Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™

Very good singler player game the fact that you can make your own orc amy is soo cool the story is MID not much there the NPC are TRASH damn they just walk all over the place

but the combat is very good and it feels good to fight captains and get them on your side and you can opgrade forts
overall just very funny

one of the coolest games i have ever played in my 21 years of living. the nemesis system is one of the best features in gaming. and yet, WB not only patented it to where nobody can use it till 2036 but then they shut down monolith which were going to use the nemesis system for the scrapped wonder woman game. fuck you WB.

RIP monolith, you will be missed.

This game is amazing! Between the graphics and story line I quickly got involved in this game. No lag even in big battle scenes, truly wish I could find more games that play this well.

Great game, Summon beasts, Recruit orcs, Kill orcs

Decent Game I like it but missions do not load properly even after uninstalling & reinstalling more than 5 times and restarting saves more than twice.

I was never a fan of LOTR, This game is an absolute gem, its sad the studios of this game has been shut down.

everything is upgrade from previous game

The best part of the game is definitely the Nemesis System. Watching orcs remember you and adapt to your fighting style is incredibly satisfying, and the power struggles between orc leaders can create some truly memorable moments.

Enjoy this game because you will never see the system used in any other game. How patenting game mechanics is a thing just leads to worse and worse games.

After hearing that WB was shutting down Monolith, I came back to pay tribute to an old friend (Monolith, not WB) by replaying the Middle-earth games. I first played Shadow of War on PlayStation when it launched, excited after loving the first game—but my enthusiasm soured thanks to the infamous microtransactions and loot box fiasco that plagued the endgame.

Now, in 2025, with all that monetization removed, I’m glad to finally experience the game as it was meant to be. Beneath all that corporate greed was always a solid game. Playing both Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War back to back, I appreciate their evolution—the improved combat, tactics, and enemy variety, even if some aspects can feel repetitive. But ultimately, it’s the Nemesis System that truly carries the experience.

The main story is fairly forgettable, but the personal stories forged through battles with the Orcs make it all worthwhile. One of my favorite moments?

I killed an Orc named Krakhorn. He came back as "Krakhorn the Machine," now sporting mechanical limbs after I had previously mutilated him. Naturally, I killed him again—only for him to return once more, taunting me for failing to finish the job. This time, he managed to kill me and was promoted to Warchief. Determined to put an end to him, I tried again… and again… but he kept returning. Eventually, I attempted to recruit him, but his Iron Will resisted, so I resorted to shaming him repeatedly.

That backfired spectacularly. Instead of breaking, he became a Maniac, growing even stronger and capable of one-shotting me if I so much as slipped up. He climbed the ranks until he became Overlord, and at that point, I knew I couldn't take him down alone. So, I planted four bodyguards in his inner circle, waiting for the perfect moment to betray him. When the time came, my minions turned on him mid-battle, while I spent the entire fight dodging like my life depended on it—because it did. Eventually, my conspirators took him down, and I made his killer the new Overlord of Gorgoroth. So far, he hasn’t betrayed me… yet.

Looking back, Shadow of War is a flawed but truly special game. Even after all these years, nothing quite compares to the chaos and emergent storytelling that the Nemesis System creates. Monolith’s work here was remarkable, and their innovation will leave a lasting impact on gaming. It’s a shame to see such a talented studio go, and their Nemesis system locked behind a patent, but their legacy lives on in the stories we’ve all created.

Thank you, Monolith. You deserved better.

I love this game. One of the most unique experiences I have ever had with the Nemesis System. My negative is not for the game itself, but for WarnerBrothers. They have tanked this studio and ultimately stolen and shelved the Nemesis System. What a garbage company that has the rights to insanely good IPs like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, DC Comics and SOMEHOW CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO LET THE DEVELOPERS COOK SO THEY CAN MAKE THEM ANOTHER BREAKTHROUGH GAME!

Played this game when it first released and loved it. Saw it on sale and snatched it up. Nemesis mode is pretty difficult but its still a great game with great combat.

