Middle Earth: Shadow of War

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Isgrimnur
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Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Isgrimnur »

The Verge
Our first look of the long-awaited sequel to 2014’s Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor appears to have leaked early thanks to a Target listing today.

The follow-up, titled Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, appears to continue the story of Talion (and the wraith Celebrimbor that possesses him), as the duo continue to seek vengeance against the Dark Lord Sauron.
...
Target’s listing notes that Shadow of War will also feature the return of Shadow of Mordor’s unique Nemesis System, in which the specific enemies who defeated you grow stronger and return to battle you again, adding a constantly changing personal element to each play-through.

The Target page claims that Shadow of War will be released on August 22nd for both Xbox One and PS4, but given the early nature of the leak, it’s best to take that date with a grain of salt.
And, one would hope, PC.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Smoove_B »

Isgrimnur wrote:And, one would hope, PC.
I'd assume so, yeah. Quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this game and I'm looking forward to this one as well.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Smoove_B »

Here's the trailer....coming 8/22/17.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Daehawk »

PS4, Xbox One (including Project Scorpio), Steam, and Windows 10

The respawning ruined the first one for me. Before Id kill the last guy sometimes they'd all respawn.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Kurth »

In. I loved the first one, and the Nemesis system was really something special. Can't wait for this!
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by coopasonic »

Kurth wrote:In. I loved the first one, and the Nemesis system was really something special. Can't wait for this!
Yup. I am so far in I am practically out the other side.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by El Guapo »

Yeah, I'm excited for this too - really enjoyed the first.

Plot wise - I know that video games generally aren't "canon", but do these games purport to be consistent with the books / movies? That would seem to limit the possibilities for how the games couldu ultimately end.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by NickAragua »

The only complaint I have about this game is the name. It sounds like one of those cheap knockoff iphone games. "Game of Craftwar", etc.

The storyline was not what I would call the main draw of the first one. I also didn't really like the randomly respawning orcs, but if they didn't respawn, I'd have the whole map cleared out in about twenty minutes of gameplay. It's not very difficult to get me to buy this game a couple years later at sale price, just get me more areas and more orcs to brutally murder and I'll be good to go.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by El Guapo »

NickAragua wrote:The only complaint I have about this game is the name. It sounds like one of those cheap knockoff iphone games. "Game of Craftwar", etc.

The storyline was not what I would call the main draw of the first one. I also didn't really like the randomly respawning orcs, but if they didn't respawn, I'd have the whole map cleared out in about twenty minutes of gameplay. It's not very difficult to get me to buy this game a couple years later at sale price, just get me more areas and more orcs to brutally murder and I'll be good to go.
Yeah randomly respawning orcs seemed entirely right to me, seeing as how you were running around Mordor, where the supply of orcs should be effectively limitless. It would be more thematically wrong (and morally wrong, I suppose) if you could wipe out all the orcs in Mordor by yourself.

The fact that named nemeses could return after you killed them bothered me a little bit, though. I mean, it's not like there was any doubt about whether they were actually dead.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by NickAragua »

El Guapo wrote:
NickAragua wrote:The only complaint I have about this game is the name. It sounds like one of those cheap knockoff iphone games. "Game of Craftwar", etc.

The storyline was not what I would call the main draw of the first one. I also didn't really like the randomly respawning orcs, but if they didn't respawn, I'd have the whole map cleared out in about twenty minutes of gameplay. It's not very difficult to get me to buy this game a couple years later at sale price, just get me more areas and more orcs to brutally murder and I'll be good to go.
Yeah randomly respawning orcs seemed entirely right to me, seeing as how you were running around Mordor, where the supply of orcs should be effectively limitless. It would be more thematically wrong (and morally wrong, I suppose) if you could wipe out all the orcs in Mordor by yourself.

