Scott Watson reviews Middle-earth: Shadow of War…
It’s been three years since we last stepped into the shoes of Gondorian Ranger Talion and his wraith counterpart Celebrimbor. Three years since we destroyed Sauron and headed to Mount Doom to forge a new Ring of Power. Shadow of War, Monolith’s follow-up to the critically acclaimed Shadow of Mordor, returns us to the world of Middle-earth just as the new ring is complete, to find Celebrimbor ripped from Talion and abducted by Shelob wishing to use the ring in her fight against Sauron.
This introduction has caused a little bit of controversy with fans due to the interpretation of Shelob as a shape shifting woman rather than the Great Spider we know, but to be honest, unless you’re a die-hard fan I like the way she’s been used in Shadow of War as the initial aggravator of the first act.
The initial crux of the plot sends Talion to Minas Ithil in search of an all-seeing Palantir to stop it falling into the hands of Sauron and it’s here we first see the spectacle and beauty of Monolith’s game engine and open world. Those familiar with Shadow of Mordor will be right at home here as we’re taken given a refresher course in the fighting, stealth, wraith plane, Orcs, Uruk-hai, Olog-hai et al. It’s a system that hasn’t really changed much at all from Shadow of Mordor, but it doesn’t need to. With nods to the single button combat styles first seen in Arkham Asylum, you find yourself gliding between enemies, dodging, parrying, and vaulting as you make your attacks. It’s gloriously and graphically violent and expands Talion into a finely honed killing machine as you progress.
Supplemented by secondary attacks through your at times abrasive cohort, Celebrimbor, it’s nigh on perfection I have to say. The action looks and feels visceral, even with the huge amount of enemies the game throws at you at times. There’s very little frame rate drop and that’s of huge credit to Monolith and before we’ve even had a look at the game in 4K on the One X or PS4 Pro!
As we work to capture the Palantir, Minas Ithil opens up further and we head into familiar open world territory with sub-missions, collectibles, flashback stories. All things we’ve seen a dozen times or more in this period of gaming. It’s something that lets Shadow of War down a little bit and definitely something open world games have a very hard time getting right. It can appear a little overwhelming and distracting to you when trying to find your next story progression.
That being said, it definitely keeps you busy. and that’s before we even get to the absolutely golden Nemesis system that adds a whole other layer of depth onto the game. The command structure of the orcs and upward, along with the fluidity of the whole nemesis system is an absolute marvel of design and ingenuity and I still can’t believe we’ve not seen it used to such effect in any other games.
Aside from the named lieutenants, captains and war chiefs all with their own foibles, personalities and vendettas, it’s actually a real joy dying at the hands of a lowly orc in this game and seeing them become a nemesis that gets stronger and stronger as the game progresses. There’s also some wonderful touches if your enemies have managed to either evade your pursuit or you’ve assumed they perished, to then see them return more aggressive, with more armour, special weapons and all. It’s the real core enjoyment of the game and opens up even further as you head into act 2 where you go from controlling or manipulating single enemies to building your armies for the assault on the Witch King and Sauron himself.
At this point I have to say that, Shelob’s character decision aside, I was fearful of how impactful the whole loot crates inclusion into a single player game would be. Knowing the amount of animosity kicked up in light of the news of their inclusion I was expecting to be met with a hard grind that forced you towards their purchase, but they’re actually fairly inobtrusive. Ok, fair enough, anytime you go into the menu system you’re met with what’s almost like an in-game advert reminding you that they can be bought but the loot drops, equipment drops, buffs and more that you attain naturally as the game progresses means they can be largely ignored. In fact, you even attain loot boxes throughout the game at points where I’ve received both Epic and Legendary gear and troops, something that was feared could only be bought with hard cash and not the in-game Mirian currency.
Taking the loot crates aside, Shadow of War proves to be a fitting follow-up to Mordor. Its nemesis system is still one of the finest game mechanics I think I’ve ever seen and while it can at times become a bit bogged down by the usual open world overpopulation of icons, it’s once again an enthralling and thrilling visit into the world of Middle-earth.
Pros
+ Nemesis system is a marvel
+ Combat remains as exciting and fluid as ever
+ Open world is beautifully imagined and presented
Cons
– Secondary missions and side quests can bog you down
– Pushing of Loot Crates breaks you out of the game world
Rating: 9/10
Reviewed on Xbox One
Scott Watson
