Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

[01101010]

Poison debuffs are a pain in the ass. Especially on ranged orcs. Fuckers...

[Merusk]

I haven't ragequit a game in a LONG time, but the Captain who's immune to everything but explosions AND stuck in the middle of one of the 2nd area fortresses (which spawn orcs a lot quicker) made me do so.  Trying to kill him plus the 30 orcs from an alert got me low, then when I tried to escape I ran into a berserker who threw me down then finished me off. No "last stand" screen  because I'd already had 2 in the previous 5 mins.

Goddamnit!

[Maven]

You know I just realized this on my morning commute: Arkham does give you the strong feeling of being Batman and dealing with an assortment of thugs with martial arts and gadgets. This game gives the feeling of being an Aragon / Legolas hybrid (with some liberties) slaughtering legions of Orcs with expert swordplay and arrow skills.

I just unlocked Shadow Strike. The game's fundamentally different. Dodge + Stun, Flurry, Execute, Bow Bow Bow, Repeat, Mix in an instant kill Shadow Strike, A + B Wraith Absorb when I run out of arrows -- the runes and the abilities all interweave with each other to keep you topped off and moving quickly.

I encountered my first Ghul matron. Fuck that noise. Oh, thanks tooltip -- explosions, and after I've killed one.

The various executions and the *slam* of them doesn't get old.

[01101010]

The various executions and the *slam* of them doesn't get old.

The executions make me think immediately of the killing scenes in 300 in that you are in a flow and then to highlight the finale, everything goes slow motion in case you miss it.

The other most excellent thing I enjoy on the PS4, this game utilizes the controller speaker. That really adds to the wraith-speech.

[schild]

The other most excellent thing I enjoy on the PS4, this game utilizes the controller speaker. That really adds to the wraith-speech.

Never even noticed. Did not know the controller had a speaker.

[01101010]

The other most excellent thing I enjoy on the PS4, this game utilizes the controller speaker. That really adds to the wraith-speech.

Never even noticed. Did not know the controller had a speaker.

Yeah that little grill of 12 or so dots between the sticks and below the touchpad button. I didn't adjust anything on my PS4 out of the box, but I believe it might be tied to the earphone jack. No idea though.

[Ruvaldt]

I really like the way they've used.  You hear environmental effects like water through it, and anytime a captain is introduced you hear their name spoken through it.  The wraith sounds also.

[Trippy]

And the bushes rustle if you are hiding in them. There's also some weird combat move that I can never consciously trigger (I think it's the chain kill one) that plays its sound effects through it.

If you have headphones on, though, you likely won't hear what's coming out of the controller.

[Sobelius]

I encountered my first Ghul matron. Fuck that noise. Oh, thanks tooltip -- explosions, and after I've killed one.

Died to her on first encounter because I ran screaming out of the cave with her on my tail and smacked right into 2 captains. She started fighting them and I thought I could stealth kill her, but no. I suffered ignominy in the bushes as she and her ghul pack feasted on me. And the captains got promoted, of course.

[Pezzle]

Started a new game to experiment with things.  Not doing any intel, just death threats all around!  You need to do some story missions before day advancing has much impact.  Early on it only sometimes matters?  

Fantastic battle against the Guardian and his 3 captain posse right next to a fortress, endless reinforcements.. I got him eventually, but 2 of the other Captains yet live.  I did score an Epic rune that gives health when you parry, so I might turn off prompts and see what happens.  

[Trippy]

I encountered my first Ghul matron. Fuck that noise. Oh, thanks tooltip -- explosions, and after I've killed one.

Died to her on first encounter because I ran screaming out of the cave with her on my tail and smacked right into 2 captains. She started fighting them and I thought I could stealth kill her, but no. I suffered ignominy in the bushes as she and her ghul pack feasted on me. And the captains got promoted, of course.

There is a story mission in the 2nd section that teaches you about her vulnerability but if you've been spelunking in the first section on your own then you have to learn about it the hard wary.

[Teleku]

Man, when I finally build my new PC (And get back from the  week long trip to Croatia I'm about to take), I'm going to buy this outright.  Even you picky assholes who hate games I love enjoy this.  Sounds like a lot of fun from what I've read, and unlike many of you, I like the LOTR setting.  Though seriously, I never realized there was that much hate for Tolkien till I read this thread.  What gives!

I really want to see RK47 do one of his special Radicalthon's for this, since I'm sure a lot of comedy could come out of him and the nemesis system.  But I'm afraid he'd also just hardcore power game the entire thing and never die.

[Azazel]

Picked this up on Wednesday for my PS4. $10 cheaper than everyone else locally, plus another $10 off for pre-ordering made it an easy choice, what with the buzz about this game both in reviews and from real humans - this thread being no small part of it. PLayed it a little before going to sleep, and then accidentally spent pretty much all of my day off playing it yesterday. I've played about 4 story missions, but spent an awful lot of time running around collecting money to unlock slots, and a lot of time killing captains, finally unlocking the warchiefs before finishing up.

