Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a weird game. Honestly, there isn’t a better word for it. It is a massive, sprawling, $100 million production that takes the sacred lore of J.R.R. Tolkien, stuffs it into a blender with high-octane action mechanics, and pours out a cocktail that would probably make a Tolkien scholar faint. You play as Talion, a Ranger who is "too angry to die," fused with the wraith of Celebrimbor, the guy who actually forged the Rings of Power. Together, they decide the best way to fight Sauron isn't to drop a ring in a volcano, but to build a massive orc army and just punch the Dark Lord in the face.
It's been a long time since 2017.
Back then, the conversation wasn't even about the gameplay; it was about the loot boxes. Remember the Market? It was this bizarre storefront where you could buy Orcs with real money. It nearly tanked the game's reputation at launch. But Monolith Productions eventually stripped all that out, leaving behind what I genuinely believe is one of the most ambitious open-world experiments ever coded. If you go back to it now, you aren't seeing a "live service" relic. You're seeing the peak of the Nemesis System, a mechanic so good that Warner Bros. actually patented it, much to the annoyance of every other developer in the industry.
Why the Nemesis System is still the king of emergent storytelling
Most games talk about "player choice," but usually, that just means picking Dialogue Option A or Dialogue Option B. Middle-earth: Shadow of War does something different. It creates a memory for the world. If an orc named Pushkrimp the Glutton kills you, he doesn't just despawn. He gets promoted. He gets a promotion, a new title, and the next time you see him, he’ll mock you for being bad at the game.
He remembers.
I once had an orc follow me across three different maps. I chopped his arm off; he came back with a metal hook. I burned his face; he came back wearing a leather mask. Eventually, he betrayed me during a fortress siege, right when I was about to capture the overlord. That isn't scripted. It’s a series of procedural "if-then" statements that feel like a personal vendetta. That’s the magic. You aren't just clearing icons off a map; you’re navigating a messy, violent social hierarchy.
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The orcs have personalities. Some are terrified of spiders. Others are "Blood Brothers" with another captain, meaning if you kill one, the other will ambush you while you're trying to heal. It’s a chaotic ecosystem. You’re less of a hero and more of a middle manager in Hell, trying to keep a bunch of backstabbing monsters in line long enough to take over a castle.
The sheer scale of the siege warfare
Shadow of War shifted the focus from the lonely wandering of the first game, Shadow of Mordor, to full-scale military campaigns. Each region—from the snowy peaks of Seregost to the volcanic pits of Gorgoroth—culminates in a fortress assault. You pick your warchiefs, give them upgrades like fire-breathing drakes or sappers, and then charge the walls.
It’s loud. It’s messy.
Sometimes your favorite captain dies in the first thirty seconds because he stepped on a mine. That sucks, but it’s part of the story. The game forces you to deal with loss in a way most power fantasies don't. You can't just reload a save every time something goes wrong, or rather, you can, but you’d be stripping the game of its soul. The best moments in Shadow of War are the ones where everything falls apart and you barely escape with your life, leaving a smug Orc Captain behind to grow even stronger.
The "Tolkien Problem" and lore accuracy
Look, if you are a die-hard Silmarillion reader, this game might give you an ulcer. Monolith took some... creative liberties. They turned Shelob, the giant terrifying spider, into a woman in a black dress who gives you cryptic visions. They messed with the timeline of when Minas Ithil fell. They basically turned the Nazgûl into a revolving door of Middle-earth cameos.
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But here is the thing: it works for a video game.
Tolkien’s world is about melancholy and the fading of magic. Shadow of War is about the corruption of power. The game’s narrative actually touches on a very Tolkien-esque theme—that you cannot use the tools of the enemy without becoming the enemy. Talion and Celebrimbor’s relationship is toxic. They aren't friends. They are two beings using each other for revenge, and that friction drives the plot toward a surprisingly bleak and fitting ending that bridges the gap to The Lord of the Rings.
Managing your Orc followers without losing your mind
If you’re jumping in today, the sheer amount of menus can be overwhelming. You've got gear sets, skill trees, gem slots, and an entire army screen. My advice? Don't overthink the "meta."
- Focus on the traits: An orc with "Iron Will" can’t be recruited until you shame them, which lowers their level and might break their mind.
- Exploit weaknesses: If a Captain is "Mortally Vulnerable to Stealth," don't try to duel him. Just drop from a ledge and end it.
- Bodyguards are life-savers: You can assign a loyal Orc to be your bodyguard. Summoning a massive Olog-hai named "Ar-Guls the Destroyer" when you're surrounded by thirty enemies is the ultimate "get out of jail free" card.
The combat is an evolution of the Arkham rhythm. Flow, counter, execute. It’s fast, but on higher difficulties like Gravewalker or Brutal, it’s unforgiving. One mistake and a random grunt becomes a Captain.
The endgame and the "Shadow Wars"
When the game first launched, the final act—The Shadow Wars—was a brutal, repetitive grind. It was designed to push people toward those loot boxes I mentioned earlier. You had to defend your fortresses over and over again to see the "true" ending.
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It’s much better now.
Monolith patched the pacing, reduced the number of stages, and made the legendary gear rewards more frequent. It feels like a victory lap now rather than a chore. You finally get to use the full extent of your undead powers, and it feels appropriately god-like. By the time you reach the final cinematic, you’ve likely put 50 to 80 hours into this version of Mordor.
It’s a commitment. But it’s one of the few games that actually rewards that time by giving you stories that no other player will have. Your version of the "Rat-Bag" story or your rivalry with a specific Orc is entirely yours. In an era of hyper-scripted cinematic games, that autonomy is rare.
Actionable Steps for New or Returning Players
If you're looking to dive back into Middle-earth: Shadow of War, here is how to get the most out of the experience without hitting a wall:
- Turn off the HUD elements: If you want a truly immersive experience, turn off the "counter" icons. It makes the combat feel more reactive and less like a quick-time event. You'll actually have to watch the Orcs' animations to know when to dodge.
- Don't grind the first map: Minas Ithil is basically a long tutorial. Once you get the ability to recruit Orcs in Act 2, the game truly begins. Get there as fast as you can.
- Die on purpose (occasionally): It sounds counter-intuitive, but if the world feels stagnant, let a low-level orc kill you. It injects new blood into the Nemesis hierarchy and creates a fresh revenge quest.
- Check the "Online Vendettas": These allow you to jump into another player's world to kill the Orc that murdered them. It’s a great way to earn high-tier loot and spoils of war chests without affecting your own map's balance.
- Ignore the "Legendary" obsession early on: You’ll find plenty of legendary gear later. In the early game, focus on gear that complements your playstyle, like daggers that restore health on a stealth kill or bows that explode headshots.