The fact that named nemeses could return after you killed them bothered me a little bit, though. I mean, it's not like there was any doubt about whether they were actually dead.
Hey, you'd be surprised how many people survive being stabbed twenty times then decapitated.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Tao »

I will be very curious to see how many folks will be in day one at $60 for the standard edition. I bought the entire Shadows of Mordor package with something like a dozen DLC for $7.50 last year. Granted it was 2 years after release but the game played just the same and my enjoyment was not diminished, particularly as a single player game. Wonder if the hefty price tag is due to Middle-Earth IP costs?
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

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50-60 dollars is still new release pricing for the majority of big budget games.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Scoop20906 »

In. I loved this game for the nemesis system. It got repetitive after a while so I hope they increase the difficulty of the nemesis battles. Also, I loved being surprised to see an old enemy I killed somehow survived. Great gaming moments.


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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

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GreenGoo wrote:50-60 dollars is still new release pricing for the majority of big budget games.
Yeah, every new AAA game is $60 now. I generally pre-order at green man for $45-$49. I am not good at waiting, I'm generally easy to please and I have the money.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Smoove_B »

PC System specs:
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
MINIMUM:
OS: Windows 7 SP1 with Platform Update for Windows 7
Processor: Intel i5-2550K, 3.4 GHz
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: GeForce GTX 670 | Radeon HD 7950
DirectX: Version 11
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 60 GB available space

RECOMMENDED:
OS: Windows 10 version 14393.102 or higher required
Processor: Intel Core i7-3770, 3.4 GHz
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: GeForce GTX 970 or GeForce GTX 1060 | Radeon R9 290X or Radeon RX 480
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 60 GB available space
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Isgrimnur »

It's officially time for a new rig.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Smoove_B »

I'm not sure if we're at a tipping point, but is this one of the first "new generation" games that is recommending an i7 processor? I've long suspected that day was coming sooner than later.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Blackhawk »

coopasonic wrote:
GreenGoo wrote:50-60 dollars is still new release pricing for the majority of big budget games.
Yeah, every new AAA game is $60 now.
It isn't like it's a new development, either. 20 years ago it was $50, and it has been $60 for probably a decade. Adjusted for inflation, that $50 from 1997 (when I first started PC gaming) should cost right at $75 now rather than $60. Games are actually getting cheaper.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Smoove_B »

Blackhawk wrote: Games are actually getting cheaper.
Image

(one for the older crowd)
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by baelthazar »

Blackhawk wrote:
coopasonic wrote:
GreenGoo wrote:50-60 dollars is still new release pricing for the majority of big budget games.
Yeah, every new AAA game is $60 now.
It isn't like it's a new development, either. 20 years ago it was $50, and it has been $60 for probably a decade. Adjusted for inflation, that $50 from 1997 (when I first started PC gaming) should cost right at $75 now rather than $60. Games are actually getting cheaper.
This is true. IIRC, the price for Ultima VI in 1990 was $59.99 (the first PC game I remember "buying" in the store). That is equal to around $110 in buying power, according to the Consumer Price Index.

I loved the original, so I am totally in on this one. I will get it for PS4, because I loved playing on the big screen!
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Max Peck »

Steam now has details on the standard/silver/gold editions of the game.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by $iljanus »

16 min gameplay video

PS4 version since I'm getting it on the PS4. I love their expansion of the Nemesis system which now includes dominated Orcs who are now your minions! Oh and the chop chop slash arrow in the knee footage helps sell the game too.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

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I watched the video again just now. Theres little things I missed the first time. That is a badass video though. I really loved that one crazy orc that screamed "He's a demon!!!" hahaha Im glad he lived. The battles, the graphics, and the unique bosses are really great looking. I smiled the entire video again.

I only have one small diss on it and Im wondering if it will be that way the entire game.......its how your entire army is basically stuck outside the walls useless until you have to climb over and do the most work yourself to get them in. Do they ever breach on their own or be helpful before you have to do the micro work?

And last I think I should explain my dislike of the first game. I like it ok. Its fun. As you know its the respawning that blew it for me. Now I can take SOME respawning over time. Yes its natural enemies may move back in if I dont control the entire area. But to have them respawn within seconds? Nope. I could sometimes kill a group of 4 and walk maybe 20 feet to another group and see those behind me run back in and take their places. Thats just unplayable to me. I am no longer good enough to kill 3000 orcs in 30 seconds. I also play games slowly and take my time. I like to loot the flowers and such. I just could not get anywhere in that game. I never once made it out of that first starting area.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by TheMix »

The first one was definitely a different kind of beast than normal. If you were playing it like that, then, yeah, I can see not liking it. The most important thing to learn/realize was that you didn't need to kill everything. Heck, by mid-game I was avoiding probably half the orcs. I'd just run around/past them. Especially once they weren't threats.

