The open world train keeps on a-truckin' as I go to Mordor instead of a city. Might keep this review a bit briefer, as not only has it been talked about a lot already, but I just don't have that much to say, probably because this game just does so much so okay.
The world is fairly big, but not too big. It's not a terribly long game, unless you wanna smack around Uruk captains all day (which is pretty fun, I'll admit). There are plenty of quick-travel points, and even on foot (as I didn't realize how quick-travel worked for a while) things never took too long to get to. This is really another game where if you don't like the core gameplay loop, you're not going to enjoy the game. The sword, bow, and dagger quests were unique enough on their own that they were fun diversions, but rescuing the slaves is REALLY samey for something that has 24 missions. They're optional, sure, but it really felt like content padding. That combined with things like how (about) all of the characters are, and how lame the final confrontations are compared to the boss fight at the half-way mark really makes the game feel unfinished in terms of scope. Thankfully, the gameplay itself is serviceable enough to be quite fun. The nemesis system, where your deaths are recognized by the orcs that kill you and they level up by completing challenges against each other as well as killing you, is quite cool. Even if the game were just messing with Uruk hierarchies, that'd still be lots of fun for me. My biggest complaint with the nemesis system, frankly, is that the game is just too damn easy for it to work. Like, it's really hard to have a persistent nemesis unless you just suck so much at the game that the same guy gets the drop on you like 4 or 5 times. I don't think I ever died to the same guy more than twice, and that was only one guy. The biggest time it comes up is with someone you didn't permanently kill comes back to taunt you yet again only to get butchered because he still has all the same weaknesses that led to his death the first time. For how much it had been talked up to me, it didn't really impress particularly. There is some good fun to be had though. If you want Arkham City-type open world exploration (albeit in fields not a city) with Arkham-y combat in a Lord of the Rings setting, you're gonna absolutely love this game. The story is entertainingly presented enough that it's not boring, but it's hardly a masterwork of storytelling. The dwarf character is probably the best written character in the game, but that's partially along with the backstory you can pick up on via the collectible items, so take that for what you will. The setting, though, is very charmingly presented. The Uruks are just as surly and kinda cruely campy just like they are in the films, and any interaction with them is by far the highlight of the game (which is good, considering its the vast majority of it). The game does run really well though. On my normal PS4, I saw no loading or performance problems, at least that I remember (which is a nice change from the usual as of late, quite frankly ). Verdict: Recommended. It's not the best paced or best planned video game in the world, but it's a pretty damn fine video game. You can generally get right into the action, don't gotta get too bogged down in the combat, and the Arkham-style combat fits well with the other combos and special moves you can do. It's a pretty fun way to spend a weekend, especially if you're a LotR fan.
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AuthorI'm an avid gamer who likes to detail their thoughts about what they play in the hopes it might aid someone else's search for a game to play. Archives
April 2024
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