Middle-Earth: Shadow of War now offers a free demo. Additionally the game recently removed its marketplace and revised its end-game to be less grindy.

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Play Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ for FREE with our all-new demo! Links to all platforms available at www.ShadowofWar.com! Build an army of unique Orc followers and lead them in a fortress assault deep in the heart of Mordor. Take down the overlord and replace him with your own ally! Your new overlord will follow you into the full version of the game once you purchase.

The Shadow of War DLC Desolation of Mordor is disappointing according to Cog Connected.

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While you do take the reigns of another character – Baranor – who has some unique controls and features, the DLC as a whole simply fails to draw the player in and instead makes poor use of game mechanics to drag out the story as opposed to relying on quality content. Curious what we mean? Have you been thinking of picking up the DLC for yourself? Check out our thoughts below.

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DSOGaming reports that Middle-Earth: Shadow of War will be removing microtransactions, including Gold, War Chests, and the Market by July 17th. In addition the game will be receiving some free updates.

Monolith has announced that it will release some new free updates for Middle-earth: Shadow of War in the next months. As such, the team will be permanently removing Gold, War Chests and the Market from the game, something that will please a lot of players.

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Capsule Computers reviewed Middle-Earth: Shadow of War:

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War Review

Overview
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War continues the adventures of Talion the Ranger and Celebrimbor the jewelcrafter. With Sauron marching upon Menis Ethil, Talion and Celebrimbor must find unlikely allies to build an army to defeat Sauron. The sequel builds on Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor to include a follower system that intertwines with the series’ signature Nemesis system and a larger world to explore.

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Overall
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War is a worthy sequel to Shadow of Mordor. While the game is not a ground-breaking title like its predecessor, Shadow of War feels like a tightly executed evolution. The improvements to the Nemesis system is excellent and the combat is fantastic. The audio/visual experience is really a modernized version of Shadow of Mordor, which is not a bad thing at all. The decision to include microtransactions in a single player game is understandably contentious. Whether microtransactions in a single player, AAA title is a good or bad thing can be debated until the end of time. While Shadow of War’s implementation of microtransaction isn’t perfect, it is one of the better examples. Unless you have serious issues with the game on principle, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War is a solid open-world title that deserves to be in every gamer’s library.

Score: 8.5/10

HotHardware reviewed Middle-earth: Shadow of War:

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War Review, PC Gameplay And Performance With Orc-Slaying Fun

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War - Good Times Killing Orcs

The war resumes in Middle-Earth Shadow of War and we’re on the front-lines reporting in with a fresh review and performance analysis. This month Warner Bros. Interactive released their action-RPG sequel to 2014’s Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. Middle-Earth: Shadow of War is here placing players in the familiar shoes of Talion, a highly-capable human Ranger with special powers. Together with the dead Elf King Celebrimbor, whom shares his body, they must use their combined skills to traverse the various lands of Middle-Earth, dispatching or "Dominating" the many Orc hordes in hopes of amassing an army formidable enough to topple Sauron for good.
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Even now, we can’t wait to jump back in to Middle Earth: Shadow of War. The game really is that fun. We have much of Middle-Earth still to claim and more army-building, which means more satisfying Orc-brainwashing. Plus we have several Orc captains who’ve made our Nemesis list. They may be sneering and gloating now, but Middle-Earth: Shadow of War is one of few games that pokes at your vindictive side so intimately and continues to antagonize the player to take action. And take action you will, over and over, as these two key game mechanics never seem to get old. Middle Earth: Shadow of War - we highly recommend it.

Hot

• Epic, engaging battles
• Combat is fluid, hard-hitting, sastisfying
• Bolstered Nemesis system adds fun factor
• Varied and personal engagements
• Larger setting variety and solid visuals
• Addictive army-building

Not   

• Lack-luster story line not true to lore
• Graphic engine beginning to show age
• Mild control issues

The Mirror has reviewed Middle-earth: Shadow of War:

Shadow of War review: Intense and exhilarating battles across Middle-earth

Tolkien's land presents another epic adventure - even if it is hampered by micro-transactions in the form of loot boxes

Actions have consequences; a blatantly obvious statement you might say, but this is something that plays a huge part in the twists and turns that Middle-earth: Shadow of War has in store for gamers.

Those who have had the pleasure of playing the game’s predecessor, Shadow of Mordor (SoM), will be familiar with protagonist Talion, accompanied by Elven spirit Celebrimbor, and his quest to rid the world of the Dark Lord, Sauron. The open-RPG takes players back to into the fight – set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy – where our hero has wielded a new Ring of Power to help in the quest to terminate Sauron and the Nazgul, as well as armies and tribes of Orcs, Olog-hai, Caragors and any other beast which poses a threat.

