Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Review - The Ring of Truth

[Riff Moonraker]

Dangit, dangit, dangit.... I wanted this game, but passed on it because I had already had too many picked out for the fall. I am going to have to wait, but I do plan on getting this.

 

[Pinky's Brain]

About the length, the game is pretty cheap on the PC if you shop around for a box (maybe keys too after release).

At 35 Euros I can live with 10 hours if it's good. Hell I prefer it to be short, still have to finish Divinity:OS and DG2 while Styx:MoS and DA2 are on the horizon ... so many games, so little time.

PS. I prefer more money ending up at the developer but if they make it so cheap for me to buy a box then I'll do it ...

 

[Branindain]

This game hasn't been on my radar at all, but honestly that sounds REALLLLLLY interesting. My game budget is tapped out atm, but I'll remember this.

 

[Godhead]

Yes, but can I play as Tom Bombadil?

Spoiler

 

[Michael Dunkerton]

Sounds like a great game. Why's it in Middle Earth? Who decided they wanted to make an assassination game with interesting, unique, and evolving villains, and their first thought was...."ORCS!"

 

[Elfgore]

Your review has reassured me of this game. I can't wait for Tuesday now.

I'll admit I'm curious about the nemesis system though. Is it never-ending, like once I beat the game I can still kill orcs and they'll advance as necessary. Or once I beat the game does it just go away?

 

[Krantos]

Sounds like a great game. Why's it in Middle Earth? Who decided they wanted to make an assassination game with interesting, unique, and evolving villains, and their first thought was...."ORCS!"

Was probably the other way around. Monolith was given permission to use the Brand and started building it out from there. Does seem a bit atypical though. 'Course, the way I see it, that's part of the charm of the game.

 

[happyninja42]

Yes, but can I play as Tom Bombadil?

*hisses at you* Get out of here with your prancing tree hugger shite! If it's not dark and broody, it's CRAHP! *said with Mike Meyer's Scottish accent*

Seriously though, Tom can just burn in a forest fire and I will toast marshmallows on his flaming corpse. xD

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Yeah, I think all of the vitriol responses I've seen on youtube and stuff like "Tolkien is rolling in his grave! This shit rapes the lore!" and blah blah, is somewhat tiresome. I do think they put it in the Tolkien-verse for marketing purposes, and it was effective in that regard. But yeah, it doesn't feel like a Middle-Earth thing to me.

I don't care about that. I'm not a very big fan of LoTR. It's just that we could use more fresh new IP's. And there's only so much they can do with a lore as rich as LoTR. New IP would allow a lot more creative freedom. But because it's LoTR, they can't make up a lot of new things. It's just LoTR stuff all over again.

 

[Godhead]

Yes, but can I play as Tom Bombadil?

*hisses at you* Get out of here with your prancing tree hugger shite! If it's not dark and broody, it's CRAHP! *said with Mike Meyer's Scottish accent*

Seriously though, Tom can just burn in a forest fire and I will toast marshmallows on his flaming corpse. xD

Tom is obviously the greatest and most powerful beings of Middle Earth. Even the Valar tremble at his presence.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

About the length, the game is pretty cheap on the PC if you shop around for a box (maybe keys too after release).

At 35 Euros I can live with 10 hours if it's good.

That seems to be just the main story. I've heard that other activities take more than 25h. My incredible math skills are telling me that that's at least 35h of content.

 

[happyninja42]

Yes, but can I play as Tom Bombadil?

*hisses at you* Get out of here with your prancing tree hugger shite! If it's not dark and broody, it's CRAHP! *said with Mike Meyer's Scottish accent*

Seriously though, Tom can just burn in a forest fire and I will toast marshmallows on his flaming corpse. xD

Tom is obviously the greatest and most powerful beings of Middle Earth. Even the Valar tremble at his presence.

As amusing as that post is, Tom can still go die in a fire. xD I couldn't stand him. After dragging the story through Hobbiton for painful chapter after painful chapter, Tolkien then dumps the hobbit's into one of the weirdest Big Lipped Alligator Moments in literature. Tom just prances in, acts like he's dosed to the gills on a gallon of acid, an actual gallon. Seriously I don't know where he got it, he never leaves the forest. And then he prances away, and I was like "....the fuck just happened??! Did I fall into a Timothy Leary story or something all of a sudden!?! Fuck that guy!" xD

 

[Sniper Team 4]

So the Nemesis system works then? Because that, for me, will make or break the game. It sounds like it truly lives up to all the promises that they said in the trailers. I guess, when I do get around to getting a PS4, I now have a game to get with it. This makes me smile.

