When comparing WRC 7 vs Middle-earth: Shadow of War, the Slant community recommends Middle-earth: Shadow of War for most people. In the question“What are the best single player games on PS4?” Middle-earth: Shadow of War is ranked 55th while WRC 7 is ranked 71st. The most important reason people chose Middle-earth: Shadow of War is:
Shadow of War uses the Nemesis system to create a more immersive and alive-feeling world. Thanks to it, orc leaders have names, ranks, titles, tribes they belong to, and most importantly, connections to other orc leaders. For example, an orc leader might be at war with another orc leader. This conflict won't end until one of them dies. There are also orcs that are considered blood brothers, having unwavering loyalty to each other. Because of this, don't be too surprised if you ever get betrayed by one of your followers that's trying to do right by his blood brother. Additionally, the leaders you fight will also develop connections with you. Orcs that you've killed or spared, may come back with scars, recalling your previous encounter and vowing to exact vengeance. Orcs that you've escaped from will mock you for being a chicken, and so forth. The gradual creation of this web of connections is very enjoyable and sometimes even more compelling than the game's main story.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Challenging off-road races
Driving in WRC 7 is more careful and methodical than most racing games, testing how well you can adapt to sudden turns and slowdowns on off-road tracks. Some stages have you driving up winding mountain roads with no rails, leaving you open to flying off the edge of a cliff if you're not careful. At other times, you'll be tempted to go as fast as you can through a scenic village, only to run over an unexpected dip in the road and spinning your car into a barrel roll. You want to be careful when driving, because if you try to floor the gas pedal, it'll probably send your car tumbling into a ditch off the side of the road or crashing into a tree. If you want a racing game that challenges you to be alert, then this is the one for you.
Pro Difficult but rewarding long-form race mode
WRC 7 has Epic Stages, which are much longer forms of existing tracks. In these races, you'll be challenged to drive your best for up to fifteen minutes or more while shooting for the lowest time possible. You'll have to learn these tracks perfectly if you want to clear them. Any time you veer off the road or make a wrong calculation on a turn, it'll cost you time that you won't want to waste. It'll be tough, but plenty of practice, you'll be able to win these epic races, giving you an incredible sense of accomplishment.
Pro Responsive controls on a wheel or game pad
Since this is a racing game that requires precision, it's great that the controls are reliable. You'll feel the feedback best from a peripheral wheel as you slow down to make a tough turn, as well as your wheels crackling against the gravel on the road. The rumble options with controllers are also great at simulating the same effects, and you can switch between the analog or directional buttons depending on whatever's most efficient for you.
Pro Different tracks give opportunities to change up your car
Tracks with different weather and lengths are more like active features in WRC 7, letting you adapt to the changes while you prepare for the race. You can switch to your snow tires for winter races for better traction and control. When it's raining, you'll want to go for soft tires instead to keep your car from sliding around on turns. You can experiment with hard and soft tires depending on how long a track is, if there are asphalt roads or dirt roads, and all kinds of other variations. It's up to you to figure out what works best and prepare your car for any situation.
Pro Character connections make for a compelling experience
Shadow of War uses the Nemesis system to create a more immersive and alive-feeling world. Thanks to it, orc leaders have names, ranks, titles, tribes they belong to, and most importantly, connections to other orc leaders.
For example, an orc leader might be at war with another orc leader. This conflict won't end until one of them dies. There are also orcs that are considered blood brothers, having unwavering loyalty to each other. Because of this, don't be too surprised if you ever get betrayed by one of your followers that's trying to do right by his blood brother.
Additionally, the leaders you fight will also develop connections with you. Orcs that you've killed or spared, may come back with scars, recalling your previous encounter and vowing to exact vengeance. Orcs that you've escaped from will mock you for being a chicken, and so forth. The gradual creation of this web of connections is very enjoyable and sometimes even more compelling than the game's main story.
Pro Addictive gear collection fuels your thirst for orc blood
As you kill orc leaders, they'll drop random quality gear items, ranging from common rarity every-orc weapons/armor to legendary rarity artifacts with unique names. Each item serves to improve your character, providing various stat increases and damage bonuses. You can also upgrade gear with gems or via challenges that usually involve killing orcs, bolstering your strength even further. On top of that, there are set bonuses for legendary items, giving you special abilities such as your hits applying explosive poison on regular enemies. It's very exciting seeing what gear piece an orc leader will drop once you lob his head off, causing you to constantly seek out new victims.
Pro Satisfying combat
Shadow of War gives one of the better feeling combat systems in recent times, allowing you to be either stealthy or go for direct confrontations.
If you choose to be stealthy, you can skewer unsuspecting orcs from behind with your dagger, drop onto them from a building while impaling them with your sword, or just pierce them from afar with your bow.
If you choose a direct confrontation, it's a really quick-paced and brutal showdown against your enemies with your chosen melee weapon. You weave combos against enemies, dodging, parrying, and countering enemy attacks, which ends in a devastating finishing move, resulting in a mutilated or decapitated orc.
Whichever method you choose, the combat flows really well and you always feel like a force to be reckoned with.
Pro You can lead an orc army and expand your own dominion
As part of the Nemesis system, you can recruit orc leaders after you've bested them in combat. Each one has his own unique strengths and weaknesses, so making the best possible army for conquering enemy territories might take a while.
For example, an orc leader can be completely immune to ranged attacks, but can take increased damage from explosions. You should take such an orc leader on assaults against fortresses filled with archers but be wary of the slightest hints of any bombs.
Once you've finished building a sizeable force, you can assault a fortresses. If you succeed in the assault, you'll take over a territory, allowing you to install your own orc leader as the ruler. With enough effort you'll gradually take over Mordor and its surrounding lands.
Shadow of War makes you feel like a recruiter, general, and a ruler, which is very empowering and a lot of fun.
Cons
Con Not many chances to drive at full-speed
WRC 7 has tracks that challenge you to drive with more caution and avoid flying off the road. You can drive fast from time to time, but you won't be going at full speed all that often, or else you risk losing too much time. If you're looking for more of an arcade racer, this may not be the game for you.
Con Career mode only has a few cars to choose from
Car selection in the career mode is really limited, only letting you choose from about five different cars. It's okay as an introduction to the game, but the lack of variety might be off-putting for some.
Con Can get repetitive
The overall gameplay formula doesn't change much over the course of the game. You fight orcs, take over strongholds, upgrade your character, and collect blips on the world map. After a while it can start feeling like a grind, especially during long play sessions. This is made worse in the final stretch of the game where you have to fight through 20 consecutive stronghold battles without any story segments or exposition.
Con Unskippable cutscenes disrupt the flow of the gameplay
Every time an orc leader enters the screen, there is an unskippable cutscene where he rambles a bit, focusing the camera on him and halting combat until the cutscene ends. This usually happens as you're fighting another enemy, potentially disrupting your rhythm, which can be really frustrating, especially if mess up your combo or take an unnecessary hit after the cutscene.