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Middle Earth: Shadow of War (looks really, really good)

    • 585 posts
    March 9, 2017 6:18 AM EST

    Borommakot said:

    In terms of gameplay, Shadow of Mordor was pretty fun, and had some really great ideas. It looks like they've improved them a lot for Shadow of War. I'm pretty sold on it, although this gameplay didn't seems to indicate the same kind of open world exploration the last one had.

    This is what I'm worried about. Shadow of Mordor was great to just go round and kill stuff, especially as all the generals and officers were out in the open so you had purpose to your wonderings as well. Linear levels weren't my favourite (like the end for example) but were still decent enough that I'll definitely get this as soon as it goes on sale.

    • 1467 posts
    March 9, 2017 7:38 AM EST

    Borommakot said:

    In terms of gameplay, Shadow of Mordor was pretty fun, and had some really great ideas. It looks like they've improved them a lot for Shadow of War. I'm pretty sold on it, although this gameplay didn't seems to indicate the same kind of open world exploration the last one had. 

    Zonnonn said:

    This is what I'm worried about. Shadow of Mordor was great to just go round and kill stuff, especially as all the generals and officers were out in the open so you had purpose to your wonderings as well. Linear levels weren't my favourite (like the end for example) but were still decent enough that I'll definitely get this as soon as it goes on sale.

    Hmm, I can't recall where I read it, but from what I understood the idea is that it would still be Open World but I haven't had time to watch the Gameplay Trailer (the Announcement Trailer was all I needed). I think the world may be larger at the very least, as I've gone back and read through some stuff nothing mentons how Open the world is only that it may be larger. I think a lot of the game makes a more linear system a bit stupid, the Nemesis System is too perfectly paired with an Open-World game for me to see that being split.

    I don't how much of the stuff in the Announcement Trailer was just promotional stuff but it seemed like it suggested that Minas Morgul may be in the game (which would make sense) and that there may even be a Human Settlement meaning that it may expand outside of just that bit of Mordor. For all I know that could just be a marketing thing (though I don't see why...Mordor is plenty awesome enough without adding other locatiosn) and I haven't seen the Gameplay Trailer) but I do hope that it is at least as Open World as the first game.

    This article from Verge seems to suggest that it'll be Open-World to a similar extent as the first game. Here's a quick quote from it

    In Shadow of War, that’s still true, but the nemesis system now extends to the world itself as well. As orcs become more powerful leaders, their influence will also influence regional fortresses found throughout Mordor, as well as their surrounding areas. Different orc tribes have different cultures as well, so a fortress with a beast trapper in charge will look very different from one run by somebody else.

     

     

    Bah, that was a lot more than it needed to be...Ah well, at least I kind of managed to...get around to saying that it's probably going to be Open-World and back it up. Then again, I haven't watched the GP trailer so...

    • 288 posts
    March 9, 2017 8:15 AM EST

    Shadow of Mordor was fun to fool around and kill some orcs and orcish bosses. However, once I powered up my character it became way too easy. The story was bland and too made up, so I never finished it; it didn't have a true Middle Earth feel to it, at least for me.

    I might try this one if I'm bored at some point but I doubt I'll be giving it much effort.

    • 743 posts
    March 9, 2017 10:38 AM EST

    Overhate said:

    Shadow of Mordor was fun to fool around and kill some orcs and orcish bosses. However, once I powered up my character it became way too easy. The story was bland and too made up, so I never finished it; it didn't have a true Middle Earth feel to it, at least for me.

    I might try this one if I'm bored at some point but I doubt I'll be giving it much effort.

    That's pretty much my take on the story. It's not very intriguing (coming from a huge Tolkein fan) and the character doesn't really feel like a character, if that makes any sense. The gameplay is addicting as hell though. 

    • 87 posts
    March 9, 2017 11:59 AM EST
    RogueSilver said:

    Decumus Scotti said: I'm afraid I won't ever be able to really get into these games ( Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War). I'm a hardcore Tolkien fan and every time I see games like this I see them as an abomination. Oh well, I guess they're not for everyone.

    You didn't like the movies either, did you?

    No I'm afraid I didn't like the movies. In fact quite the opposite. I'm one of the lucky ones who read the books before watching the movies. Don't get me wrong they were well done movies. But I think they absolutely got wrong their whole interpretation of the story Tolkien was trying to tell.
    • 743 posts
    March 9, 2017 12:09 PM EST

    Decumus Scotti said:
    RogueSilver said:

    Decumus Scotti said: I'm afraid I won't ever be able to really get into these games ( Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War). I'm a hardcore Tolkien fan and every time I see games like this I see them as an abomination. Oh well, I guess they're not for everyone.

    You didn't like the movies either, did you?

    No I'm afraid I didn't like the movies. In fact quite the opposite. I'm one of the lucky ones who read the books before watching the movies. Don't get me wrong they were well done movies. But I think they absolutely got wrong their whole interpretation of the story Tolkien was trying to tell.

    Well, we agree to disagree. I won't beat the dead horse by ranting, but I do appreciate you giving credit to the quality of the movies. Most Tolkein elietists are assholes that act as if anyone who actually enjoyed the movies aren't "real" Tolkein fans. That's one of the reasons I don't have the desire to discuss LOTR with anyone via the internet, lol. 

