Name: | Middle Earth: Shadow of War |
Release date: | October 10, 2017 |
Platforms: | PC, XONE, PS4 |
Genre: | Action adventure |
Metacritics Rating: | 77 (PC) |
Our visitor's rating: | N/A |
Average playtime: | 35 h |
Our recommendation
Middle Earth: Shadow of War is an action-adventure title developed by Monolith Studios, and a direct sequel to Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. The previous game's protagonist, Talion, still infused with the ghost of an elven smith, Celebrimbor, venture on to forge a new ring of power and challenge the Dark Lord on a scale much bigger than before.
The gameplay is in many ways similar to the previous title - you are still using the two character's combined abilities to fulfill various tasks, often involving the now expanded Nemesis system. The system, previously used for procedural enemies, is now expanded to include followers. You will build entire orc armies and assault mighty fortresses, comprising of a multi-level cinematic siege that ends with a final boss fight. You conquer so the open world of Mordor.
Gameplay wise, the second title was markedly praised, with people loving its expanded Nemesis system, new combat abilities, and the battles for fortresses. The story is told to be moderately good, not being the main star of the show, but doing enough to keep the player interested in progressing through it. The game received widespread criticism over its use of microtransactions, namely loot boxes, in a singleplayer experience - many players feel that it is a money-hungry, unnecessary move exploiting people's inner compulsions, doing so for cash.
In the end though, if you loved the previous title, you will love this one as well - and we recommend not buying any loot boxes while doing so.
It offers a new story campaign featuring Eltarion, the elven assassin, who is sent out to hunt a Nazgul. It offers about 3-4 hours of new story, along with new special Orc captains, 8 new legendary orcs, and the ability to play Eltariel in the main campaign.
The Desolation of Mordor story expansion offers a new storyline that can take you about 2-3 hours, a new region to explore, which is themed after desert-like environments, a new hero, Baranor, and new tools for him, such as the grappling hook, the bashing shield, or the parachute.
Usual price: | 14.99 $ |
Release date: | May 8, 2018 |
Trailer: | YouTube |
It offers an addition to the Nemesis System and a new fortress type. These orcs are themed after butchery and slaughter, so you can expect there will be a lot of blood and bones. This means you can expect many new Warchiefs to come out of the system.
This DLC offers the same as before - a new tribe of orcs with a new fortress added to the Nemesis system, this time themed around banditry and crime. It is very much the same as the Slaughter Tribe DLC, only with a different theme this time around.
Platforms: | Classic store price: | Key store price: | |
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Standard Edition | PC, XONE, PS4 | 49.99 $ | 5.17 $ |
Silver Edition | PC, XONE, PS4 | N/A | 9.47 $ |
Gold Edition | PC, XONE, PS4 | N/A | 12.69 $ |
Definitive Edition | PC, XONE, PS4 | 59.99 $ | N/A |
Standard Edition | Silver Edition | Gold Edition | Definitive Edition | |
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Base game | ![]() |
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Slaughter Tribe DLC | ![]() |
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Outlaw Tribe DLC | ![]() |
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The Blade of Galadriel DLC | ![]() |
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The Desolation of Mordor DLC | ![]() |
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49.99 $
49.99 $
49.99 $
5.17 $
5.49 $
5.69 $
The modern, social way
The classic, email way
Key resellers are sites that sell game keys at (usually) much lower prices than traditional retailers. They do this through a combination of ways, like selling keys that come in a bundle, that were on a sale and many other ways.
The reason why we separated them from traditional retailers is that these stores have been the subject of a divisive discussion for a long time.
The reason we include them is that you can buy keys on these sites usually for very big discounts, sometimes quite ridiculously cheap. In 99 % of cases, they will work the same as a much more expensive key would. For many people, especially people from countries with lower standards of living, this can mean big savings that have a significant impact on their life, while also playing the game and not resorting to piracy.
If you are buying on these stores, we have a few recommendations to follow: