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Middle-earth: Shadow of War |OT| Attempted Mordor

Lucifon

Junior Member
Man, could buying this game be more confusing? 3 different versions, a $100 gamble if you want all the expansions.

Is the gold $40 more worth?

Has the combat been improved since the first?

Just grab the base edition then the season pass if the dlc ends up being worthwhile. No reason at all to do any different.

Playing on Xbox. It looks kind of yuck. I don’t mean performance wise. It runs fine. The game just looks like it’s missing lighting or something. Everything seems kind of flat. A lot of brown and grey.

Huh that's weird. Playing on the S with HDR the game looks great, I was actually surprised just how good it looked after the first game was so drab. The HDR implementation is well done. Mordor is pretty brown and grey but they change it up with the environments.
 

black070

Member
The new double jump is amazing. Talion is a crazy nimble protagonist now.

Yup, this and finally having the option to replay a challenge after failing it rather then going back to the location where you start it are two small additions that go a long way.
 
Just spent two hours on a story mission boss. The game really fed me a damn near impossible guy to kill. Immune to stealth, executions and arrows. Could only be dazed by poison (which I didn't have and there was none in the mission area) and caragors.. But he was a beast slayer so he could one shot them. He also had the double crossbows special attack and a shield with flaming pike.

I tried everything and just could not get him down. Finally after 2 hours I dropped the difficulty and killed him in one shot. He killed me half dozen times. Before dropping it. The adapting thing is pretty badly implemented at times. One attempt I managed to get him over half dead using the exploding barrels around the area then after one vault he adapted. After one stun attack he adapted. It was infuriating.
 

ryseing

Member
Seriously, you trust those tasteless casual game reviewers? It's not like it was all reviewed by the same person that reviewed the last game anyway.

Dark Souls 2 got 91 on metacritic while Dark Souls 1 only got 89, and yet DS2 is considered a huge disappointment and insult to 98% of Souls fans.

Stop using idiot's opinion to determine a game's value. Review score is a joke and you shouldn't take them seriously, an 85 game on metacritic isn't any better than a 82 game, period. The PS3 version of Sleeping Dogs gets an 83 on Metacritic while the Definitive Edition on PS4 only gets 77. Does that mean PS3 version provides a superior experience and everyone who owns a PS4 should just play the PS3 version instead?

''but..but..but....83 is like 6 POINTS higher than 77....''

With all due respect, please use your brain before reading review scores.

The PS4 version of Sleepy Dogs is really bad though.
 

Kaversmed

Member
Am I the only one not really noticing if an orc is a returning nemesis that I killed before? To me, they all look alike. I know some of them mentions that we've fought before but it's not like I remember them from the dozens others I've killed. Only about 5 hours in so things might change.
 

Hamoody

Member
I have to ask, I literally have no idea if I want to buy this game or not. I had no initial hype (after I heard about loot boxes), but I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan.

Now that it's released, is it worth getting? Or should I wait till the price drops?
 

Captn

Member
I have to ask, I literally have no idea if I want to buy this game or not. I had no initial hype (after I heard about loot boxes), but I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan.

Now that it's released, is it worth getting? Or should I wait till the price drops?


How much you want it to drop ? You can get the standard edition on CD Keys for like 30$ which to me is a great price for the hours I'm going to put in there.
 

black070

Member
I have to ask, I literally have no idea if I want to buy this game or not. I had no initial hype (after I heard about loot boxes), but I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan.

Now that it's released, is it worth getting? Or should I wait till the price drops?

If you enjoyed the first, it's worth getting. If you didn't, wait for a price drop.
 

b0uncyfr0

Member
but I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan.

Story is average at best and has almost no connection to lotr from reviews I've read. Think of it as a fighting game (Bonus points if you like the nemesis system) with elements of lotr chucked in for extra sales.
 
Seeing steam pricing, fuck sake are they for real?

£30 for the base game. £40 for the season pass...

