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It introduced a plot to save Middle-earth by delaying Sauron’s advances and giving the people of Gondor and other regions more time to come to their senses and mount a defense ahead of the events of The Lord of the Rings. In the last game, Monolith showed that it could extend the Tolkien universe to new characters that I really cared about, like Celebrimbor and Talion. I think the tale of Talion has some brilliant aspects. For those who want a straight shot through the story, it can be annoying. For people who want a near-endless campaign, this is a good thing. Just when I thought I was done with a campaign thread, new missions appeared in the other parts of the campaign. You also get a final cut scene at the end of the Siege Battle missions, and it comes after a long slog through the fortress battles.Įach mission can take a half hour or more, not counting the time it takes to replay it if you fail. You can find diversions in the forest of Carnan which eventually unlock the missions of the elf woman warrior, Eltariel, and it is her story that leads us to the conclusion of the main tale. You start out in Minas Ithil, and you bear witness to how it become Minas Morgul, which is a compelling narrative that feels like the main thread. The single-player campaign is gigantic, with eight types of campaign missions, and you unlock these as you progress through the story. I have counted more than 63 missions, not counting a bunch of Nemesis Orc duels and Celebrimbor’s reminiscences about the history of the One Ring during the Second Age. Shadow of Mordor had a big open world, but the world of Shadow of War is about three times bigger, with a huge density of missions and tasks to perform. It’s a massive single-player campaign in a huge open world Their challenge to Sauron is clearly going to end in some kind of tragedy, as Talion plays no role in The Lord of the Rings. Talion and Celebrimbor begin the second game on Mount Doom, where they forge a new ring for Talion to challenge Sauron. As a result, Talion doesn’t fully trust Celebrimbor, and that lack of trust is something a temptress, Shelob, exploits. While Talion wants to help people and save lives, Celebrimbor simply wants to amass power to use against Sauron. Celebrimbor wants his revenge, and Talion is his vessel. In the first game, the 2014’s Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Talion uses his powers to start a civil war among the Orcs in an attempt to take the throne from the Dark Lord. It tells a brilliant story of a Ranger, Talion, who is brought back from the dead by the wraith (ghost) of Celebrimbor, a great elven smith whom Sauron deceived into entrapping the world of Middle-earth through the Rings of Power. Shadow of War (out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One) is massive, and it should keep you occupied for a long time. I have finished all of the 63 story-based missions, and I would estimate I’m well into 50 hours of gameplay on my PlayStation 4 review copy. Monolith has done a great job fleshing out the culture of the flesh-eating orcs of Mordor. That said, I found some sticky issues that the game raises that aren’t so easy to digest, and they detract from the story’s impact. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

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It is full of new characters, new stories, and new adventures that take place in the 60 years between the events of J.R.R. It’s a huge open world that I have enjoyed exploring over the past dozen days, and I could easily see myself spending many more hours exploring. Register today.Īny review of Middle-earth: Shadow of War has to acknowledge that it is a monumental achievement from developer Monolith and publisher Warner Bros. Interested in learning what's next for the gaming industry? Join gaming executives to discuss emerging parts of the industry this October at GamesBeat Summit Next.