    • 288 posts
    March 9, 2017 12:57 PM EST

    Lol with me it was the opposite. I watched the movies and I liked them; then I read the books and after that I no longer like the movies, but at least I got to like them initially :P

    • 1441 posts
    March 9, 2017 5:25 PM EST
    RogueSilver said:

    Decumus Scotti said:
    RogueSilver said:

    Decumus Scotti said: I'm afraid I won't ever be able to really get into these games ( Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War). I'm a hardcore Tolkien fan and every time I see games like this I see them as an abomination. Oh well, I guess they're not for everyone.

    You didn't like the movies either, did you?

    No I'm afraid I didn't like the movies. In fact quite the opposite. I'm one of the lucky ones who read the books before watching the movies. Don't get me wrong they were well done movies. But I think they absolutely got wrong their whole interpretation of the story Tolkien was trying to tell.

    Well, we agree to disagree. I won't beat the dead horse by ranting, but I do appreciate you giving credit to the quality of the movies. Most Tolkein elietists are assholes that act as if anyone who actually enjoyed the movies aren't "real" Tolkein fans. That's one of the reasons I don't have the desire to discuss LOTR with anyone via the internet, lol. 

    After reading the books, I'm kind of gland the movie cut out some of the more, rather mundane and somewhat boring bits, cause then the movies would have been even longer
    • 87 posts
    March 9, 2017 6:34 PM EST
    RogueSilver said:

    Decumus Scotti said:
    RogueSilver said:

    Decumus Scotti said: I'm afraid I won't ever be able to really get into these games ( Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War). I'm a hardcore Tolkien fan and every time I see games like this I see them as an abomination. Oh well, I guess they're not for everyone.

    You didn't like the movies either, did you?

    No I'm afraid I didn't like the movies. In fact quite the opposite. I'm one of the lucky ones who read the books before watching the movies. Don't get me wrong they were well done movies. But I think they absolutely got wrong their whole interpretation of the story Tolkien was trying to tell.

    Well, we agree to disagree. I won't beat the dead horse by ranting, but I do appreciate you giving credit to the quality of the movies. Most Tolkein elietists are assholes that act as if anyone who actually enjoyed the movies aren't "real" Tolkein fans. That's one of the reasons I don't have the desire to discuss LOTR with anyone via the internet, lol. 

    While I may qualify as a Tolkien elitist, to say the movies were not well done is just wrong. They were good in and of themselves. However, I can't like them because no movie would ever be able to capture Tolkien's vision of Middle-Earth. In Christopher Tolkien's words: "Tolkien has become a monster, devoured by his own popularity and absorbed into the absurdity of our time. The chasm between the beauty and seriousness of the work, and what it has become, has overwhelmed me. The commercialization has reduced the aesthetic and philosophical impact of the creation to nothing. There is only one solution for me: to turn my head away. They eviscerated the book by making it an action movie for young people aged 15 to 25. And it seems that The Hobbit will be the same kind of film." Finally I would just like to add that to say that one is not a true Tolkien fan because one likes the movies is absurd.
    This post was edited by Decumus Scotti at March 9, 2017 6:35 PM EST
    • 152 posts
    March 12, 2017 7:38 PM EDT

    Update: picked up my old save from the start of my second playthrough of Shadow of Mordor; SO FUNNNN! I think the break definitely helped, but I've already had countless epic fights and meetups with orcs and am even more eager for this game now

    • 700 posts
    March 12, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

    So I just got to the second map after about 20 hours of play time and I figured it was time for an update. That, and I saw Madd M had updated, which reminded me to do the same.

    The 20 hour play time is not at all indicitive of the length of the story as much as it is the wealth of side content and my distractibility. Point is, this game is awesome. If the transition from Shadow of Mordor to Shadow of War is the same kind of transition that Arkham Asylum made to Arkham City (or better yet, Arkham Knight), which is to say a transition of added depth, content, and replayability, then I may very well pick up SoW full price. And the way the trailer is talking, that's looking like a very strong possibility.

    I still can't speak for the lore or strength of the story when held next to the other LoTR stories, but it's actually pretty interesting assuming one takes the time to read the codexes. From that perspective, I've found the writing to be pretty strong, especially during the funnier moments of the story. And Talion is actually kind of interesting! I get the impression that he just does not want to be there and it's strangely refreshing to be playing a hero who doesn't actually want to be a hero, even if he is a bit unreasonably snarky at times. The music is phenomenal, the sound and voice acting is on point, and though I've yet to understand why Orcs speak in a sort of pseudo-cockney accent, I enjoy it. The game looks GOOD on a PS4 and runs smooth as butter and I've only encountered 2 small graphical glicthes that didn't interfere with gameplay at all. 

    A+

    10/10 for fun 

    Like a 5/10 for innovation, but fun is the most important part. The game already does so much right that so many other high caliber games do superbly well that the second entry is sure to (hopefully) carve out a place in gaming more distinctive than "Middle-Earth Assassin's Creed/Arkham/Far Cry". 

