead. When at 25% or so health he enrages, gains some health and becomes scary as fuck. Not only that but my nemesis that has killed me twice before shows up from nowhere. I get scared shitless and try to run away. Apparently the Hunter captain hates that and enrages further gaining full health. I run around trying to find herbs to heal up while dodging these two captains best I can, and when things finally start turn around (found a herb and did some damage to my nemesis) two other captains show up with some orcs.
It turns into a heated battle but with some masterful fencing and luck I manage to kill three of them (including my nemesis). The victory is short lasted however when about 10+ orcs shows up, I decide that's too much for me and run away to hide in a tower.

Thinking the whole thing is over I begin once again on my quest to find this particular captain. Before I know it I stumble upon another random captain just like before. Turns out it's my Nemesis! He somehow survived the last battle and has gained even more power and a scar (half his glorious helmet is gone).

Shit just got real!

This is some serious emergent gameplay right here.
 

Lord Phol

Member
The best thing about all of this is that finding the captain for the main quest was the ONLY thing the game was actually requiring you to do. Everything else happened completely organically. Can't wait to play tonight after work. :D

Haha yeah, the game really has a way of creating random and fun scenarios on its own, it's pretty damn cool.

To follow-up on my last post, I did engage my nemesis shortly after. Had two Caragors to help me out, though they didn't do a whole lot since one of his strengths was "beast killer". In my eagerness to go all Highlander ("There can only be one"!) on him I had totally forgot to replenish my health from the last fight, needless to say it didn't take long until one of the orc grunts in his group executed me on the spot.

A neat thing is that I was introduced to the orc that killed me just after he downed me, it showed me his name, and he did a little speech "Now I'm bound to be promoted, no one will ever look down on me again!". It then speeds up the time and shows you all of the orcs gaining promotions and stuff (he was promoted to captain) while you are being ressurected. As soon as all that is over and I'm alive again I get curious and look into his description/motive which reads:
"Târz The Messenger - Acting extra belligerent against lesser orcs because of his recent promotion."

These guys really have character!
 
Been watching the game a bit on Twitch and I gotta say I love how the game treats you dying with the whole promotion thingy. I may end up getting the game for that alone.
 

FlyinJ

Douchebag. Yes, me.
How do "critical strikes" work?

I have an ability that gives me them but the description says "press square to hit opponents", which is useless as you press square to hit opponents in general.
 

FatalT

Banned
How do "critical strikes" work?

I have an ability that gives me them but the description says "press square to hit opponents", which is useless as you press square to hit opponents in general.
Basically you press square only once for your sword slash instead of hammering away on it like you're having a seizure to do more damage.
 

Papercuts

fired zero bullets in the orphanage.
How do "critical strikes" work?

I have an ability that gives me them but the description says "press square to hit opponents", which is useless as you press square to hit opponents in general.

It's timing based. Hit square again right as the attack connects.
 

Arken2121

Member
How do "critical strikes" work?

I have an ability that gives me them but the description says "press square to hit opponents", which is useless as you press square to hit opponents in general.

Just AS you hit your opponent you need to click. You'll notice your multiplier go up by 2 instead of 1.
 

Hawk269

Member
Been at work all day today.

How is the Xbox One version frame rate and resolution? Still at work and have not had time to read all replies.

thanks. To whoever can answer
 
Figured I would share my nemesis experience.

When the game first loaded in after the opening tutorial scene, i took off looking for some orcs to slaughter to get the hang of things. The first pack I come across is a captain and 4 grunts. I manage to kill 3 grunts just as another captain wearing a viking helmet named Grisha the Brawler showed up with his band of merry men. One of the grunts manages to kill me after Grisha had put me into last stand once already. Groma the grunt became Groma the red and instantly attacked a second row captain and he is suddenly level 7. I decide the Groma is going to be my first real nemesis and I take off after him. I get to him but low and behold both he and Grisha are there. I manage to stab Grisha in the left eye dispatching him but Groma kills me a second time. So now he's level 10 and I'm certain that this guy is going to be the Joker to my Batman.

I make another excursion out to take out Groma the Red. But by this time I was able to get the Death from above style talent and as soon as I found Groma I air killed him..but low and behold Grisha the brawler has returned! This time he has no viking style helmet but his head is shaved and over his left yes (and about 8 inches over the crown of his head) he has a metal slab with spikes. Surprised to see my old friend I dispatch him a 3rd time by burying my blade into the right side of his face.

45 minutes later Grisha the brawler has returned. this time wearing a sackcloth mask over all his head except the aforementioned left eye and head spikes. I see him as no threat since I had already killed him twice at this point...I was wrong. That orc beat me like I stole something. I was flabbergasted...thinking surely I had just picked a bad engagement. No...he has become a monster now! A level 12 Elite Captain with Immune to stealth finishers and combat finishers with weaknesses only to ranged and fire. Three total deaths to this guy now the score is even at 3-3 and never in my life have I wanted to kill a videogame character more in 26 years of gaming.
 

