85 is far too much critical praise?
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Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor |OT| One Title to rule them all
- Thread starter Levyne
- Start date
85 is far too much critical praise?
Evolved1
make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
My final thoughts on this game:
Disappointingly similar to other games whose mechanics have long since grown tired. Some of this stuff, core mechanical stuff, was lifted straight from Assassin's Creed, Batman, and Far Cry. And it's stuff that annoys me from those games, so really disappointing having to deal with it here.
The camera is fuck-awful. Pretty much everything about it is annoying and distracting.
The nemesis system was goddamned brilliant and well executed. Also, orc design was a real highlight. Some of these captains could have been in the actual movies. They were just really well done.
But I don't like the game otherwise. Would not recommend for any other reason than to experience the nemesis system. I would rate it (using the entire 10 point scale) a 5/10. And pretty much all those points are for the nemesis stuff. It was the only remarkable thing that I experienced in the game.
Disappointingly similar to other games whose mechanics have long since grown tired. Some of this stuff, core mechanical stuff, was lifted straight from Assassin's Creed, Batman, and Far Cry. And it's stuff that annoys me from those games, so really disappointing having to deal with it here.
The camera is fuck-awful. Pretty much everything about it is annoying and distracting.
The nemesis system was goddamned brilliant and well executed. Also, orc design was a real highlight. Some of these captains could have been in the actual movies. They were just really well done.
But I don't like the game otherwise. Would not recommend for any other reason than to experience the nemesis system. I would rate it (using the entire 10 point scale) a 5/10. And pretty much all those points are for the nemesis stuff. It was the only remarkable thing that I experienced in the game.
Markitron
Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
You could try getting their agro and then running away, the captains will chase you for far longer than the rest so if you get far enough it will be a 1v1. Also try taking on captains outside of strongholds (which are common enough), that way you can just kill all of their guards and brand them normally. When you are far enough into the game you will be so lethal that you won't have a problem
I can see myself doing this aswell, it's so fun to run into a stronghold and start muderising orcs by the hundred, like a Middle-Earth version of the end of Commando.
Is the other non-story mode any use? From the main menu it looks like some kind of time attack mode or something
My ranger is a god among orcs I tell you. And I haven't even killed the first four warchiefs. I used to have to run when I encountered a gigantic pack. I just took on two captains and a warchief along with their hosts and aced them all - even though a few wrong moves would have easily cost me my life. This game does a good job making the player feel powerful yet competent, even if it is a bit on the easy side.
SCREW the camera in this game. Spent forever trying to clear this fortress with guys lighting the fire over and over.. Finally got the captain that I was trying to brand to low health. He starts retreating, and I get stuck on some crap on the ground and the camera starts freaking out and he got away. So god damn frustrating.
Karak
Member
Just finished the game and gave the Trials of Power a try, when i saw the leaderboard full of cheaters... nope.
Sad
How do they cheat?
HammerOfThor
Member
So I was trying to redeem all three codes that came with the game at Wal-Mart, rising storm rune, blood hunter/flesh burner, and test of power, and I would enter the code, then click enter more codes. Once I entered all three and went to download it only downloaded whatever the last code was for, not the rune or blood hunter/flesh burner.
Is there a big entering multiple codes? I tried to reenter then and it said it was invalid. Is there a way to look at everything I've redeemed and redownload?
Is there a big entering multiple codes? I tried to reenter then and it said it was invalid. Is there a way to look at everything I've redeemed and redownload?
The_Hitcher89
Member
I'm not sure I like the way that as animation has improved, movement control in third person games has become more frustrating in a lot of cases. Talion (the same applies to GTAIV&V, and Assassin's Creed games) can't turn on a dime because it'd make his legs look goofy, leading to a lot of occasions where I just get stuck on the corner of some structure, and have to do a full 180-degree turn to get the space needed to get past it.
Don't understand how Naughty Dog manage to animate everything so wonderfully, without falling into this trap, as an aside. Maybe it's just because the camera moves with the player-character's chest in a much more fixed way than it does in those games I mentioned, so you're pretty much always facing the exact direction you want to be
ChawlieTheFair
pip pip cheerio you slags!
Is Nolan North falling out or something? They barely used him.
Arent the rest just locking behind the season pass? Which is semi-scummy, I know..
I think he also voiced some orks as well.
Played this at my firend's this evening. It was a lot of fun. Nemesis system is so good and I hope more games ape that feature. I just want the next Elder Scrolls to have this in addition to whatever radiant quests they have planned.
The motivations and weaknesses/strengths were so great - fantastic detail and commentary from the enemies. Combat was good (Arkham system is fantastic for action brawlers, so no surprise), traversal was pretty good (getting down off of walls was troublesome sometimes), and story seemed like a mix of interesting and trite (Gollum inclusion was questionable).