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Aside from the microtransactions, the game boasts vast exploration in a world that lights the candle of imagination, burning as bright as the fiery eye atop of Sauron’s tower. The combat is fun, with large fortress battles and side missions including a fierce conflict with a flaming Balrog creating that authentic Lord of the Rings-style atmosphere.

Shadow of War is up there in with the best when it comes to great action RPG experiences and you’ll have hours of fun smashing your way through enemies in an abrupt fashion, or stealthily assassinating your targets from bushes or rooftops.

Score: 4/5

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War has been released:

OnlySP - Interview with Monolith’s community manager, Andy Salisbury:

New Nemeses and More Mechanics: How Monolith is Expanding Middle-Earth in Shadow of War

Gamepressure - Information:

Middle-earth: Shadow of War will take up almost 100 GB of your PC's disk space

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Game Watcher interviewed Andy Salisbury, Monolith's community manager, about Shadow of War:

Andy Salisbury from Monolith chats unique player experiences, online, Nemesis, and getting into FPSs again

The second Middle-Earth game from Monolith Productions, Shadow of War, is almost here. We’ve already checked out the game and it’s playing, well, a lot like Shadow of Mordor, just with a little more riding dragons and facing Balrogs. Which is honestly no bad thing. But we wanted a bit more depth to the making of the game, so we also sat down for a chat with Andy Salisbury from Monolith to give us some insight into Shadow or War. We chatted Nemesis, Orc Tribes, Multiplayer, and whether Monolith will ever get back into making FPSs again.

Andy’s the Community Manager for Monolith but he’s also a Writer on both Middle-Earth games. Consequently the first thing we asked him about probably should’ve been the story, instead of, er, whether the sequel to Shadow of Mordor was set in Mordor. “It stretches out beyond Mordor a little!” Andy admits. “At the beginning you witness the siege of Minas Ithil, where it gets taken over by the Nazgul and becomes Minas Morgul. You get to help defend that siege, and actually get to start in Gondor.”
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Farflame spotted a new trailer for Shadow of War:

Official Middle-earth: Shadow of War
“Campaign That Never Forgets” Trailer

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Farflame spotted a skills guide for Shadow of War on PCGamesN and the new Orc trailer:

Official Shadow of War Orc Tales Trailer

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Here's a trailer about the Orc Marauder tribe in Middle-Earth: Shadow of War:

Official Shadow of War Marauder Tribe Trailer

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Marauders. Power. Respect. — Say hello to your next Orc tribe in Middle-earth: Shadow of War.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War will have a marketplace with in-game purchases. Needless to say this is a somewhat controversial move for a single player game.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War
Introducing the Market - Announcement

The innovative Nemesis System created unique personal stories through procedurally-generated enemies who remember every encounter and are differentiated by their personality, strengths and weaknesses. Middle-earth: Shadow of War expands this innovation with the introduction of followers who bring about entirely new stories of loyalty, betrayal and revenge. The Nemesis System is also expanded to create a unique personal world through Nemesis fortresses, which allows players to utilize different strategies to conquer dynamic strongholds and create personalized worlds with their unique Orc army.

An important aspect of the Nemesis System now comes in forging, customizing and leading your own army of unique Orc followers against the fortresses of Mordor. There are different ways to do this, including dominating Orcs by exploring the vast open-world and encountering them as part of Orc society, or players can acquire Orcs and other items through the Market (in-game store).

Through the Market, players can purchase Loot Chests, War Chests, XP Boosts and Bundles (accessed only with an internet connection).

• Loot Chests contain Gear (weapons and armor) of varying rarity. Equipping and upgrading these weapons and armor enhance Talion's character abilities. Loot Chests can also contain XP Boosts that help level up Talion faster.

• War Chests provide Orc followers of varying rarity to help forge a strong army. They can also contain Training Orders to level up and customize Orc followers.
• XP Boosts are consumables that help level up Talion faster.
• Bundles package up Loot Chests, War Chests and Boosts together at a great value.

 

To purchase these items, players can spend Mirian or Gold throughout the game as one progresses. Mirian is a type of in-game currency that can be acquired by:

• Defeating Treasure Orcs
• Destroying Gear for Mirian
• Destroying Orc followers for Gear (which can be destroyed for Mirian)
• Finding Mirian stashes throughout the game

 

Gold is another form of in-game currency that can be used to get higher level Loot Chests, War Chests, Boosts and Bundles of the aforementioned content. Gold can be acquired by:

• Purchasing through the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store or by adding to your Steam Wallet using real money.
• Awarded in small amounts at specific milestones.
• Awarded for participating in community challenges.

