Shadow of War Fails to Evolve
Full disclosure: I didn’t finish Shadow of War. I gave it over thirty hours. I oppressed orcs, battled Balrogs, and confiscated castles, but I never quite wrapped the game up. This was partly because I spoiled the ending and knew that things didn’t end well for Talion, the ranger who’s sharing a body with the ghost of Celebrimbor, the creator of the first ring of power. The games had to end badly, really, as they take place before the Fellowship series begins. Talion’s enemies are immortal and will eventually mount the war that Frodo and Sam will end. Talion’s also immortal, respawning whenever he’s killed to resume his battle to delay Sauron as long as possible. But Talion’s gonna lose eventually, and knowing that ending is coming makes it a bit wearying to head back into the bleak world to recruit more orcs.
I feel like “recruiting” here is a bit of a euphemism, but orcs can betray you after joining you. So…I mean…they aren’t TOTALLY just enslaved, right?
It might be a little more fun if the game had significantly built on the truly amazing original, but the game feels more like an extension than a true sequel. The game itself picks up right were the first one ended, with your two protagonists agreeing to forge a new ring or power. This proves to be an impressively bad idea as you immediately loose the ring to (a surprising sexy) Shelob and spend the rest of the game running errands, recruiting orcs, and invading fortresses. This last mechanic is new and plays well. When you decide to invade, your assembled army of orcs break through the fortress’s defenses and eventually battle the castle’s overlord. It’s fun, if a bit repetitive.
Hm, Gollum looks roughly the same in the game but Shelob seems to have been recast since the movies.
The game does some things very well. The combat is the best emulation of the Arkham series’ mechanics that’s out there. Dashing around and engaging large swaths of orcs with a series of combinations, special attacks, and flashy abilities is always pretty fun. While the larger narrative is a bit depressing, the smaller stories are a lot more engaging. The battle against an orc necromancer is particularly memorable as he attempts to summon a Balrog to turn the tide of war. Other orcs also have smaller arcs in which they befriend you or betray you and these smaller stories are much more fulfilling than the larger narrative. While the larger story isn’t as engaging, the smaller stories are fun to play through.
The Battle with the Balrog is definitely the game’s high point. And to think Gandolf made this look hard.
Shadow of War is actually at its best when it’s being funny. Some of the more articulate orcs you meet later in the game have really wicked senses of humor. Gollum’s brief appearance inspires a rare attempt at levity from Celebrimbor. Some of my favorite orcs from the first title return in very funny ways. And your endless stream of nemeses with their random titles and quirky abilities will often make you chuckle. I’m not sure if it’s possible for a game which such a serious setting, story, and scenery to ever lighten up, but I really wish the game had invested more in these stories and less in the oppressive bleakness the characterizes much of the overarching narrative.
Send your orcs to attack other orcs and infiltrate the hierarchy (so that they can betray their bosses when you attack). Man, why hasn’t this system been incorporated into other games???
Shadow of Mordor introduced the terrific nemesis mechanic. It utilized the great combat system from the Arkham series to great effect. It told an interesting story within the confines of the larger Tolkien series (and used Andy Serkis to great effect). The sequel is fun, but it never really introduces enough new innovations to justify its existence. Rather than playing within the larger story, this game feels constrained by it as there’s only so much Talion can do before his inevitable end. Talion’s story may end here, but I hope to hear more from the orcs. They’re funny, heartwarming, and really engaging. I’m not sure where the series goes from here, but I hope these orcs find their way back to a console someday soon.
THE GOOD PARTS
The gameplay is fun and the orcs, whether they are friend or foe, are really engaging. The smaller stories play out well, too. If you liked the first one, you’ll enjoy this one.
THE BAD PARTS
The overarching story is a bit of a downer, of course. And, again, if you felt the first game was good but not great, I’m not sure you’ll find much more to love here.
OVERALL: SKIP IT
Shadow of War is fine but not essential playing. If you loved Shadow of Mordor, then you’ll enjoy it fine. But if you were hoping the sequel would take some bold steps forward, you’ll be disappointed.
