Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

[Maven]

Selfie away! You only accelerate your own demise! Or some other failed logic. 

[schild]

There's better things to be annoyed about in gaming than a photo mode. Seriously.

[Azazel]

Smash your smartphone as well, while you're at it. Because they can also be used to take selfies. 

[Cyrrex]

If someone can figure out how to get him to take pics of his own junk, then we'd be on to something.

[Azazel]

Then he could safely upload them to The Clouds. Because Magic would keep his dick picks safe.

Just finished this. Last mission seemed a bit tedious really. Too much exposition and cinematics force-fed into the half-hour (or more?) it took to run through it. Also not especially fun, and QTE suck. Still, I'm interested in seeing what they have in store for their Next Exciting Adventure!  ...in the land of Mordor, where the shadows lie.

[Yegolev]

We're probably five years out from another IP using this system properly, so yeah.

[murdoc]

If you're going to add a photo mode, this was a pretty decent one. I imagine I'll play with it a bit and then forget that it's there.

[Fabricated]

33% off on Bundle Stars.

https://www.bundlestars.com/

[Venkman]

What the hell is bundlestars?

[schild]

33% off on Bundle Stars.

https://www.bundlestars.com/

More importantly, the season pass is 33% off.

[schild]

I'm idiotic and bought the wrong thing. $33 and a full Shadows Key is yours because Bundlestars doesn't do refunds.

Gone.

[Cyrrex]

What the hell is bundlestars?

Thanks for to be answering this question.

[Fabricated]

Another random dodgy-sounding steamkey reseller like GreenManGaming. Supposedly good though.

[Trippy]

What the hell is bundlestars?

Thanks for to be answering this question.

[Venkman]

Jeezus people, offuckingcourse I did that already. Looked like exactly what Fabricated subsequently said. Was asking if anyone had ever actually used it. Digital distribution works personally for me only because I have faith the source will still be around. Not CD-ROM permanently around, but hell, CD-ROMs don't have a hugely long life either.

Anyway, seemed fly by night. For a place that bitches about digital storefront from publisher's that have been around since we were tweens, I'm surprised something relatively not-common-knowledge like this would be trusted.

[lamaros]

Eh? They give steam keys, why would you worry about them being around?

Steam key resellers are very often quite good value. As long as you can pay through paypal or something else trusted and don't give them your details I'm prepare to try out even the dodgier ones... especially as many of them don't do the Australia markup.

[Cyrrex]

Yeah, that was what I wanted to know about, too...are they reselling steam keys and are they not going to fuck me over.  These sites that resell steam keys are the greatest thing since sliced bread for anyone living in a country that bends you over for game prices.  If you can trust them.

F13 is like a slower, more entertaining version of google.  Just needs more tits.

[Azazel]

Yeah. It's a more than reasonable question. I'm comfortable with GMG and GamersGate, but I'm very dubious about registering on various new random Steam key resellers who pop up selling Russian and Indian, etc keys.

[Ironwood]

How the hell do you make money being a key reseller anyway ?

[apocrypha]

http://savygamer.co.uk/2014/03/29/on-serial-resellers-and-savygamers-role-in-their-use/

It's often dodgy, and a grey area legally depending on the source of the keys, some of which are simply nicked from retail game boxes.

[Cyrrex]

I have two local sites that I have used, where one feels legit and the other feels potentially dodgy.  I figure the legality of their enterprise is primarily their problem, as long as they aren't screwing me over.  They both use legal and thoroughly vetted payment solutions as well.  The prices are so good that I may never buy straight from Steam, Origin (I have kids), or any brick and mortar outlet for PC games ever again.  At least 40% off on even newly released stuff.

[Venkman]

Anyone else get the freebie code for "Shadow of Mordor - Power of Shadow" DLC? Looks like it's another play-the-bad-guy DLC, but I have only just started downloading.

[lamaros]

Nope. :(

[Fabricated]

I got this installed. It's pretty good but kinda throws a lot at you. I dunno how half of the shit works exactly and combat seems kinda mashy. Shockingly well put together however for what first appeared to be a cash-in IP title.

[schild]

It's the opposite of a cash-in. Shouldn't have even been a fucking Tolkien game.

[lamaros]

It's the opposite of a cash-in. Shouldn't have even been a fucking Tolkien game.

As with the selfie mode, this is one of those things some people have to get over.

[Cyrrex]

While I sorta get the general Tolkien dislike, I have to say that I think it fits this game quite well.  Primarily because it means that they don't have to waste time explaining anything.  If this was just a generic IP, we'd just as likely be complaining about the thin plot and wondering at our motivation for needing to kill all these Orcs.  As it is, I can just accept the premise at face value and get down to murdering the shit out of everybody.

[Yegolev]

I have no idea who would have published a game with an entirely new mechanic without some sort of sale-generating IP attached to it.  Ultimately I'm glad it was made the way it was because otherwise it might have only ever been a shitty kickstart title if it was even made at all.

[Cyrrex]

Or even worse, they could shove it into something like Assassins Creed, which should be fun but instead bores the shit out of me.

I realize that probably makes me an outlier.

[Yegolev]

I suppose my main point is that I'm glad it was made even if it turns out to be unpopular in execution.

[Fabricated]

It's the opposite of a cash-in. Shouldn't have even been a fucking Tolkien game.

I said first appeared. And yeah, this should've been some original IP. It's not like evil orcs need some crazy back story.

Playing nothing but FPS titles has rendered my hands retarded, I keep accidentally hitting the wrong buttons for QTEs and forgetting I have abilities. I haven't ran into any "Immune to literally everything" captains/warchiefs yet but outside of getting pinged by archers you can almost indefinitely fight hordes of orcs just by mashing buttons. Satisfying though.

[Hammond]

So I am about 90% of the way through this game and I am quite enjoying it. Its not game of the year for me but paying full price was definitely worth it. I do really feel its more of a full fledged tech demonstration and I an curious how other developers will take these ideas and run with them.

[Ingmar]

This needs to be how Sleeping Dogs 2 works, if they ever make one. Did I say that already? I feel like I said that already.

[Sky]

SAY IT AGAIN

[Venkman]

I have no idea who would have published a game with an entirely new mechanic without some sort of sale-generating IP attached to it.  Ultimately I'm glad it was made the way it was because otherwise it might have only ever been a shitty kickstart title if it was even made at all.

Well, actually normally it's slap an IP on a already proven mechanic that the developer didn't understand well enough to execute a game good enough. Like take any crappy movie tie-in video game ever. Lots of reasons for those rarely working well.

At the same time, there's also relatively few IP which can be done just whenever a publisher feels like it. The IP needs to be so established that people kinda immediately get it just because it exists. Batman is a good example. But people were as surprised how good Arkham Asylum was as they are with this title. I don't know if people were surprised about KOTOR's quality, but that's another example.

Yea yea, I'm sure someone hated all three.

tl;dr: this title without LoTR would have done as not well at all as Arkham Asylum without Batman.