I'll see you all in a year when this is £15.
 
So you can still play the game with one hand without big problems? :(

I also heard for the true ending you need many legendary orcs and it takes many many hours to farm them. Is that true? :(

you earn coin by destroying gear and completing missions but they can only be used to buy the silver crates.

shadowofwar5fsin.jpg


that's what i have so far without spending a dime. now to figure out how many legendary followers i need...
 

hank_tree

Member
I have to ask, I literally have no idea if I want to buy this game or not. I had no initial hype (after I heard about loot boxes), but I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan.

Now that it's released, is it worth getting? Or should I wait till the price drops?

You can pick up the original for peanuts and then if you like it you can always come back to this one in a few months when it’s cheaper.

If you are coming for the story though stay away. It’s complete garbage. Offensively bad.
 

hbkdx12

Member
I didn't know how, if or to what extent they would be able to iterate on the nemesis system but this shit is just crazy lol. So many underlying mechanics and systems going on that just makes for pure insanity lol. I found out the hard way that it's possible for (possible random non story spoiler)
captains under your control to betray you.
Got damnit lol
 

Iceternal

Member
I'm still at the beginning but I don't understand why
you need a new ring ? What does it do ? Talion could already control minds in the first one ! And I thought it would explain the new abilities such as the spear or the double jump but no... So I can't see any difference. I don't see any justification in the gameplay.
 
I probably should up the difficulty to Nemesis. I haven't died yet, though I'm still really early in the game. I even managed to kill a level 23 legendary captain at level 8.
 
I probably should up the difficulty to Nemesis. I haven't died yet, though I'm still really early in the game. I even managed to kill a level 23 legendary captain at level 8.

Nemesis sounds like the way to go in this. Part of the whole Nemesis system is dying in this game in order for the Orc's to become tougher opponents.
 

Shari

Member
I probably should up the difficulty to Nemesis. I haven't died yet, though I'm still really early in the game. I even managed to kill a level 23 legendary captain at level 8.

Yep. I just reached ACT 2 yesterday (I kinda rushed to acquire the domination..) and haven't died once, tho it was pretty close a couple of times...

I will up the difficulty tonight and see how it goes.
 

bugulu

Member
Bought the Gold Edition yesterday for PS4 and thoroughly enjoying this game, and I would rate it an even better game than the original.Played about 3 hours yesterday, so I'm not that far into the game but what I'm enjoying the most are:

  1. More fluid movement, both when on the ground and when climbing buildings. The combat animations, compared to the first game, are also more refined
  2. The Orc chieftains can adapt to your abilities. I don't know the extent of it, but I was for example shadow bashing a chieftain couple of times, he seems to have adapted to it, and I wasn't able to do it again
  3. I don't know if they have changed how often you can get ambushed compared to the first game, but it certainly feels like so. Orcs have also stalked me with funny names like Gazrak Look-out. This orc was shouting Look out, Look out all the time and managed to ambush me three times in a short period before I decided to kill him off.
  4. I love that there are more interactions between other humans. I've been saved multiple times from a death blow by a Gondorian Sergeant who just jumped in, from seemingly nowhere. I'm also fond of the quests where you can raid an orc settlement or a duel between a Gondor soldier and an orc chieftain.
  5. The nemesis difficulty is hard. I mean, really hard at the beginning. I can imagine it getter more comfortable when you are higher level, but at the moment, it's a nightmare.

What I don't enjoy though, is the heavy emphasis on microtransactions. Yes, you don't need to buy them, but you certainly are reminded of it all the time.I don't know why they put such emphasis on it; it just seems like a bad and greedy business model.

Heavily recommend it if you enjoyed the first game or the Batman series.
 

bugulu

Member
The story so far (still in act 1) seems fucking confusing and eh? My wife is a lotr fan and she was like. This makes no fucking sense. Is it set before the hobbit?

This game and the original had nothing to do with the books nor the movies, apart from the universe it's set on. There are so many things that are outright fabricated in the games that weren't even mentioned or even denied in the books.