I played for a few hours and got to the 2nd or 3rd Gollum mission. Rune system was okay, but I would love to see this expanded with more RPG elements and more importance to the nemesis system (may happen late-game?)
Basically, not only Sandbox games should take note. Western RPGs should as well.
The motivations and weaknesses/strengths were so great - fantastic detail and commentary from the enemies. Combat was good (Arkham system is fantastic for action brawlers, so no surprise), traversal was pretty good (getting down off of walls was troublesome sometimes), and story seemed like a mix of interesting and trite (Gollum inclusion was questionable).
I played for a few hours and got to the 2nd or 3rd Gollum mission. Rune system was okay, but I would love to see this expanded with more RPG elements and more importance to the nemesis system (may happen late-game?)
Basically, not only Sandbox games should take note. Western RPGs should as well.
LurkerPrime
Member
I don't think so. The Season Pass specifically mentions that you get early access to the Trials of War challenge series (of which the Test of Power is a part of), and not exclusive access to it.
Ah, good to know! I wonder when they will release fully, then..
Thanks for correcting me!
jinxthejiv
Member
How to you play the Trials of Power. i preordered the game if that has anything to do with it.
LurkerPrime
Member
It's in the same menu where you start a new game. Should be pretty obvious.
(I posted this by mistake in the PC performance Shadows thread. If my repost here is a violation of neogaf policies, my apologies.)
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I have been thinking about the various subjects that a Arkham/Assassins Creed/Shadows of Mordor game could do. Two characters came to mind: John Carter and Elric of Melinibone.
John Carter, the hero of most of Edgar Rice Burroughs 11 Barsoom novels is a perfect match for the Shadow of Mordor gameplay model. The weapons are mainly melee, swords and daggers, with a smattering of steampunk projectile/ray guns. Carter has all the physical enhancements that, say, a Saints Row IV superhero has such as (low powered) superspeed, jumps high, superstrength all thanks to his earthly muscles in a martian gravity field. Carter could progress through a phase of powerful, yet uncontrolled talents to more controlled athletic and martial skills through (a Skyrim-like) progression system or by picking talents from a skill tree as XP accrues. The Nemesis system could be used as Carter battles the Tharks (the six-limbed Green Men) and/or various factions among the Red Men.
Elric is Michael Moorcock's creation and is the last of a line of sorcerer rulers. Sword play, wizardry, and herbalism figure into the stories, but the highlight of the stories, for me, is Stormbringer. Elric, a physical weakling needing drugs or wizardry to fight, wields Stormbringer, a demon in sword form. Stormbringer drinks the souls of those it kills giving some of that soul-strength to Elric. There are many ways in which the skill tree(s), or XP progression could work. There are many factions in the Elric novels and, as he is a bit of a wanderer, there are plenty of possibilities for the Nemesis system here.
This gameplay model has plenty of possibilities. I think even a Hulk game could work.
--
I have been thinking about the various subjects that a Arkham/Assassins Creed/Shadows of Mordor game could do. Two characters came to mind: John Carter and Elric of Melinibone.
John Carter, the hero of most of Edgar Rice Burroughs 11 Barsoom novels is a perfect match for the Shadow of Mordor gameplay model. The weapons are mainly melee, swords and daggers, with a smattering of steampunk projectile/ray guns. Carter has all the physical enhancements that, say, a Saints Row IV superhero has such as (low powered) superspeed, jumps high, superstrength all thanks to his earthly muscles in a martian gravity field. Carter could progress through a phase of powerful, yet uncontrolled talents to more controlled athletic and martial skills through (a Skyrim-like) progression system or by picking talents from a skill tree as XP accrues. The Nemesis system could be used as Carter battles the Tharks (the six-limbed Green Men) and/or various factions among the Red Men.
Elric is Michael Moorcock's creation and is the last of a line of sorcerer rulers. Sword play, wizardry, and herbalism figure into the stories, but the highlight of the stories, for me, is Stormbringer. Elric, a physical weakling needing drugs or wizardry to fight, wields Stormbringer, a demon in sword form. Stormbringer drinks the souls of those it kills giving some of that soul-strength to Elric. There are many ways in which the skill tree(s), or XP progression could work. There are many factions in the Elric novels and, as he is a bit of a wanderer, there are plenty of possibilities for the Nemesis system here.
This gameplay model has plenty of possibilities. I think even a Hulk game could work.
Messofanego
Banned
Is this hail? Haven't noticed all the bits dropping like rocks as frequently when it rains, only witnessed this a few times.
Running around in the rain with the lightning and cloth physics, yum.