    • 558 posts
    March 12, 2017 8:58 PM EDT
    I'm definitely want to get Shadow of War. I liked the first game, and the new one seems to build on the best part of the game: the nemesis system. I'm not buying it full price, if I get it at all.

    The gameplay trailer they released looked pretty cool, but let's not forget about the Shadow of Mordor trailer showed mechanics that weren't present at any point in the game.
    • 700 posts
    March 12, 2017 9:26 PM EDT

    Gollum said: I'm definitely want to get Shadow of War. I liked the first game, and the new one seems to build on the best part of the game: the nemesis system. I'm not buying it full price, if I get it at all. The gameplay trailer they released looked pretty cool, but let's not forget about the Shadow of Mordor trailer showed mechanics that weren't present at any point in the game.

    What mechanics did it show that weren't in the game? I can't recall seeing any trailers for it when it did drop as I ignored at the time as another movie-to-game atrocity. But that would be good to know going into SoW. 

    • 743 posts
    March 13, 2017 8:48 AM EDT

    Legion said:

    Shadow of Mordor is $15 at Gamestop, so I think I'll swing by and pick it up. I've been listening to TotalBiscuit go on about it and he says it's a game pretty much all about killing orcs. If you get bored with Arkham combat, then you'll get bored with this. 

    RogueSilver said:

    Please for the love of God promise me that you will read the Lord of the Ring trilogy or watch all three movies one day. 

    Mmmmmmaybe. I heard someone once describe the entire trilogy as an adventure that could have been avoided by flying an eagle from point A to point B. And that the big secret of the ring is that it makes the wearer invisible. But my entire conception of LoTR comes from anecdotes and offhand pop culture references. Which, for the purposes of this game, actually seems to be a boon. 

    Whoever told you that didn't pay any attention to the story, like, at all. It was pretty much a stealth mission and I'm pretty sure giant eagles aren't exactly conducive to that style. 

    • 700 posts
    March 13, 2017 11:58 AM EDT

    Well for what it's worth, I am enjoying the lore in SoM. That poem about the rings, the elf-god guy who forged them, the evil fella who tricked him into doing it, and Gollum, who apparently didn't always look like...that. It's not the most tradtional entry into the series but I was never one for tradition. 

    • 743 posts
    March 13, 2017 2:30 PM EDT

    Legion said:

    Well for what it's worth, I am enjoying the lore in SoM. That poem about the rings, the elf-god guy who forged them, the evil fella who tricked him into doing it, and Gollum, who apparently didn't always look like...that. It's not the most tradtional entry into the series but I was never one for tradition. 

    We all have our ways of diving into different things. Good on you, Legion.

    • 558 posts
    March 14, 2017 1:05 PM EDT

    Legion said:

    Gollum said: I'm definitely want to get Shadow of War. I liked the first game, and the new one seems to build on the best part of the game: the nemesis system. I'm not buying it full price, if I get it at all. The gameplay trailer they released looked pretty cool, but let's not forget about the Shadow of Mordor trailer showed mechanics that weren't present at any point in the game.

    What mechanics did it show that weren't in the game? I can't recall seeing any trailers for it when it did drop as I ignored at the time as another movie-to-game atrocity. But that would be good to know going into SoW. 

    Each captain had a singular purpose that drove them, such as trying to impress the Black Captain, or trying to kill another Uruk. Captains could be promoted to slaver. When mind rapiing an Orc in the gameplay trailer, there was four options: Assassinate, Spy, Terrorize, and Sacrifice. Captains that you branded had their own followers that would fight with them, against even warchiefs.

    • 700 posts
    March 15, 2017 9:44 PM EDT

    Gollum said:

    Each captain had a singular purpose that drove them, such as trying to impress the Black Captain, or trying to kill another Uruk. Captains could be promoted to slaver. When mind rapiing an Orc in the gameplay trailer, there was four options: Assassinate, Spy, Terrorize, and Sacrifice. Captains that you branded had their own followers that would fight with them, against even warchiefs.

    Interesting. Most of this made it into the game but some of it is definitely missing. I'll have to keep an eye on the promises made and their fulfillment then. 

    • 1467 posts
    April 14, 2017 9:48 AM EDT

    Has anyone seen the recent Minas Ithil video? It really, really makes me even more pumped for Shadow of War because it's just a really interesting video. And of course we got a little bit more information on the game, I mean now we know that the game is going to be a little more dynamic than the first game and with a much, much larger area to play in.

    • 700 posts
    June 12, 2017 2:36 PM EDT

    Live Shadow of War gameplay on now!

    https://www.twitch.tv/pcgamer

    • 700 posts
    June 12, 2017 2:40 PM EDT

    Aaaaand it's over. Man I'm bad at that. E3 gameplay trailer though:

    • 248 posts
    June 12, 2017 2:47 PM EDT

    Interesting thanks legion

    • 248 posts
    June 12, 2017 2:56 PM EDT

    not sure how lore friendly a NEW RING is...but bad ass combat

    • 700 posts
    June 12, 2017 2:59 PM EDT

    Damn right! I get the feeling this game is largely marketed towards people like me who shrug at the lore. I just want a super tight action game.