When comparing Total War: Warhammer 2 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 Dark Fantasy games on Steam?” Middle-earth: Shadow of War is ranked 7th while Total War: Warhammer 2 is ranked 18th. 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 Epic battles
The Total War series is known for its large scale battles and tactical combat, so TW:W2 is no exception.
You have armies advancing and clashing in massive brawls, squadrons of archers firing in unison, mounted troops performing flanking maneuvers, and siege engines such as catapults spreading havoc in enemy ranks.
What makes it a lot more interesting, however, are the fantasy elements. This includes powerful spellcasters that can summon a rain of meteors, wiping away entire armies, massive dragons that soar over the battlefield while raining fire and death upon the enemies below them, and even gigantic dinosaurs that charge into enemy ranks, throwing them into every direction.
Whenever a battle unfolds, it truly feels like a spectacle of epic proportions.
Pro Campaign mode that keeps you interested
While most similar games tend to have the total domination type of campaign, requiring you to capture all cities on the game map, TW:W2 instead attempts to focus on a grand objective – taking over the Great Vortex, a swirling mass of energy.
Each of the game's races have their own reasons for wanting he Great Vortex's power, but taking control of it secures your victory. As a result, the campaign retains its focus throughout, keeping it fun and engaging without becoming tedious.
Pro Outstanding visuals
The world of Warhammer is brought to life by the game's excellent graphics. This includes lighting, shadow-mapping, fog effects, particle effects, terrain, structures, and everything else you see on-screen.
The most noteworthy aspect, however, is the incredible attention to detail on character models and their textures, with each unit looking like a finely crafted tabletop figure. This only becomes truly apparent when you zoom in during a battle and notice that no character model looks blocky at all. From the scales on a Lizardmans back, to the stitching on a Hell-pit abomination, to even the ripped webbing of a Black Dragon's wing. Whether you're a fantasy fan or not, it's something that's very easy to notice and appreciate.
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 You'll need to buy the prequel and eventually the sequel for the full experience
While TW:W2 is a solid experience by itself, if you also own the prequel (TW:W), you get a free DLC called "Mortal Empires." It unlocks a gigantic campaign map, making all factions from both games playable. This will eventually extend to TW:W3 as well, so you'll have to spend money on three separate games to fully immerse yourself in the storied Warhammer universe.
Con Steep learning curve
There's a lot to learn in Total War: Warhammer 2. To start with - managing your empire, upgrading cities, diplomatic relations, recruiting soldiers, upkeep, and many other aspects that are different for each race.
Then there are the battles themselves, requiring you to understand formations, positioning, terrain advantages, unit strengths and weaknesses, and even morale.
The game relentlessly keeps throwing new concepts at you, which can be extremely daunting, especially if you're new to the Total War series. As a result, it might take a long time till you have a firm grasp on the game.
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.