 

[licktheenvelope]

Thanks Greg, excited for Tuesday... I am such a Monolith fan.

 

[happyninja42]

Yeah, I think all of the vitriol responses I've seen on youtube and stuff like "Tolkien is rolling in his grave! This shit rapes the lore!" and blah blah, is somewhat tiresome. I do think they put it in the Tolkien-verse for marketing purposes, and it was effective in that regard. But yeah, it doesn't feel like a Middle-Earth thing to me.

I don't care about that. I'm not a very big fan of LoTR. It's just that we could use more fresh new IP's. And there's only so much they can do with a lore as rich as LoTR. New IP would allow a lot more creative freedom. But because it's LoTR, they can't make up a lot of new things. It's just LoTR stuff all over again.

Oh I agree, but I do think they were banking on the LOTR brand to draw in publicity and customers. Something they might not have been able to do if it was a new IP. I'm looking forward to the game a great deal.

 

[JennAnge]

I was really looking forward to this game. My enthusiasm just took a dip. So the best motivator the creative team could come up with is the goold ol' dead-wife-and-kid cliché? Seriously? That was a hackneyed eye-rolling trope back when 'Gladiator' did it. So the death of countless rangers over the years, the defeats in Ithilien and at Osgiliath , the attack on Gondor, the possible slaugther of his fellow soldiers, that's not enough to get the character's blood boiling. No, gotta murder his wife, slaugther his kid, stomp on his puppy and burn his bible. NOW he's got a mad on. Oh yeah, Sauron is in trouble now.

The rest look surprisingly original after that unpromising start, so I guess I'll still give it a go, but no, I will not be extraordinarly motivated to defeat the armies of Mordor after that stale cliché of a beginning.

(Also like how the flashbacks are about Talion's relationship with his *father in law*. I think it's safe to guess his wife won't have much characterisation in the few minutes she survives before the plot kills her off)

 

[lastcigarette]

I have to say I'm very impressed at just how good this game is. I mean it's actually really good and it has an interesting story. Just wish I hadn't spoiler-ed it for myself by reading certain articles. It was also available for GMG's 25% of September promotion so I bought it at a discount.

 

[mrjoe94]

I still think this game would be a lot better if it were a new IP instead of LoTR. But I'm glad that it's good. It's been getting great reviews from a lot of websites.

Don't worry, I expect that when this game does well they'll take the mechanics and put it in another universe....*looks at Ubisoft*

 

[katsabas]

The rest look surprisingly original after that unpromising start, so I guess I'll still give it a go, but no, I will not be extraordinarly motivated to defeat the armies of Mordor after that stale cliché of a beginning.

Suuuuure. Because in this day and age, Tolkien's plot oughta win awards for how original it is. Good vs Evil. Never saw that coming.

Considering the fact that what you define as cliche is probably the centerpiece of Tolkien's stories, I would say your argument is misplaced.

 

[Vault101]

[quote/] Like a finely-tuned film script, you are given a very strong motive after this deliberate inciting incident and then you're thrust out into the world. [/quote]
OH YAY DEAD WIFEY!

I guess the game has the excuse of being good....unlike watch dogs

Suuuuure. Because in this day and age, Tolkien's plot oughta win awards for how original it is. Good vs Evil. Never saw that coming.

Considering the fact that what you define as cliche is probably the centerpiece of Tolkien's stories, I would say your argument is misplaced.

I can accept the fact that LOTR was never a batchdel test passing type of story...and it IS LOTR so certain elements of being cliche are a given

HOWEVER

that does give it a free pass for "dead wifey and kid" I'm sorry but that shit has gotten beyond old...

.
The rest look surprisingly original after that unpromising start, so I guess I'll still give it a go, but no, I will not be extraordinarly motivated to defeat the armies of Mordor after that stale cliché of a beginning.

if anything it actually seriously puts me off, its like it adds to me "don't give a fuck" meter