For example, Celebrimbor never created the One Ring, and he certainly wouldn't be capable of using it either, as Sauron alone, is the only one that can use it.
In the first game, the rangers are depicted as having an outpost at the Black Gate. In the books, Gondor would never have the manpower to guard it, and only the Rangers of Ithilien was the ones patrolling the lands south of it. And there certainly aren't any Gondorian communities in Mordor, so the likelihood of encountering other humans in there would have been impossible.

Treat the games as fan-fiction because that's what it is.
 

Gibbo

Member
I can’t remember what it was like in the first game, but I’m finding the combat animations in this game abit rough? It feels very early current gen compared to similar games like Batman Arkham knight and Horizon Zero dawn.
 
Does Nemesis difficulty increase the chance your captains will betray you or something? 3 of the 4 captains I've turned have betrayed me, it's getting annoying.
 

Pheace

Member
Does Nemesis difficulty increase the chance your captains will betray you or something? 3 of the 4 captains I've turned have betrayed me, it's getting annoying.

Haha, I'm having the same issue, the one I had dominated betrayed me before I could get another, now the second one betrayed me as well, haven't even been able to continue the story yet.

From what the last told me he thought he could do better because he was "stronger" than me, ie he had higher level than me, because I have a gem that boosts their levels when i get dominate them. I'll drop that one for now till my own level goes up a bit, I'm still at the bare minimum at the moment at 19
 
Enjoying it so far. Only just started though but seems ok. First stage is a lot nicer than the grim/dull environments that plagued the original. Wish they’d changed the main character though. He’s uncharasmatic, forgettable and boring as they come which doesn’t help.
 

Pheace

Member
omg I so hate the mouse prompts, I keep forgetting if it's the black or the white to click, it's not at all obvious imo
 

Kaversmed

Member
I kinda hate that orc captains that I've killed will eventually get replaced with new "unknown" orcs. It doesn't really feel like I'm liberating the areas. I'm only about 6-7 hours in with the two first areas open. Also, way too much enemy respawning in general. Still having fun though :)
 
Haha, I'm having the same issue, the one I had dominated betrayed me before I could get another, now the second one betrayed me as well, haven't even been able to continue the story yet.

From what the last told me he thought he could do better because he was "stronger" than me, ie he had higher level than me, because I have a gem that boosts their levels when i get dominate them. I'll drop that one for now till my own level goes up a bit, I'm still at the bare minimum at the moment at 19

I think that's my issue as well, still low level, having to shame a lot of guys just to get them in range.
 

FHIZ

Member
I’m kicking myself for not remembering this because I played the first one earlier this year, but did Shadow of Mordor not have slight little controller rumble hits for every time you land a strike? Something here just physically felt off with rumble only activating on finishers or stuns (I think) during combat. I hardly ever notice this stuff, but for whatever reason the first fight I got in, I instantly felt like there was controller rumble missing.
 
I'm still at the beginning but I don't understand why
you need a new ring ? What does it do ? Talion could already control minds in the first one ! And I thought it would explain the new abilities such as the spear or the double jump but no... So I can't see any difference. I don't see any justification in the gameplay.

From what I’ve gathered so far it’s needed to control an army like Saurons, I don’t think Talion has the brain juice to enslave hundreds of Orcs needed without it.
 

pitchfork

Member
My first Revenge against an Orc captain after he butchered me twice 'Luga the drunk', I finally get him down for the finisher, he stops me mid execution, belches in my face, then politely asks me to continue before I ram my sword in his guts :)
 

mazillion

Member
Spent 2 hours trying over and over to get revenge on a captain that was probably way too high of a level for me. I kept getting saltier and more determined and he kept getting cockier and more powerful. I couldn't wait to kill this asshole but then a graug came out of nowhere and killed him with a single stomp.

:(

He was mine...