 

Please note: No content in the game is gated by Gold. All content can be acquired naturally through normal gameplay.

What is Mirian and how do I earn it?

• Mirian is a form of in-game currency that players earn by playing the game. Along with Gold, Mirian can be used to purchase Loot Chests and War Chests from the Market. Mirian can be acquired by:
• Defeating Treasure Orcs
• Destroying Gear for Mirian
• Destroying Orc followers for Gear (which can be destroyed for Mirian)
• Finding Mirian stashes throughout the game

What is Gold and how do I earn it?

Gold is a form of in-game currency awarded in small amounts at specific milestones and for participating in community challenges. It can also be purchased for real money through the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store and by adding funds to your Steam Wallet. Along with Mirian, Gold can be used to purchase Loot Chests, War Chests and Boosts from the Market.

What can I get with Gold?

Along with Mirian, players can use Gold to purchase Loot Chests that contain Gear for Talion (weapons and armor), War Chests that provide Orcs for your army of followers and Boosts that help level up Talion faster.

Do I have to pay for Gold?

No, Gold is awarded in small amounts at specific milestones and for participating in community challenges. It can also be purchased through the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store and by adding funds to your Steam Wallet using real money. Everything a player can buy with Gold can also be earned in the game over time for free, but Gold gives players the option to acquire these items faster. No Gold purchases are necessary to enjoy the complete game experience.

What do you mean when you say Gold can save time?

By simply engaging with the world and playing through Middle-earth: Shadow of War, you earn items like Gear for Talion and unique Orcs for your army. These are the same items that are found in the Market within Loot Chests and War Chests. Gold merely allows you to get your hands on them immediately, cutting down some of the additional time that would have been spent winning more battles, tracking nemeses, completing quests and assaulting fortresses.

Does Gold give me an advantage in the game?

No, Gold does not give you any advantage over other players. A player who invests enough time can progress the same amount and have access to the same content as a player who purchases Gold. Gold is not required to progress or advance in the game at all.

Are there unique items in the market purchased using Gold that you can't get through normal play?

No, all of the aforementioned items can be earned playing through the game. Gold merely allows you to get your hands on them immediately.

How much does Gold cost?

Prices for Gold will be communicated at a later date.

Learn more about a very unique Ork in Shadow of War portrayed by Kumail Nanjiani:

Official Shadow of War - Kumail Nanjiani as The Agonizer - Trailer

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Farflame spotted the Middle-earth: Shadow of War Shelop reveal trailer:

Official Shadow of War Shelob Reveal Trailer

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Shelob - you know her name, but what of her intentions? Can you trust the Spider?

@PCInvasion Shadow of War will allow you to import your nemesis from Shadow of Mordor.

Warner Bros will be letting players of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor import their top Nemesis and Follower to Middle-earth: Shadow of War.

With the Nemesis Forge, the personal stories that were created in the first game can be carried over by importing the highest ranking Nemesis and Orc Follower. Simply put, it’s a neat way to carry over the story into the new game if you played the first game.

New players obviously won’t have access to a Nemesis import so to address that Warner is making Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor free on Steam from today until 9 July. The trailer below demonstrates how this will work.

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@Gamebanshee The developers behind Middle Earth: Shadow of War did a livestream recently and showed off a story mission.

The first post-E3 Middle-earth: Shadow of War developer livestream features a story mission from the game's second act that introduces the nature spirit Carnan, who the developers describe as Mordor's Tom Bombadil. And then we get a brief Q&A session with Michael de Plater, Monolith's Creative VP. Check out the VOD:

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Twinfinite reports that Shadow of War's Nemesis system will be better in comparison to Shadow of Mordor:

5 Big Improvements Coming to Shadow of War’s Nemesis System

More Variation, More Choices

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor’s Nemesis system was easily the most unique aspect about the game, making it something truly memorable that even garnered multiple Game of the Year Awards. Well Monolith isn’t content with what they had in the first title, as they’ve drastically improved the Nemesis system, adding in more variation and choices than ever before. At E3 2017 we got an extensive hands-on session with the game, where we got to see a few of the new changes in action.

The basics of the system are intact, requiring you to damage enemy chieftains and leaders before you’re able to dominate them. Bringing up the main menu displays a whole hierarchy of enemy forces, leading all the way up to the army’s leader. During my time with Shadow of War I decided to first take down an enemy Warchief, warping him to my side in order to boost my forces and weaken the enemies’ before taking the Fortress Siege head on. Of course, much like the first game, in order to make the Warchief appear I needed to meet a few requirements.