I understand the corporate hate side of this game, but just looking at the game itself, it is a 10/10 game. You can play through the entire story; continue playing and still find new aspects of the nemesis system. The story doesnt drag at all and its a great play. The online features and avenging other players is super fun, (sometimes hilarious) and very interesting. My favorite singleplayer game oat. (Helm Hammerhand had the saddest story by far)

Just 100% the achievements and in turn the game. hate that the company that made this is shut down now, but would love to see another like this when the rights for the nemesis system are able to be used again.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War is an absolute blast for anyone who loves action-packed, open-world RPGs with a heavy dose of chaos. The game takes everything that made Shadow of Mordor great and cranks it up to 11. The Nemesis System is still the star of the show, creating unforgettable, dynamic stories as orcs betray, ambush, and remember your every move. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of hunting down an orc who killed you, only to have him mock you for it in the most hilarious way possible.

The combat is fluid, visceral, and incredibly satisfying. Whether you’re decapitating orcs, summoning a drake to rain fire, or dominating enemies to build your own army, the game makes you feel like an unstoppable force. The expanded skill tree and gear system add depth, allowing you to tailor Talion’s abilities to your playstyle. And let’s not forget the sieges—they’re epic, chaotic, and a true test of your strategic and combat skills.

That said, the game isn’t without its flaws. The story, while entertaining, can feel a bit disjointed and doesn’t quite live up to the rich lore of Tolkien’s world. The pacing can drag in the later acts, especially with the grindier elements of the endgame. And while the microtransactions were a controversial addition at launch, they’ve since been removed, which is a huge plus.

Despite these issues, Shadow of War is a must-play for fans of the genre. It’s a game that rewards creativity, experimentation, and sheer brutality. If you’ve ever wanted to build an army of orcs, ride a dragon, and take over Mordor, this is your chance. Highly recommended!

Rating: 9/10 – The start of the game is ass, but an unforgettable experience.

Mostly played on console. Awesome game and well worth your purchase. But shame on WB for closing Monolith. Legends in the development of video games only to be trashed by corporate greed.

They took everything from the first game and tweaked it just enough to make it better. Also has a compelling story line, if there weren't so many contradictions to the LOTR cannon I would say this would make a fantastic addition.

I don’t understand how Ubisoft could pump out a yearly Assassins Creed game or Activison pumping out COD every year but WB can’t pump out quality games with billions of dollars. Like make it makes sense. Wonder Woman seems such an easy character to video game into. Action combos, sword/shield, spear, bracers for parries, story in the DC universe, Themyscira to explore and the Greek Pantheon to fight. How hard can this be? What the hell.
Instead WB closes 3 game studios, cancels Wonder Woman, shuts down Multiversus, Monolith Productions but “HEY GUYS, SUICIDE SQUAD KILL THE JUSTICE LEAGUE!” yey

What a joke of a company. Cancel projects people want, release garbage nobody asked for. Brilliant.

This was a good game, and it got ol' yellered by some corporate suit rats. Release the nemesis system to everyone you cowards.

Nemesis system is great, combat is great,

its a really fun game you can get lost in for hours. The Nemesis system is so much fun. The combat is absolutely amazing. You get to face off with many big baddies from the Tolkien's work. I had an absolute blast with this game.

As for the lore accuracy of this game, it absolutely isn't. Don't think of it as an addition to the LoTR lore, but a game that takes place in a world adjacent to LoTR, maybe even inspired by LotR, but definitely is not part of the LoTR story. Overall, if you take it for what it is, which is a fun game that has a LoTR skin on it and don't try to take its story or world building too seriously, then you will have a great time.

The gameplay is generally fun, but the required grind just to progress through the story makes it feel like they tried to steal design from an MMO without actually making an MMO. It hinders the single-player experience; rather than exploring because its fun, I find myself forced to traverse the world to achieve prerequisites.

I also have gripes with the auto-generation of Captains. Some combinations of traits are frustrating to play against even with the full skill tree unlocked. When you're fighting that sort of Captain and then another one appears out of _literally nowhere_ (I dislike this mechanic), also with a frustrating set of traits, the game is simply not fun to play.