Running around in the rain with the lightning and cloth physics, yum.
I mostly agree, except the camera didn't bother me as much as it did you and I liked the ripped-off Batman combat more than you did. It's like a solid 7, for me.
I value a strong campaign, which Mordor just doesn't deliver on. I've been messing around in open-world sandboxes since the original GTAs, so the concept of "making my own fun" has grown less and less appealing throughout the years, I am getting a bit jaded as I grow older, it is what it is. I've played a lot of games.
The Nemesis system alone is really at least interesting enough that it single-handedly puts Mordor well above Ubisoft's collective open-world output for the last half-decade, however. So there is that.
Evolved1
make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
I'm probably not being fair to the combat. I didn't get far enough into the game to unlock all the combat abilities. So there are aspects of it I never experienced.
And I will say that the combat animation was very impressive. Especially blending. Quite impressive, and better than Batman. The thing is, the actual combat isn't as good as Batman. I'd rather just play Batman combat challenge rooms, honestly. There was some very fun gore in SoM (that sounds so terrible to say, yikes) but the actual combat was pretty basic. Batman lite, basically. I also had some difficult directing my attacks toward specific enemies. The auto attack (not pressing the stick toward an enemy) seemed a bit too random and the player would pick odd targets (unlike Batman which was always predictable) and if I did use the stick to help in targeting, I'd encounter some janky weirdness at times that was often frustrating.
But yeah, the combat wasn't awful or anything... it just isn't as good or precise as Batman, and why I say it's unremarkable/unmemorable. I wouldn't recommend it, because I'd rather just say to someone, go play Batman.
Well, it is insanely fun, but it's honestly not very difficult to power up Talion to the point where you can just safely button mash and watch cool, flashy shit happen. Then it kind of loses its luster.
I guess that just depends how much filler collectathon bullshit you want to go after, yeah?
Messofanego
Banned
It's the Far Cry 3 of this year. Really cool mechanics, satisfying stealth, AI vs AI emergent fun, and the story is just there.
Liquid-San
Member
My thoughts exactly.
Story - Was based on LoTR, yet drew almost nothing from it. The books and movies have so much lore to them that the story in this game should be a crime. My biggest gripe with it.
Gameplay- Camera issues aside, it's fun to play and the brutality was great. It is a deviation of the AC and Arkham series combat though. The brutality really kicked it up a notch, but the animations grew tiresome after a while.
Visuals- It excelled at the visuals part, but Talion's character model, (facial wise), was pretty bland.
Phreakuency
Banned
Yep then making things worse when you try to chase them, staying running on the ground and constantly have your character sucked into ledges and walls for climbing animations.
Or being caught on a corner of a pebble and not allowed to move...
Evolved1
make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
Hold X to run is a jank-maker if there ever was one. Just, the worst design decision. You have either a slow-ass walk that has almost no utility in most gameplay scenarios, and a too-fast sprint that makes you forfeit camera control to engage.
Just put a fucking half-speed jog on the damn analog stick... what is so hard about that to comprehend? So many devs just don't get it. Makes poor cameras even worse. And introduces so much jank that doesn't need to exist.
badnewsbeers
Member
Beat it. I had a great time with it and enjoyed the story. Well done first effort in what hopefully becomes a strong series.
I may be alone in this, but I like the scope of the game. Often these games seem to become collectathons, to the point where (assassin's creed, watch dogs) I tend to ignore everything but the main quest. Who has time for all that? I love in this game how there is only a handful of side missions and collectables and all are clearly marked and tallied. This may be the first game in a while that I actuslly 100%, because it's fun and actually achievable for someone with a job and a family.
Of course, the second one will likely blow up ala AC2.
I may be alone in this, but I like the scope of the game. Often these games seem to become collectathons, to the point where (assassin's creed, watch dogs) I tend to ignore everything but the main quest. Who has time for all that? I love in this game how there is only a handful of side missions and collectables and all are clearly marked and tallied. This may be the first game in a while that I actuslly 100%, because it's fun and actually achievable for someone with a job and a family.
Of course, the second one will likely blow up ala AC2.
MvmntInGrn
Member
Just go to the
Playing this, TLOU, and Alien all at once. Mordor is a good game. I feel as if I've seen about all it has to offer mechanically and even if I have its just so damn fun to play. Clean up some of the traversal, add more enemy types, maybe some new weapons systems and I'd be in for a sequel!
second area. Wish I had collected everything before I left the first as I'm not going to want to go back after all this green.
Playing this, TLOU, and Alien all at once. Mordor is a good game. I feel as if I've seen about all it has to offer mechanically and even if I have its just so damn fun to play. Clean up some of the traversal, add more enemy types, maybe some new weapons systems and I'd be in for a sequel!