An option to pull the camera back would be a great addition. It feels way too close for my liking.

Agreed, it does feel way too close. I kept wishing I could pull it out and get a better view. And not being able to pan the camera while sprinting (on a controller) kind of compounds the problem. I don't remember being bother by that much in the first game.
 

Ashtar

Member
So i made maybe 3 hours and I think i'm done, don't get me wrong I enjoy the game but there's a couple things that stop me

1) using the face buttons to do combat in a button masher like this is KILLING my forearm, I just can't do it, I don't know whats wrong with me because I was able to play these types of games before , Batman Arkham Knight, the original Shadow of mordor, arkham origins but i just can't do it anymore. Tried take a tylenol before playing and it still hurts

2) something is up with the counter system, I feel like there's a lag between when i press it and when it actually happens. Does it no longer take priority over attacks? I can't even get a 30 hit combat, but in mordor I hit 50s like nothing

3) I really wish there was a battle mode like the early arkham games, I want to practice without getting my super powered nemesis even stronger
 
So i made maybe 3 hours and I think i'm done, don't get me wrong I enjoy the game but there's a couple things that stop me

1) using the face buttons to do combat in a button masher like this is KILLING my forearm, I just can't do it, I don't know whats wrong with me because I was able to play these types of games before , Batman Arkham Knight, the original Shadow of mordor, arkham origins but i just can't do it anymore. Tried take a tylenol before playing and it still hurts

3) I really wish there was a battle mode like the early arkham games, I want to practice without getting my super powered nemesis even stronger

That’s kinda legit, I’ve contemplated switching to steam controller for the paddles - that or a pro controller, but it’d mainly be so I could sprint and move the camera. For practice I just replay missions, like the early game one where you flash back to control Celebrimbor, so I can practice without the game “advancing.”
 
An option to pull the camera back would be a great addition. It feels way too close for my liking.

Agreed, it does feel way too close. I kept wishing I could pull it out and get a better view. And not being able to pan the camera while sprinting (on a controller) kind of compounds the problem. I don't remember being bother by that much in the first game.

same. it's been a while since i played the first one, so i might be wrong, but this does definitely feel 'off' in a way the first game didn't...
 
I thought I was the only one who completed the game with the dark ranger skin just because the base talion looks completely retarded.

no way man, I played with every skin except Talion. Terrible lead character. First chance I get with this game I'll sub him out. Gimmie an Idril skin and I'll be set.
 

Pilgrimzero

Member
I don't know if this is a credit to the game or not but on my old laptop I can play this at medium settings and get 30 fps. I was SURE I would have to play on low graphics.

I have older games that I have to run on low settings to get it to play well but this somehow works at medium. Weird.
 
Old title was better. Solid OP though

Man, Talion is such a bland character. Really wish Celebrimbor would have attached himself to someone with any shred of a personality.

Yeah, I get that they just wanted to make him some sort of easy peasy Aragorn proxy. Plus humans in LOTR are generally insufferably noble, or total scumbags, so it was gonna go one way or another but geez, play against type just a little. At least have him enjoy Fucking up Orcs, that's literally what he's living for at this point. Instead it's just all MUH FAMILY, MUH COUNTRY and its tiresome.

Celebrimbor on the other hand is actually kind of fun. He's a dour, cynical, pragmatic asshole Elf and that's kind of refreshing given how pompous and noble they tend to be.
 

Shari

Member
no way man, I played with every skin except Talion. Terrible lead character. First chance I get with this game I'll sub him out. Gimmie an Idril skin and I'll be set.

So much truth. I would even prefer to play as an orc that I dominate, sort of what MGSV allows you to do with your soldiers.

MGSV Spoilers:
As "soon" as I knew big boss was in fact the medic I replaced him for my missions with my best S+ ranked soldier :D
 

Setmeni

Member
Anyone know how to get market purchased orcs into your army? I’ve killed multiple people in chapter 2 and I can’t seem to replace them with these guys.
 
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