It's a nice looking game, but it's no huge step up from 360 games vidually. It's very much a cross-gen game. I also found the gameplay very repetitive, yet moreish. It'd also be nice to have the stealth-crouch on a toggle - and have it break when you go into combat. I spent about 8 hours yesterday holding the damn trigger down.

I like Tolkien, but the "lore" is a bit tedious after awhile. Memory spots from a fishwife's broken pot and such - but those are easily ignored, which is what I started to do after most of a day listening to them. Though some are interesting. Also killed some guy's nemesis a couple of times. I'm wondering if I should let the Uruks level up a little more before taking them down. I'm basically riding roughshot over them - except for one champion a crossbow with all kinds of immunities and his own private army - who is the only one I'm scared of. Fuck knows how I'm going to take him down. Play more and unlock the third tier of powers, I guess.

[Ruvaldt]

Just got the Brand ability.  I am now playing some kind of weird orc political simulator.  Definitely Game of the Year.

[Pezzle]

Picked this up on Wednesday for my PS4. $10 cheaper than everyone else locally, plus another $10 off for pre-ordering made it an easy choice, what with the buzz about this game both in reviews and from real humans - this thread being no small part of it. PLayed it a little before going to sleep, and then accidentally spent pretty much all of my day off playing it yesterday. I've played about 4 story missions, but spent an awful lot of time running around collecting money to unlock slots, and a lot of time killing captains, finally unlocking the warchiefs before finishing up.

It's a nice looking game, but it's no huge step up from 360 games vidually. It's very much a cross-gen game. I also found the gameplay very repetitive, yet moreish. It'd also be nice to have the stealth-crouch on a toggle - and have it break when you go into combat. I spent about 8 hours yesterday holding the damn trigger down.

I like Tolkien, but the "lore" is a bit tedious after awhile. Memory spots from a fishwife's broken pot and such - but those are easily ignored, which is what I started to do after most of a day listening to them. Though some are interesting. Also killed some guy's nemesis a couple of times. I'm wondering if I should let the Uruks level up a little more before taking them down. I'm basically riding roughshot over them - except for one champion a crossbow with all kinds of immunities and his own private army - who is the only one I'm scared of. Fuck knows how I'm going to take him down. Play more and unlock the third tier of powers, I guess.

Are you issuing death threats?  Levels up the captains and gives them a goon squad.  If you are finding the game easy, do that.
The second map gets harder as well. 

[Maven]

Credit to the designers. Death Threat is an excellent addition. If I could pull right trigger to give the Middle Earth equivalent of a middle finger, even better. What I thought was odd was how you let the Captain go after issuing the death threat, he immediately disappears. I was confused for a few moments before I realized you need to leave the Captain alive to deliver the threat.

The voice acting and dialog are pretty good in the story missions.

[Cyrrex]

Downloaded last night and have basically played 7 hour straight today.  Great game.  My left pinky kinda hurts from holding down the crouch button.

I seem to be unlucky in that I always end up fight two, sometimes three and sometimes four captains at a time.  WTF.  I think I need to do a better job singling them out somehow.  Also wish I knew how to behead some of these motherfuckers.

[Lakov_Sanite]

Yeah the little snippets of voice acting really elevate the game. "He's on the bridge!" lots of event and spacial awareness. 

Also as I was executing a captain last night he said "Your wife's screams were so lovely I'll remember them in death!" fucker.

[Maven]

Mo' map, mo' problems. New army and higher overall difficulty is greatly appreciated. I was surprised they added a forested, non-wasteland area to explore in Mordor -- I thought once I moved past the gate I'd be in a place that was even darker and more devastated than where I started.

I've started encountering the two-shot Captains and Poison. One Captain had an Iron shield that I couldn't break and use stun, arrows, or counter on -- I had to run and get my bearings before reengaging. If you go face-to-face with a Captain in the dark, you only need that one method to build combo -- in his case it was the leap stun to get me into flurry and double Executions. I expect things to switch up again when I get Brand and can start distracting the adds with my own.

[Azazel]

Are you issuing death threats?  Levels up the captains and gives them a goon squad.  If you are finding the game easy, do that.
The second map gets harder as well. 

I've only just gotten enough power to unlock that tier. I know you can also make time go faster from the towers. I'll likely start cranking the orcs up more once I get a few more upgrades.

I'm also not sure what the deal is with the story missions:

[Cyrrex]

I think that is where I am right now as well, so I think so.

I really need to stop reading this thread.

Can't stop thinking about this game. 

Are the captains all totally random?  I mean, random name, random appearance, random stats?  It seems clear many of them must be, at least the random orcs who kill me and get promoted.

