Honestly, I still remember the first time a random Orc captain named Dûsh the Gluttonous absolutely humiliated me in Shadow of War PlayStation 4. I was just trying to cross a bridge in Cirith Ungol, minding my own business, when this screeching, bile-covered monster ambushed me. He didn't just kill me. He broke my sword, laughed at my corpse, and got promoted to an Elite Captain because of it.
That's the magic here.
Even years after its initial 2017 launch, Middle-earth: Shadow of War on the PS4 remains one of those weird, sprawling, ambitious titles that shouldn't work as well as it does. It's a sequel that doubled down on everything that made Shadow of Mordor a surprise hit. You've got the scale. You've got the visceral combat. But mostly, you've got the Nemesis System—the most sophisticated "grudge simulator" ever coded into a video game. If you're playing this on a base PS4 or a PS4 Pro today, you're looking at a game that pushed the console's hardware to its absolute limit to manage thousands of moving parts in the background.
The Nemesis System is still the secret sauce
Most games give you "bosses." They're static. They wait in a room for you to show up. Shadow of War PlayStation 4 does something much more personal and, frankly, much more annoying in the best way possible. The Orcs remember you.
If you burn a captain and he survives, he’ll show up three hours later with bandages over his face and a specific dialogue line mocking your "pitiful fire." The procedural generation here isn't just about stats; it’s about personality. This creates a gameplay loop that is purely emergent. You aren't just following a script. You’re building a history with the AI. Monolith Productions basically created a system where the villains are more interesting than the protagonist, Talion.
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Let's talk about the hardware for a second. Playing this on the PS4 Pro offers a noticeable bump in resolution, but even on the standard jet-engine-sounding base PS4, the game maintains a relatively stable 30 FPS. That’s impressive when you consider there are literal hundreds of Orcs on screen during the massive fortress sieges. It’s a technical marvel that the console doesn't just melt into a puddle of plastic when the dragons start breathing fire over a crowded courtyard.
How the game fixed its biggest controversy
You might remember the drama. When the game first launched, it was bogged down by a truly aggressive marketplace and loot boxes. It felt gross. Fans were rightfully furious because it felt like the "True Ending" (The Shadow Wars) was gated behind a pay-to-win grind.
But here is the thing: they actually fixed it.
In 2018, Monolith completely gutted the microtransactions. They rebalanced the entire late-game progression. They made it so you can recruit powerful Orcs naturally through gameplay rather than opening digital packs. If you are picking up a used copy of Shadow of War PlayStation 4 today or downloading it via PS Plus, you’re playing the "definitive" version. The grind is still there—it’s a long game—but it feels like a rewarding climb now rather than a shakedown for your wallet.
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Why the PS4 version still feels relevant in 2026
The PS5 is out, obviously. But the PS4 version of this game is remarkably resilient. Thanks to the backward compatibility and the way the game was patched, the loading times are the only real "old gen" giveaway. On a standard PS4, you’ll wait a bit to fast travel. On a PS5 via backward compatibility, it’s snappy.
But the core mechanics? They haven't been topped. No other developer has successfully replicated the Nemesis System (partly due to Warner Bros. patenting it, which is a whole other debate). This means if you want this specific experience—building an army, being betrayed by your favorite bodyguard, and conquering fortresses—this is still the only place to get it.
- The combat is a refined version of the Batman: Arkham rhythm.
- The stealth feels heavy and impactful.
- The traversal—especially once you get the ability to double jump and shadow-step—is incredibly fluid.
The sheer scale of the world
We’re not just talking about one map. You’ve got Seregost, which is a frozen mountain wasteland. You’ve got Nurnen, which is surprisingly lush and green. Each of these zones acts as its own ecosystem for the Orcs.
You spend your time "grooming" these zones. You might find a particularly strong Orc and decide to help him move up the ranks just so you can dominate him later and make him your Overlord. Or maybe you find an Orc who is a "Bard" and sings his insults to you. You decide to make him your bodyguard just for the entertainment value. The game allows for a level of weird, dark-fantasy roleplay that most RPGs shy away from.
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It’s messy. It’s loud. It’s frequently violent. But it feels alive.
Technical nuances and performance
If you're playing on a base PS4, you should expect 1080p resolution. It looks good, but you’ll notice some texture pop-in when you’re sprinting across the rooftops of Minas Ithil. The PS4 Pro pushes that toward 4K through checkerboard rendering, and the HDR implementation is actually quite stunning, especially during the Nazgûl fights where the green and black magic effects pop against the darkness.
One thing to watch out for is the fan noise. Shadow of War PlayStation 4 is a resource hog. If your console hasn't been cleaned in a while, this game will let you know. The CPU is constantly calculating the movements and "missions" of dozens of Orc captains across all the different regions, even the ones you aren't currently standing in.
Strategy for the modern player
If you're jumping in now, don't rush the main story. The story is... fine. It takes a lot of liberties with Tolkien’s lore (looking at you, Sexy Shelob). But the story isn't why you're here. You are here for the stories you create with the Orcs.
- Don't kill every captain. Seriously. If you kill them all, you have no one to interact with. Shame them. Let them escape. Let them get stronger.
- Use the environment. The game gives you beehives, grog barrels, and cages full of monsters. Use them. A boring fight becomes a chaotic masterpiece when you drop a Graug into the middle of a dinner party.
- Pay attention to weaknesses. If a captain is terrified of spiders, find some spiders. It’s way more satisfying than just mashing the square button for ten minutes.
Shadow of War PlayStation 4 represents a specific era of gaming where developers were trying to figure out how to make open worlds feel less like a checklist and more like a playground. While the "Live Service" elements nearly killed its reputation at launch, the game we have now is a massive, polished, and endlessly replayable epic.
Actionable Next Steps for Players
- Check your version: Ensure you have the latest updates installed (Version 1.18 or higher) to ensure the removal of the market and the rebalanced Shadow Wars.
- Prioritize Skill Points: Focus on "Shadow Mount" and "Treasure Hunter" early on. Shadow Mount lets you instantly tame broken beasts, which saves your life more often than you’d think.
- Manage your Garrison: Even without microtransactions, the garrison allows you to move your best Orcs between different regions. If you have a legendary Slayer in the snowy peaks but you're struggling to take a fort in the desert, move him over.
- Don't Fear Death: In most games, dying is a failure. In this game, dying is a narrative beat. When you die, the Orc who killed you grows stronger, gets a name, and becomes a part of your personal story. Embrace the losses.
The game is a huge time sink, but it's one of the few that actually respects the time you put in by giving you unique memories. You won't remember the 500th collectible you picked up, but you will definitely remember the Orc who betrayed you right as you were about to win a siege. That's the hallmark of a classic.