However, I will say that the overall presentation of the in-game market, and the bizarre insertion of loot crates into the world of Mordor, is more than a little jarring. The controversy surrounding Shadow of War‘s loot boxes was overblown, in my opinion. A level 60 Talion can warp the mind of any orc and change them into an ally, turning a fearsome foe into a deadly ally. The rewards here are significant and can rapidly speed the endgame process up, which may be enough to get some players to drop serious dollar, but for online play the advantage becomes increasingly moot. I’ve completed Daily Quests which reward Gold and Mirian, and used what I’ve earned to buy bundles of chests. I haven’t put any money into Shadow of War‘s microtransactions. It’s a pretty cool feature, but after 100+ fights, I wish there was a “Skip Fight Sequence” function! You don’t actually control the fighter, but you can at least see the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy and plan accordingly. Orcs take each other on in one-on-one combat and the winner gets a boost. The easiest way of ranking orcs is to make them battle in the Fighting Pits. Legendaries have proven incredibly rare for me to hunt down in the wild, while Epics are fairly common (in my experience). A max (or almost max) level Talion has proven to be an incredibly powerful force.ĭon’t get me wrong, it definitely doesn’t hurt to have high-level orcs watching your back. Perhaps if the opposing player was physically controlling them, I might have a bigger problem, but even the scariest (potentially paid-for) orcs can be felled with careful combat and clever ability use. While they are tougher to beat and possess more strengths, they haven’t proven to be frustratingly overpowered. Occasionally, I’ll come across a fortress that’s loaded with high-level Legendary orcs. (I did this for fun, and just to see if it was possible!) Hell, I’ve managed to successfully take over a high-level fortress with no special unit support whatsoever. With that said, as Online Sieges become more predictable, the easier they become to beat. Taking part in the game’s multiplayer is one way of getting better orcs, though the process is slow and can become repetitive. It’s the equivalent of grinding to Power Level 305 in Destiny 2! There are sidequests to complete and collectibles to find, which all grant better loot and help you grow stronger. Like with Bungie’s “living shooter,” Shadow of War‘s final challenge isn’t supposed to be a simple walk in the park. Shadow of War‘s endgame feels very similar to that of Destiny 2, with Daily Quests and random loot drops. You’ve got to remember that reviewers are often in a rush to complete a game and meet the embargo. Microtransactions will indeed speed things up, but there’s not an enormous pressure to invest. It increases the grind significantly, and clearly isn’t intended to be rushed. This final chapter frustrated a lot of reviewers, and I can understand why. I achieved the “first ending” and began to work my way towards the “true ending.”ĥ0 hours have passed since I began the final act, “Shadow Wars”.

at launch, and just loving every moment of it. Hell, I’d wager that many of you didn’t even know that Shadow of War had a player-versus-player component… Well, it does, though it might not be what you’re expecting! You see, Online Sieges in Shadow of War use real-player armies, but are controlled by AI.Īt launch, I binged the Shadow of War single-player campaign, staying up until 5 a.m. It might seem unusual to see Middle-earth: Shadow of War featured here on MP1st, as it’s known mostly for its single-player component.

Middle earth shadow of mordor coop