[Maven]

Captains are random, far as I can tell, though the amount of powers looks more constrained and standardized across Captains.

Kill All Warchiefs is the next phase of the story, yes.

[Rasix]

I was on the last warchief on the list last night.  I clear out all of his known underlings and go after him.  When he spawns, he's got a bodyguard.  OK.  I can take care of that. 

Then, while fighting, I'm starting to get a bit overwhelmed.  Then, here's my Nemesis.  I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD.  Then another captain, then another, and another.  Then, another captain.  This guy has a feathered headdress and just makes noises and smiles at me.  It's kind of gay, but not as gay as Zuuz the Cannibal, who kept calling me man-thing and wishing we could be together under different circumstances. 

This ended up being like a 20 minute fight. Several times I had to run around for herbs or just create space so I could execute for health.  I blow up one captain, and finally do enough to drop the warchief.  The rest scatter. Including my nemesis, who I really wanted to execute for good. 

Good times.

[Pezzle]

Are you issuing death threats?  Levels up the captains and gives them a goon squad.  If you are finding the game easy, do that.
The second map gets harder as well. 

I've only just gotten enough power to unlock that tier. I know you can also make time go faster from the towers. I'll likely start cranking the orcs up more once I get a few more upgrades.

I'm also not sure what the deal is with the story missions:

I did not care for Gollum being in the game, but at least his song is amusing.

There might be a yellow slave uprising mission if you have done enough of the rescue missions?  Otherwise yeah kill warchief.  Ratbag will lead you to glory!

[Merusk]

Morrigan has not aged well, and evidently the Warden had a daughter. ;)


In other words, Claudia Black is the voice of Marwen, the witch queen in chapter 2.  I suspected as much when I heard her but looked it up to verify.

[01101010]

Finally unlocked Graug riding. It has a strange feeling of being on a Rancor when he eats a Gamorrean orc.

[Threash]

Morrigan has not aged well, and evidently the Warden had a daughter. ;)


In other words, Claudia Black is the voice of Marwen, the witch queen in chapter 2.  I suspected as much when I heard her but looked it up to verify.

And the guy who played Marvin in pulp fiction is Ratbag, i hope i get to shoot him right in the face.

[Venkman]

Yes you have to decapitate them to keep them from coming back. On the Nemesis screen if they are lying on the ground they have a chance to come back. If in their spot their head is on a spike then they wont (head on spike is on far left side):

This game is so nuts. I usually spend some amount of time on a rampage in open world settings in other games. But here I keep forgetting there ARE things llike missions and side missions and shit. It's just so damned satisfying on every level of game play I keep forgetting there's a carrot OR a stick!

I'm glad you explained the decap thing with the visual though. Was having a lot of deja vu.

[Rasix]

You can also flurry kill them.  Head explode = gone.  Some guys don't go for the combo finisher, and you'll have to do a QTE.  Whether or not you get a decap off those seems somewhat random.

[Venkman]

Thanks. You mentioned Flurry earlier I think, something like be in Stealth, hit E, and then combo them or some such while they're pulling a Lo Pan? Is that an unlocked ability? I haven't seen nor done a flurry,

[Rasix]

An easy way to do a flurry is either hit them with the wraith stun or have the "stun on jump" ability and jump over them.  It's the series of fast blows.  I don't know if it's an unlock, but at the end of that a normal uruk/orc will have its head explode.   

[Trippy]

You need the Wraith Finisher ability for the head explosion part on Flurry kills.

[Rasix]

Need 6GB of vram for the HD texture pack that was just released. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Venkman]

I'll need to check that flurry thing as soon as I can kick my oldest off my computer ("but it's the best one for Minecraft!").

6gb?! Shit how many people have that? I guess I'm slumming it with 4? Game looks amazing and everything is maxxed. I might try it anyway (or will the game tell me to eff off?). One thing I like about the graphics is they could easily be over depressing, but it's not.

In fact after about 22 hours of doing nothing but open world killing stuff, the only thing I've found annoying is that when I do remember to do a mission, I realize just how early in the story I am. I'm still being told how to do things I've long since mastered.

Except flurry of course...

[Azazel]

So I've got one Warchief left, and I've done Ratbag's Warchief as well - which opened up another mission - with a yellow fist icon. So I assume I'm not far from the second area now. I have a couple of questions:

1) Can you come back to this initial map?
2) I need to kill bats. I can't find the cave where there were a ton of them, though - and I've done laps of the whole map.
3) I've killed everything except for that last warchief. Most of my runes are around level 8-12. Should I be levelling the captains up higher and then hunting them down for higher level runes? What level is good/realistic/etc

Also, will the mission or killing the final warchief move me to the next map? I want to make sure I get to do everything if possible before moving to the next map.

Spoiler the answers if need be.