- Played the story as normal for a bit
- Oh this Nemesis System is really fun, actually
- Spend time slaying orc warlords, gaining levels
- Run into Folgûm (Folgum? I hardly know 'em!)
- Decide to make him my play-thing
- Spare his life after every defeat, slowly stripping his sanity
- Poor Folgûm eventually lost all logical faculties, now communicates in clicks and whistles
- Get cocky
- Ambush Folgûm and his goons, style on a few nerds
- Taking a lot of unnecessary hits
- By the Light of Elendil my health is lo-
- Folgûm gets a lucky shot, I'm Warg chow
- His thrilled, yet incomprehensible screams are silenced by the sweet sing-song ringing of metal rending my supple flesh
- I'm back, given a second chance by Allah or Krishna or whatever elder god watched over me, but with wounded pride
- Folgûm got hella promoted, immune to everything, manages a crack team of equally braindead Ologs
- With renewed vigor I play responsibly, recruiting as many faithful (willing) volunteers as I could
- Manage to take a pretty sweet fortress
- Manned by the wheat-fed lads of Mordor
- Until one dark day my beautiful fortress was besieged
- By the ball sweat of Balin, it's Folgûm
- Epic battle ensues, many of my best friends whom I've known about 5 hours fall, bravely defending their assigned home
- Here's the real part
- We are pushed all the way back to the tower, it's me + 12 - 15 brightlord duders and my foot soldiers vs about 12 - 15 enemy warlords + Folgûm and his troops
- The square erupts into chaos, enemies on all sides
- It's an absolute meat grinder
- Every few seconds, the characteristic slow-motion deathcam pans to a new character
- Slowly losing control of the square
- I'm mashing all the buttons to fight off every enemy I can
- All of my brave generals fall in combat, dutifully taking at least 1 vile traitor with them
- The dust settles and rolling heads come to a stop
- It's literally me vs Folgûm, our blades drenched in orc blood, him groaning and screeching what I could only imagine were compliments of my men's bravery
- Health is low... I walk towards my destiny...
- ...except, this wasn't the invincible revenge-seeking arbiter of death that bested me once before
- This was a tarnished husk, weak, exhausted... scared
- What followed wasn't a tactical and exciting fight, but a merciful execution
- He pitifully limped away, never accepting that this was the end... just screaming- drooling on himself.
- Tinged with sadness and guilt for what I'd put his brain through with all of the dominations, I made it quick, and put an end to this poor beast's torment
- All the hours I spent building my army, grinding my character, killing countless minions, and I was left with an empty general roster, regret, and silence
- It was raining... yes, it was raining
- I closed my eyes and exhaled.. I had a super cool battle, but at what cost?
- Uninstall the game
- 4.5/10 The loot boxes are excessive
- Rest easy, sweet Folgûm

I absolutely love this game as well as the first game, the graphics are amazing, the combat is amazing, the story is amazing. it is an amazing game. but i cannot support WB games anymore. they nuked monolith and the nemesis system is patented until 2036.

in short ♥♥♥♥ you wb and rip monolith, you will be sorely missed.

Really good game. the story is decent but the combat and gameplay is amazing but what really brings it all together is the nemesis system just get killed by a random orc and watch him become the most powerfull being in the universe.amazing

Good game. Leaving a negative review because Warner Bros killed this company and trademarked the Nemesis System so we're never gonna see a sequel to this game or the Nemesis system in another video game ever again.

WB Games is trash.

Ну чтож, спасибо большое такой замечательной конторе, как ворнер бразерс геймс, что после оглушительного успеха такой прекрасной и ахуенной игры как отряд транссамоубийц, они решили закрыть студию монолит, которую до этого долгие годы мучали игрой про чудо женщину. Надеюсь в следующий раз ворнер бразерс закроют сами себя

R.I.P. Monolith Productions
1994 - 2025

Killed by the Corporate F*cks at WB and that Sh*thead David Zaslav. This game being an example of their meddling. (had loot boxes at launch before being taken out later)

Is this game bad, no, far from it.
Is this game perfect, same answer, no.

But despite the grindy nature of this game, Monolith really put the effort in this sequel. the characterization of it's orcs, it's world, the VAs (especially the orcs) really don't get enough credit for their performance.

You will be sorrowly missed Monolith, I hope the talented devs you housed get back up their feet soon.

The greatest system for a game ever created, must play. do all the endings or something.

amazing games cant find others like this. Easily my fav game

just great for LOTR fans even if it's not canon it's a great story really good system witch the orc captains that every other orc has his own personallity and the story of Talion is relly good. It's sad because he wants revenge for what happened in Shdow of Mordor but he know's he can't do much about it exept fight and have control over the forts. Over all it's one of the best games i have played

Played on Steam Deck on medium settings and it ran very smoothly.

Flying around Mordor performing acrobatics like a middle-earth Ezio makes for a very fun experience. The nemesis system makes the journey feel personal, for example: I 'killed' a captain by chopping his leg off and later on he came back with a peg leg for more.

Story wise, I had no clue what was going on as I didn't play the first game, however the story didn't seem like the main focus of this game and I still enjoyed the cut scenes.