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PCGamesN has compiled all trailers for Middle-earth: Shadow of War.

Thank you for the info, Farflame!

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War will now release October 10th according to Monolith.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War will now launch worldwide on Oct. 10, 2017**.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War expands gameplay in every dimension, including the massive open world, the story, the RPG systems, and personal player stories of the Nemesis System. As with Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Monolith is committed to delivering the highest quality experience. In order to do this, we have made the difficult decision to move our launch date to ensure that Middle-earth: Shadow of War will deliver on that promise.

We understand that it might be disappointing to have to wait a little longer for the release and are sorry for the delay, but we are working hard to make an amazing game. We're excited to show more at E3.

- The Middle-earth: Shadow of War Team

**Some territories such as Australia, New Zealand and Japan will have a different release date.

Gamereactor checked out Middle-earth: Shadow of War:

Middle-earth: Shadow of War Hands-on

Everyone will walk the same path in this sequel to Shadow of Mordor, but it's the Nemesis system that makes each playthrough unique.

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During a recent tour of preview events hosted by Warner Bros., we were given two separate opportunities to play through a siege mission similar to one previously seen in the first gameplay trailer for Middle-earth: Shadow of War (see above). With our own army ready for battle, we stormed the well-protected fortress of an orcish overlord, our goal being to wrestle control of the base from him as part of our ongoing war with Sauron.

We initiated the siege mission by approaching a marker in the game's open world. This part of returning hero Talion's adventure was roughly half way through the game (which apparently means that it equates to around 15 hours of play time). Before the actual battle takes place we took a closer look at the two rival armies and what they each have to offer. Each base has an overlord, and below him there are several warchiefs, and all of them are part of a tribe which in turn influences the appearance and fortifications of the castle. For example, we were up against a menacing enemy force that had tortured orc bodies strung up on the battlements for a grizzly visual effect.

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Farflame spotted a new trailer for Middle-earth: Shadow of War:

Shadow of War: "Dominate the Open World"

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IGN is showing several alpha gameplay videos for the open world action RPG Middle-earth: Shadow of War on Youtube:

Shadow of War: The New Nemesis System Revealed

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Monolith pulls back the curtain on the fully upgraded Nemesis system that drives everything in Middle-earth: Shadow of War.

Shadow of War: Weapons and Gear Detailed

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Learn how the equipment system works, where to find epic and legendary gear, and how augment all of it to fit your play style.

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TSA has interviewed Kevin Stephen, Studio Head of Monolith Productions about the Shadow of Mordor sequel Shadow of War:

Kevin Stephen On Nemeses, Fortresses And Naming Middle-earth: Shadow Of War

More-dor.

After the success of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, a sequel was never really in doubt, and Monolith and Warner Bros. have now revealed what they’ve been working on for the past few years. This is Shadow of Mordor taken much, much further, with a Nemesis system that now affects how the world evolves, raising your own army, and so much more.

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TSA: Obviously, one of the biggest things in Shadow of Mordor was the Nemesis system, and I think a lot of people saw this as something that would influence where other open world games, a little like how Arkham Asylum’s combat proliferated. We haven’t really seen that happen, though, why do you think that is? Is it time? Complexity?

Kevin: My theory is just that it’s really hard to do.

Well, I have a few theories. I think the key one is that it’s hard. It took us a long time to build the system and we were very focussed on it. […] I also think that the fact that time always moves forward in our game means that if somebody goes, “OK, we’re going to do this,” and starts thinking about what they need to make it work, it’s a bit more complex than some people think and how your game systems really need to support it.

That’s probably the key reason, but I also think that designers don’t like to copy other designers, so there’s some ego involved too. Even if they want to do it, there might be people pushing back and saying they can do their own thing.

But I don’t know. I don’t have insight and a game could be announced tomorrow that has something like the Nemesis system – they wouldn’t call it that, I’m sure. It would be great to see other games do something similar.

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Monolith showed IGN some Shadow of War gameplay:

Shadow of War: Minas Ithil Gameplay Walkthrough in 4K

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Monolith gives us a first look at gameplay within the walls of the human city, Minas Ithil.

Here's the official gameplay walkthrough for Middle-earth: Shadow of War:

Official Shadow of War Gameplay Walkthrough

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The war for Mordor begins. Watch the official gameplay walkthrough for Middle-earth: Shadow of War.