5 Things We Absolutely Love About Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Enemies Look Ridiculously Amazing

Shadow of War features terrific looking enemies. The detail in the animations is simply brilliant. Granted our demo was played in 4k so naturally we expected slick looking graphics, but regardless all the enemies seem to have their own personality and look. The facial expressions and detail of the armour are impressive as hell. Orcs in most games can appear somewhat generic, but that is not the case here, at all. Shadow of War features unique looking enemies who all manage to accurately capture the brutish, hostile and repulsive nature of the Orcs found in LOTR.

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It’s Massive

Monolith Productions have gone on record to say Shadow of War is three to four times bigger than Shadow of Mordor. One quick look at the map in the demo and you can certainly see just how massive this world is. This is great news for fans looking to soak an easy 100-hours into this game as clearly there will be a ton to do. So far, everything seems bigger and better in Shadow of War and the game’s map is no exception.

It’s Got Loot, Lots of It

Who doesn’t love loot? We all do! Just like every other aspect of the game Monolith is going ‘all in’ with the games loot system which is all part of its expansive gear and equipment system. Cloaks, swords, chest plates, ranged weapons, capes, rings, you name it! Each piece of gear looks unique as well and has its own level, which is similar to Destiny’s loot system. Not to mention some equipment is tied to challenges which is pretty cool. All in all, the loot system appears deep and is yet another reason players can grind away for hours on end.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War is out August 22 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Will you pick up the game when it drops? What aspects are you most excited about? Tell us in the comments below.