![]() ![]() But objectivity is vital to improvement.“Underneath, each has their own random combination of a huge selection of class-based abilities, strengths to counter, and fears and weaknesses to exploit. Don't get me wrong, it's okay for it to not be good, to enjoy a game for inherent elements that appeal to you. I can only conclude that many reviewers here seem to have been raised on less than excellent value, game wise, to give such shining reviews. This is a shame, because it makes the world feel very dead. Everything is essential to your quest in becoming the greatest orc murderer there ever was, save for one or two Gollum missions added to break up the monotony. But it isn't those games, and for an open world, it's surprisingly devoid of content. It could've been much more and I think a lot of the love for it stems from the want for the old days of the intense LoTR games. And with Talion's abysmal walking speed, intervening when necessary to advance your chosen orc becomes a case of racing to keep in-game appointments you're essentially setting for yourself. Before you're sold on the hype and bootlicking, know that there are no benefits to 'finishing' it. Lastly, the nemesis system is essentially pokemon without visual battles, gyms or a final boss. And grief this man has (should have) much of. As a character, Talion is strong and virtuous, but also very flat. You get the feeling that you're one of the last men on earth, and not in a good heroic ascension kind of way. It is understandable that the world has been ravaged, but that's not much of an excuse for the barren nature of it. Character roster is limited to about a dozen (including NPCs, excluding the procedurally generated orcs), and though these few are well realized (never let it be said the game lacks polish on character models) their backdrops, being the environments you find yourself in, are bland and feel very samey. The story is shamefully weak for a Tolkien inspired game. Resistances, not immunites, would've been the step back that completely fixed this issue. In addition, when an opponent can only be killed by aerial takedown, but the nearest chest high wall is four miles away, I can't exactly invite him with a phonecall. This is a broken mechanic, and once more forces a bottleneck. The problem is, instead of improving the actual fighting mechanics or skill of these tougher orcs, the game simply adds immunities. You can't sneak stab, can't use arrows for headshots, etc. Some Orc captains are immune to numerous damage types. But SOM also sadly illustrates a very good idea gone wrong in a very thoughtless way: Immunities. Talion climbs well enough, but you'll begin to notice very clear passages and footholds to starkly defined second and third floors, which lifts the veil on what you considered to be a clever entry point.Įnemies are varied, and kill animations are numerous. An early game upgrade allows short dashes to be activated by leapfrogging rocks to get you where you need to be (yes, you read that right). Overland travel is limited, stunted and slow. If you fail to recognize this, later engagements become terribly long suffered and some downright impossible. It is obvious what you need, and what you'll upgrade early (ranged attacks are useless, early finishers are essential). There is a sense of achievement in the skill tree, making you feel like you're gaining strength with each notch, but there is no real versatility. Application of these weapons is dictated by skill tree progression. Damage upgrades are earned in tailored 'proving' quests. Runes can be used to improve them and give attributes, which is a good mechanic that was unfortunately shallow. Weapon selection is limited to three, all of which you gain from the start. The game is heavily inclined to sneaking, which it does passably, but not well, and being spotted is a common occurrence. Environmental attacks are possible, but often feel very scripted, thought there are quite a few varieties. It's all massively flashy, but also massively repetitive. Fighting bottlenecks in proportion to the number of enemies, meaning the more there are, the fewer options you have and the more you must comply with the game's ideal scripted fight scenario. Breaking it down piecemeal:įighting mechanics are stolen from Assassins Creed and the Batman series, fused into a simplistic three button counter dependent system that sits just slightly below AC's variety. It's not the steaming pile it's made out to be by its harsher critics, no, but it's also not very good. Suffice, I've played enough for long enough, and know, above most things, objectivity is key. I'm not going to bog this down with credentials. This review is for you guys, and hopefully you'll read it before buying. With Shadow of War rapidly approaching, many will choose to sate themselves with the first in the series, Shadow of Mordor. ![]()
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