Middle-earth: Shadow of War Gold Edition - PlayStation 4

If you played the first game, this is really just more of the same, but expanded, more complicated, and with lots of new features. Similar to the first, you gain your abilities through playing, but now you're in much more complex environments, and there are a lot more dynamics to the enemies. You really need to build up a lot of your abilities first -- in hard mode -- before you try consistently taking down the captains. Also, now, you get the ability to earn and find new weapons/clothes (there are 5 upgradeable features to your character) that can also have these gem add-on things for enhanced abilities like better XP gain or quicker health recovery and such. It definitely adds a nice depth to let you customize what kind of play style you want to have with your character. If you always wanna run in head first, you probably want more and faster health regen, but also some XP boosting so you can get new powers quicker in the skill tree. The story is entertaining, but immediately non-sensical and very contrived -- why even trust the spider lady to begin with!?!? No justification. But it definitely doesn't detract from the fun. It's a big big big world and earning the fast travel towers is definitely necessary, but you'll still find yourself running around a lot, there really is a TON of stuff to collect and all that, but you could argue that after you make it through the 2nd city, you're probably gonna start noticing a lot of repeating tasks. But that being said, there seems to be a good handful of different abilities and upgrades, so the play style is kinda complex and you need to adjust for the situations or you're gonna die and restart from a tower a lot. Playing on hard difficulty, only played for less than 12 total hours.

The team at Monolith caught lightning in a bottle with Shadow of Mordor. Despite low initial sales, the original take on Tolkien's epic universe connected with fans due to engaging gameplay, immersive graphics, and the groundbreaking Nemesis system. I recently played through the original in anticipation of the sequel's release, and I experienced all new characters and interactions. Enter Shadow of War, and the forging of a new Ring of Power. While the storyline is not quite as tight as the original, the gameplay and set-pieces are bigger and better. Orcs are more diverse, Olog-hai are mountainous threats, and the environment is more sprawling than ever before. A lot has been made about online purchases and "pay to win" microtransactions. You don't need to spend a dollar more on this game to enjoy it or get to the real ending. Like many Action-RPG games, there is a grinding element in the mid to late game. Be ready for it, and don't shy away from hunting collectibles or engaging in the Nemesis system. If you only spend $60, you'll more than get your money's worth. Why it can be repetitive, I found the fighting mechanics to be just as fun as the original. There is a real rush when you've taken on 50+ enemies in a sudden ambush only to emerge victorious. If you liked the original, this is a no-brainer. If you didn't like the original, wait for a sale.

I've got about 24 hours into the game, and I am taking my time. I've reach level 20, and I've not completed "Act II". I enjoy the combat and story. From the start of the game it feels like you pick up from right where Shadow of Mordor left off. You are slightly de-powered, but have the relative same move set. It would be consider a DLC if not for all of the upgrades. It is significantly more difficult than SOM when playing on the Nemesis difficulty setting. If you take on Higher ranking Orcs and War Chiefs you need to understand there weakness. I've taken down a level 26 orc at level 14, but it was after I learned to exploit his weakness. The Orc interaction is hilarious, it made my wife watch the game as I was getting ambushed and killed and the trash talking orc made her LOL. Thus the upgraded Nemesis is nearly worth the price of admission. The loot boxes and pay to "advance" are a draw back and definitely warrant a loss of a star. If you pay for an orc to be upgraded and the orc dies... well lets just say, I'm not willing to find out if they come back. Otherwise it is a solid bug free game, (so far) that continues a story that I enjoyed. The gold addition is the best buy, or wait for the inevitable GOTY addition.

This game is a nice improvement over the SoM game which came out several years earlier. This review is without the DLC added. Pros: Improved Nemesis system. Difficulty selection. More enemy units on screen. Stylized upgrades for different styles of play. Different weapons with flavor text. Online PVP in the form of Fortress Assaults. Orcs (Uruks) can betray you, even "Store bought" ones. Cons: Even on Nemesis difficulty the game is easy. If you do not die Vendetta missions (yours) will not appear and you lose out on spoils. "Store bought Orcs" I put this as a con because most hate micro-transactions. I really do not care about them but I did find it funny when they betrayed me within the first 5 minutes of deployment. Game mechanics: The orcs you are interacting with can disappear or forget their in a fight if you go beyond a certain level in height or space. Like an invisible fence that turns off missions or dismisses friendly orcs. All in all, another great game and I would recommend it to anyone who played Shadow of Mordor (SoM). The game is not challenging, even on hardest mode, if you adapt in a fight the same way the orcs do.

The Gold edition comes with a Gold War Chest code, 4 expansions in One Pass code (Slaughter Tribe, Outlaw Tribe, The Blade General, The Desolation of Mordor, and a cool steel case. Pre-Order code came to my registered email 3hrs after I picked up the game from the store, since I ordered it online, next time, I will pre-order it in-store, because they said I will get any codes at the time of pick-up. Playing this on a PS4 Pro, it looks the same as my friend's regular PS4. Gameplay is about the same, just with more venues and the Nemesis system is better than the original game (which you can import...have to replay the first one again because I deleted my saves!) I waited for the GOTY edition on the first game, this one is worth buying and playing at release.

If you played the first game, this will feel much like that. But, with the addition of stronghold sieges and the sheer amount of variation in the Uruks, this is not just a copy paste from the original. The depth of creating your own army that rivals Sauron's can feel grindy at times, when you keep dying to a tough Nemesis, which can happen often, but the unique stories you get from those experiences are simply awesome. The addition of a loot system is also very welcome. The main issue I have with the loot system is that your armor and weapon models don't translate over to the pre scripted cutscenes. Now, on the loot boxes. They aren't a big deal. You can completely ignore them if you wish, and you can't get any gear or Uruks better than your current level. It's a fair system, and 100% optional. I can and have recommended this game to friends that were fans of the first and those that didn't play the first.

OK. Some games are complaining about the whole Orc slavery thing. Not a big deal for me. I like that Orcs have more personality and character than the last time. The gameplay is a little harder at first. I don't like that you have to choose an additional perk per skill (would have preferred a tree format like Dante's Inferno or others). Anyway, the graphics are beautiful, the attack/defend fortress is fun. And I like to wreck havoc in Mordor. YOU ARE MINE!!!!!!!!!! I won't talk about the microtransactions..... honestly you can get anything playing the regular game. THE MARKET WILL NOT MAKE THE GAME SHORTER! The only useful perks are the 2XP and 2x SOW. Jump in enjoy the game, dominate some Orcs, build up an army, kill those who desert, shame them and drive them crazy. Great experience.

If you loved the first one like I did, you'll agree this one's even better with a bigger world to explore, more stuff to collect, new combat moves and of course there's an improved Nemesis system that gives you more options to gameplay. Also, this game does offer Loot Boxes that can be bought with real money that give you certain advantages in the game and alot of folks are upset by this. But forget all that. This game can be beat the old fashioned way by putting the work in, or grinding as they say, but if you want the easy way out, that's an option. I bought the Gold edition which includes the season pass and saved $20 as a Best Buy Gamers Club Unlocked member, which I highly recommend as well. This game is insanely fun and you should get it!