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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

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Yeah, it's not a kill-everything-that-moves type of game -- at least until you're much higher level and you can one-shot just about anything, ripping through crowds of orcs in a heartbeat. At it's core the game is about being a guerrilla fighter and setting up a situation where you can ambush a group of orcs, get something done and then disappear. I think they intentionally make it 1 vs. many to reinforce that type of game play. There were areas where you're slinking into an orc base or encampment, so of course there are going to be wandering parties of them.

Dammit. I don't have the time, but I might need to reinstall and play again. So much fun. :D
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

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There was really a sense that you were inside enemy territory. You were constantly surrounded, and you were supposed to be. You didn't try to single-handedly kill the entire enemy army, you made strategic strikes, took out targets, then moved on.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

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I kill everything I pick up everything I go everywhere.

Changing my play style will be difficult.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

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Think of it like a spy/assassin game that takes place behind enemy lines rather than as a fighting game.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Daehawk »

A new game play video.

Didn't like how he simply jumped off and fell a mile and rolled and went on :)
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

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BundleStars sent me a 30% off code today. Nice but Im still not sure I can get it in time.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Jag »

Daehawk wrote:BundleStars sent me a 30% off code today. Nice but Im still not sure I can get it in time.
I got one too. I have no worries that this game will play at least as good as the first. But I hate paying full price even with a discount. Especially when the first one dropped in price so much.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Isgrimnur »

Given the complete lack of multiplayer, I have no qualms about waiting for the deep sales / price reductions.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

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I dont care about MP at all in this kind of game. Years ago I would have loved it. Now people online just annoy me.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Smoove_B »

New trailer posted today.
The video introduces viewers to the vast environments within Middle-earth, stretching beyond Mordor, and giving fans the first glimpse of various new environments to explore, including the Island of Nurn, Cirith Ungol, Gorgoroth and more. Through the innovative Nemesis System, every player experiences a unique world to explore and share and every area of the world is larger, more varied and more dynamic than ever before.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by KDH »

Sunday, Jun 04, 2017
Middle-earth: Shadow of War Delay


This post from Monolith reveals October 10th to be the new release date for Middle-earth: Shadow of War in most territories, after being announced with an August 25th release date. They also warn the game will be even later in the Australia, New Zealand, and Japan region.


the above Monolith Link:
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.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Max Peck »

*Bump* ...because the game is released. Let the Orcopalypse commence!
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Smoove_B »

Cheerfully re-posted from the other thread! Looks like it's around a 65 GB download....similar to GTA V.

So...uh, yeah. Looks like I won't be getting this any time soon - it's a 97.7 GB download.
It’s not entirely clear why the PC version of Shadow of War is so large. Some have speculated that it includes higher-resolution textures on top of everything else, while others think it might just be a compression thing. Regardless, it’s a big one. Your hard drive, much like your life, will soon be occupied by a mess of orcs.



If it's because of 4K textures, they need to let you opt out of that. Using my Gozinta math, it would take me about 7 days of constant downloading to get a 97GB game with my sorry-ass DSL. Of course my modem is going to melt before that happens, so I'm guessing it might be closer to 14 days - maybe too long for the return window. Amazing.

EDIT: System specs page on STEAM indicates 70GB available. Not sure what to believe here, though anything north of a 30GB download = pain. GTA 5 will never leave my HDD because of it.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by Max Peck »

It was a 65.6GB download on Steam. I have no idea where they came up with 97.7GB, unless that is the uncompressed size. I'll check that after it finished decrypting.
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Re: Middle Earth: Shadow of War

Post by coopasonic »

That unlocked a lot earlier than I expected... 20 minutes to decryptify...
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