Overall, a fun game with an addictive gameplay loop that definitely scratches that middle-earth itch.

Really fun, lots of stuff to collect in the Post-Game which adds a lot of value. My one complaint is the storage required; my harddrive is very happy I finally decided I'm done with this game. XD

Great game! So fun to just mess around in. 62h in and only half way through the story because of all the fun things you can do.

Good hack and slash fun, lots of hours of play time. 5hrs in and I'm barely 5% through.

The most slept on game ever. This game needs a sequel as much as Warcraft 3 needed one.

10/10

Fucking awesome game. Satisfying combat, decent story but I just wanna get something off my chest real quick..

FUCK THE FIGHT PITS. Ohhhh... myyyyyy. Your follower AI is so trash compared to the enemy. They would taunt and taunt and taunt instead of attacking. They'd do some kind of build up animation only to get interrupted by the enemy last second and this goes on a loop till they get murdered. You could have the best stats and counters. On paper, yours should beat theirs but the AI..... There are other silly things that pissed me off but ultimately, the game is GOOD.

The RPG element is fine. the game offers so much more in terms of combat. I really like the variations on top of the new skills.

8/10⭐

The game is good and really entertaining, BUT there are two things that completely killed my motivation to 100% complete it, and I don’t think I’ll bother with the alternate stories.

Spoiler alert!:

1.Each of the captains has a looooong, boooooring introduction that CAN’T be skipped. Who thought this was a good idea? No skipping cutscenes that don’t even have story content? really?

2.Captains that can one-shot you and don’t even give you the second chance option.
This is a major design flaw. They give you a game mechanic, and then randomly you just can’t use it, which takes away control because you can’t do anything else.
For example, at the end of Talion’s story, when defending castles and spending tons of points on defense, some random captain manages to kill me with a simple attack, and I have to go back and fight 8 warchiefs in a fully fortified castle just to take it back, then defend it again, and only then finish a little part of the story, to then, have the same issue on the next castle. No, thanks.

Bonus!
3. Flying on a drake—what horrible controls.

Shadow of War is a fun, easy to play game. If you've ever played Batman: Arkham Knight, then I'd say that the combat is very similar. It's nothing too hard; you're given a few basic attacks and learn how to counter different types of enemies.

Where this game shines is with the nemesis system. This system allows you to recruit orcs you find out in the world, each having a relatively unique personality, look, and style of combat. After a while, many of these orcs blend into one, but the system is fun nevertheless. You can then use these orcs as bodyguards, assassins, and fighters in fortress sieges. Basically, they do your dirty work. They might also save you from death or betray you, meaning that unique stories are generated between yourself and particular orcs. You may kill one by chopping his limbs off, only for him to come back with a vengeance, his limbs haphazardly sewn back on or replaced by scrap metal.

The story is solid, and Celebrimbor's character (and his actor's performance) were highlights for me. It doesn't feel like anything too special to begin with, but offers a unique and thought-provoking twist at the end of the game.

The game also features numerous collectables and achievements to hunt down if you enjoy that.

Overall, I'd give this game a 7/10. Excepting the nemesis system, the game isn't anything too unique, but is otherwise solidly put together and offers an enjoyable experience.

I played this game when it first came out in high school—it is the best game I ever experienced, or so I thought until now replaying.
It's still a good game, but the story is linear. Nowadays, if it's an RPG, I need it to have BG3-level choices and story branches. However, with its game mechanics and nemesis system, it is not as bad as GOW: Ragnarok, so I can still tolerate it.
One thing I can't tolerate—and find absolutely disgusting—is that you can't recruit orcs who are higher level than you. This makes the game super grindy since XP is hard to earn and renders its biggest game mechanic entirely pointless. It's like playing Pokémon and finally beating an extremely rare Pokémon, only to be unable to catch it because it's 10 levels higher than your Pikachu. Whoever set this restriction had no idea what this game really is.

Yet, still the best game I played 8 years ago.

This is the sequel to the beloved Shadow of Mordor, and frankly, it'll probably be the last of the series. SoM was primarily designed as a singleplayer experience right from the ground up. I wish that was true for Shadow of War...

Shadow of War was initially designed to be a live-service money-gouging machine centered around what used to be a popular IP. On launch, ppl got to see the full extent of what the cash model was going to be, and they tore the game a new one. In response, the developers took out the cash shop and left the game as is.

