Middle-earth: Shadow of War's First Story Expansion Is Out Now, By the Way

I still have it sitting on my shelf. I keep trying to get to it and will get distracted with other games. It will definitely be next though. I didn't play any of the DLC for the first game, but I really enjoyed it. If I am still having fun by the time the credits roll, I'll get this.

I've played some of it (borrowed a friend's copy), the mechanics were good but it lacks the epic feel I want from a Lord of the Rings game. I don't want small scale, I want the fantastic and bombastic, like Dynasty Warriors meets Dragon's Dogma. I might give this another chance though one day.

I'm a better person for not wasting time with that game.

I wouldve bought this if it wasnt for the lootboxes forced into it.

@ShogunRok you say “launches to critical praise”, but when I looked it up while it was on sale almost all the talk was microtransactions. I’m pretty sure that microtransactions and the general backlash against them this year hurt this game more than anything.

@Mega-Gazz By "critical praise" I meant in terms of reviews. Game's still sitting at an 82 overall.

But yeah, the microtransaction stuff certainly didn't help — definitely damaged the potential of it being a "word of mouth" game.

I think what damaged it more than anything, though, was just a general lack of interest. It released just before the busiest period of the year, and it never attracted the same attention that the original did. I think Shadow of Mordor exceeded expectations to such a degree that it managed to really take off.

Shadow of War never had that, even if, in my opinion, it's the better game overall.

Shadow of War is severely underrated and is extremely epic, @bonbonetti. You must’ve not surveyed the large scale battles on the back of a fire breathing Drake shortly after terrorizing 15 to 20 uruks on the back of a tree-sized Olog, before branding the surrounding archers to work in your favor. I can’t give this game enough praise. The micro transactions were blown out of proportion. They were so minuscule and didn’t make an impact on the game hardly at all. The game is an easy 9/10 and is among the best open world action games of the year. Some of the most fun I’ve had in a video game in a long time.

@ShogunRok I wouldn’t say no one heard of it, nor that there was a complete lack of interest (though I agree timing hurt), but the coverage of the negatives eclipsed the positives, so as a consumer I just move on.
Even wanting to want the game, after looking at several reviews my impressions are that Shelob is a woman because apparently she can in the lore, and there are microtransactions. The rest of the coverage gave off a “yea more of the same, improved” vibe.

Traded it in, probably get the game of the year edition thou

Microtransaction loot boxes in a single player game? Hell no.

The issue is that, from all accounts, it was a grind fest but it came in a year that had some amazing games. Plus all the micro-transaction stuff hurt it. I'm not grinding for 20 hours just to get a real ending.

@ShogunRok and we've embedded its laugh trailer above to prove it
Typo or intended?

@SMKpaladin Might have been a subconscious error! Thanks for pointing it out.

@ToddlerNaruto I already own the base game, I bought it when it was on sale around Black Friday.

i am yet to go online on ps4 to try the desolation of mordor dlc and the blade of galadriel dlc when i do it will be just as awesome as the main game i am more into the desolation of mordor dlc than the other dlc

oh and mega shelob is a sorceress corupted by sauron and is turned into a giant spider in the 1st age