Delta Assault
Member
I imagine a sequel would be great, simply because they could iterate on the Nemesis system, as well as take some pointers from what works in Dragon Age Inquisition and The Witcher 3.
Pretty much. Ended up stalking the guy to another fortress and took his head off. I gotta say, the more frustrating situations these nemesis put you through, the more satisfying the kill is.
publicpwnerer
Member
Just got it yesterday and finished it today in two sittings. Story was utterly shit (Although the flashbacks were brilliant, cryptic and very intriguing), but the mechanics were solid and fun. I really don't want to play the same character in the Sequel. I'd really prefer to play an Elven ranger, and explore that culture / world further.
Things I want from the sequel!
1. Bigger World
2. Proper, dedicated mount.
3. A companion character of some sort, with solid AI. The world is pretty lonesome, especially when 99.9999999999 of the populace are enemies. The slaves don't count, as they're essentially window dressing.
5. I know there's probably some shit awful bureaucratic reason as to why we can't have the films music...but it needs it, badly.
Things I want from the sequel!
1. Bigger World
2. Proper, dedicated mount.
3. A companion character of some sort, with solid AI. The world is pretty lonesome, especially when 99.9999999999 of the populace are enemies. The slaves don't count, as they're essentially window dressing.
5. I know there's probably some shit awful bureaucratic reason as to why we can't have the films music...but it needs it, badly.
FATstronaut
Member
Sorry if this has been asked before but I have quick question. Can i still do collectibles and side missions after the main story? or should I make sure and finish that stuff before?
I'm going to try and go for all the cheevos.
I'm going to try and go for all the cheevos.
Phreakuency
Banned
A want a spin-off rather than a sequel.
Play as an Orc. Create your own character, make it more rpg, have classes, loot, be able to upgrade armour and weapons.
You could still have the nemesis system too.
Talion was cookie cutter boring. The story, forced script (so many lines ripped word for word from the movie), just didn't feel like a Middle Earth game.
The nemesis system and orcs in general were the absolute stars.
Oh and as I said in the screenshot thread... you could have a taunt button in the playable orc spin-off.
"MAN SWINE!"
Yep, you can continue on after.
Play as an Orc. Create your own character, make it more rpg, have classes, loot, be able to upgrade armour and weapons.
You could still have the nemesis system too.
Talion was cookie cutter boring. The story, forced script (so many lines ripped word for word from the movie), just didn't feel like a Middle Earth game.
The nemesis system and orcs in general were the absolute stars.
Oh and as I said in the screenshot thread... you could have a taunt button in the playable orc spin-off.
"MAN SWINE!"
Yep, you can continue on after.
FATstronaut
Member
Oh ok cool! Thanks for the help!
dear god, no! i don't know about you, but this game being very stealth heavy (at least i played it like that - i suppose i wouldn't have had to, but it feels dumb sprinting by lines of uruks, not minding that they see you because you're faster anyways...) a permanent companion would kill immersion pretty fast.
i think the whole idea is that - outside of the story missions - you're behind enemy lines, on your own. you're meant to feel lonesome.
Freezasaurus
Member
I have a question about the second half of the game.
I've just opened up the part where I need to
five
What's the best way to go about doing this? I already have the one from the walkthrough mission, but is it just a matter of
.
I've just opened up the part where I need to
brand
Warchiefs
branding any old captain and commanding him to take on a warchief? I already have a few captains under my thumb, and a mission marker telling me so-and-so is waiting for orders. I'm just a bit confused in regards to what exactly to do and the order to do things since there are so many moving parts to this objective
Lapidus' Beard
Member
I believe it is found in abilities/upgrades menu, it's the third tab.
Vigilant Walrus
Member
I hear many different opinions regarding the quality of the story? is it actually a satisfying tale?
Everything not related to Celebrimbor is shite and boring. He's the real protagonist in this IMO.
The story bits that we get are interesting, there's just a huge lack of them.
Braag
Member
I've had success beheading them by doing the flurry kill when their health is low, although some of my captains still come back with their heads magically attached to their torsos again...
Yea, there is but I'd have a hard time getting it right without checking my PS4 again. I think it's on Shadow of Mordor menu on the XMB (like if you hovered over the title on the XMB) and there was some option down there for content way down at the bottom.
I can't really describe it but that's how I did it. Just bring up its page from the XMB and it's at the bottom.
Does anyone have any idea why none of the captains I've killed haven't come back from the dead? I've killed dozens in my 10+ hours and I don't think any of them haven't been decapitations. So I should have some dudes coming back right? Also haven't had anyone just pop up while roaming around.
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