That's where the issues start. When a game is made to sell, it's a tight, well designed, balanced experience. When a game is made to get money consistently, it's full of shortcuts, spaghetti code and bulls**t RNG that tries to make the player spend more, with minimal expense to the developer.

That is this game. The parkour is janky in the most obvious ways (standing stock still on a railing, refusing to run over onto the connected rooftop), the game missions break in the weirdest ways (assigned captains do literally nothing when sent to ambush enemy captains), and the RNG tilt is so aggressively skewed it makes things like level and legendary status completely pointless (a lvl 76 Legendary captain is killed by a lvl 18 scrub with nothing, purely because the player was not there). The in-game economy is so imbalanced that they obviously intended the player to pay for it, and with the cash shop removed, the only real option is to use 3rd party programs. Which locks you out of the online part of the game.

Would I recommend this game to ppl looking for a sequel to SoM? No. Would I recommend this to fans of LotR? No. Would I recommend this to ppl that like parkour or batman-style combat? No. Don't waste your money.

If the developers are reading this: Please release the copywrite for the Nemesis System. The series is dead, you'll never make the money back. At least let others take the one good idea left and make a good game with it. Give us something to not despise you for.

As of completing this review, I'm uninstalling and putting this game on hidden. I just don't wanna look at it any more.

it's an Uruk Dating Simulator(patented) on steroids. really great steroids for the most part aside from a couple of questionable design decisions relative to its predecessor. it's an absolute blast with a lot of great content and a thicccc spider.

God damn this game is a slog to play through.

The first act was fun and a good set up to what I thought would be a better story. I was wrong. I was wrong because the same dang thing happened to me like in the first game. I was bombarded with side content that I completely forgot what the main mission was and was questioning if I was doing a side quest when I was actually doing main missions.

How the hell did they do it again. I thought clearing the the outposts was the game and I had to fight my way back to the opening area. I was very wrong and it's probably my fault, but I'm still annoyed.

I am happy that the nemesis system was expanded and more integrated with the main story, even if I cleared all the outposts before I really did the main content and ruined the pace of the game. Actually, I'm mad that they allowed me to do that. Maybe I'm not liking open world games as much as I use to, but I wish there was a bit more linearity to the game so I actually feel compelled to play the main story. I hate being bogged down by all of this filler side shit in games and this game especially.

The combat has also made an improvement over the pretty good combat in the first game. I like that the orcs have more strengths that make me vary up the way I approach the encounter and that they add more beast as into the middle of fights as well too. Pretty good mix of that. Unfortunately the gosh darn parkour still sucks and I feel like is worse because I had to spend so much more time playing the. It became pretty infuriating towards the end when I would get stuck on stuff on the ground or climbing or assassinating the wrong guy over and over and over. That was a really big let down and something I thought would be fixed.

Higher highs and lower lows. This really is Assassin's Creed.

Great Game, will give you hours of gameplay. Has all the Lore of Lord of the Rings

IMO this is the best LOTR game right after RoTK for PS2, absolute banger of a game

Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ delivers an incredibly immersive and thrilling gameplay experience. The combat system is fluid and satisfying, making every battle feel epic and rewarding. Once you dive into the game, it’s easy to lose track of time, as it draws you into its rich world and action-packed story.

However, one minor issue I encountered was navigating the maps. While exploring feels exciting at first, it can become time-consuming later on. Despite this, the game remains highly enjoyable and absolutely worth your time.

For the best experience, I recommend playing on a high-performance setup with a large display or even a gaming monitor to truly appreciate the stunning visuals and detailed environments.

One does not simply walk into Mordor, unless that one is the Gravewalker.

Really good game. Had it for so long, every minute is beautiful. Shame they copyrighted the Nemesis system. The graphics are good, but the world design is a bit like minecraft in some part. That does not take away the beauty of the story and the feeling of sheer power, jumping from high up and having no fall damage. Pretty cool.

This game is for any true fan of the lord of the rings movies or book, they adapted a well written character into an already amazing world. This story may not be truly cannon and have a few parts i disagree with but I can always come back to this amazing world time and time again. The Nemesis system making the combat and the Death in this game an actual challenge. If this game had an actual co op thats the only way it could get any better.

great game, could do with less fucking tutorials, everytime I need to do something like take a piss it feels like the game needs to hold my fucking hand

Although a bit same-y, what the game does well at, the game does REALLY well at.