ChawlieTheFair

pip pip cheerio you slags!
Played for a couple hours now. Game is fun as hell and runs great to boot. Either I haven't gotten to hard enemies yet or whatever, but game itself isn't really that hard, was just sitting and fighting out the alarm horns in the camps when I go for captains.
 

Tsukumo

Member
General thoughts:

- Movement in this game is god-like. People who will use the fast travel option through the towers can go and tie their dicks into a knot. The sprinting is fantastic and paced to perfection.
- Animal interactions are better than Far Cry 3. Their behaviour feels more natural and instinctive.
- I love the fact that I can sniper's nest in one spot just looking at the scenery while I also can: shoot the occasional dumbass, listen to some uruk-banter while getting sad thinking about my beloved L.A Noire and its "have you seen him? he's the guy from the papers!", watch little events unfold everywhere (slaves on escape, uruks fighting each other), play out some hunting challenges. It's like watching a fish-tank... filled with orcs.
- Great soundtrack, I wish it would be a bit more varied and present though.
- Great dialogues. Also the lore around the three knights of the Hand is memorable. Did they exist in the books or were created for this game? because if it's the latter than that's really impressive.
- Combat is more Arkham than Arkham Origins. It's actually better than City honestly, because of the attacks not stopping while your countering and because of the numbers of enemies. I wish the score would give more prominence to using different moves and to the number of hits. It looks really simplistic at the moment. Hopefully it works differently in the challenges.
- Camera work during combat is spotless. Minor gripe: camera movement seems too fast when taking aim and too slow when looking around. Should have been the opposite. Overall though, close ups and zooming out are timed and framed to perfection. Maybe the camera is a bit too close during "beatdowns", but I'm positive it was made to be like that on purpose so that players wouldn't abuse it.
- If the next game doesn't feature Sean Bean in one way or the other I'm not going to buy it!

side note: does anyone else find the ground takedowns to be a bit glitchy? sometimes the enemy is stunned and down but the attacks just don't connect. Xbone here, BTW.
 

drotahorror

Member
I can't be the only person dying in this game can I? I'm finding the game pretty tough once you get overwhelmed by orcs. I'm diggin it though. Got about 6-7 hours in.
 

Arken2121

Member
I can't be the only person dying in this game can I? I'm finding the game pretty tough once you get overwhelmed by orcs. I'm diggin it though. Got about 6-7 hours in.

Well that's the thing, like a few posts up stated that if you encounter a small patrol of orcs then you shouldn't have an issue. It's when you get overwhelmed not only by the peons but also captains as well.
 

DukeBobby

Member
This captain with the poison arrows is an annoying prick.

If I could get him alone, he would be dead in seconds. But no, he stands back and pelts me with arrows as I try and deal with 20 orcs at once.

Coward.
 
Not really happy with the PS4 performance; everything feels sluggish and the visuals aren't super consistent. The game definitely has the capacity to look great though.
 
I just started a little bit ago but I'm a bit confused the interrogate mechanic.

What exactly do you have to do to be able to interrogate an orc? I get to one that's marked as having intel but for whatever reason I can't ever get the prompt to interrogate them after grabbing them, I just end up throwing them away. Anyone have any tips?
 

ChawlieTheFair

pip pip cheerio you slags!
I just started a little bit ago but I'm a bit confused the interrogate mechanic.

What exactly do you have to do to be able to interrogate an orc? I get to one that's marked as having intel but for whatever reason I can't ever get the prompt to interrogate them after grabbing them, I just end up throwing them away. Anyone have any tips?

hold down the grab button
 

ak1276

Banned
Not really happy with the PS4 performance; everything feels sluggish and the visuals aren't super consistent. The game definitely has the capacity to look great though.

That.... has not been my experience.
Maybe I'm just not as sensitive to these things, but I have been quite happy with the performance.

Except for one time, when one of the war chiefs did a sort of half-assed moonwalk.
 

Mrbob

Member
This is some serious emergent gameplay right here.

Yeah the unpredictability is pretty awesome. In my game I had a Captain die within the first 5 minutes and it wasn't by me. Is there a log somewhere which tracks what happens? I have no idea who took out the captain. Must have been another one.
 

Arken2121

Member
Yeah the unpredictability is pretty awesome. In my game I had a Captain die within the first 5 minutes and it wasn't by me. Is there a log somewhere which tracks what happens? I have no idea who took out the captain. Must have been another one.

Sounds like either a power struggle or maybe you unleashed a Caragor a while back that took out that captain?!
 
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