izigame.me

I played this game when it came out. Returned a few weeks ago with very good memories.
Boy, it is so great! Put 40 hours in it in just 2 weeks and it still feel like it was just a breeze.
Graphics are still gorgeous in 2022 (with HD texture pack and ALL settings to max), music is good, but the ork lines are incredible - funny and fitting! Voices acting is great.
The gameplay loop is fantastic. Controls are smooth and responsive. Arkam style. Doesn't matter if you're using controller or keyboard. Melee combat is just solid. But what makes it unique is the ability to easily switch between melee, ranged and stealth combat. Still, parry is generally too powerful. The required reaction time is quite long. Combine this with the fact that there is no difficulty adjustment and enemies attack one at a time the game can become too easy for skilled players. If you're into Dark Souls you might be underwhelmed.
In 2022 you can play with keyboard on a 1440p monitor with constant 144fps or relax on your armchair with controller at locked 60fps on your 4k television at 2160p. This game is so well programmed, performance scales well. Framerate is constant, I encountered no bugs or crashes at all. And no drops in framerate even when 50+ orcs are chasing you.
Progress is very satisfiying. Skill tree is good: your skills are limited at the start, so you can learn, future skills are visible, so you can plan. Short skill previews show how to use them. Only downside is: you have more than enough points to learns all skills - no need to specialize and you reach all skills before the endgame.
No need to constantly loot enemies or clear the map of markers. The main items you pick up are runes from the bosses. These runes upgrade your 3 weapons (blade, dagger, bow) which never change - I like that. No need to compare weapons, you stick with what you have.
Learning curve is good. That's why you start loving to grind (not for some achievements or to make map symbols dissapear!). Still, there are moments in the late game where you need to tactically retreat or even alter the missions in order to get to your arch enemy (btw great that you can alter missions at all) There is no moment where you feel all too powerful but that is the result of the sheer amount of enemies that spawn and the lack of AOE attacks.
Still, this game accomplishes to make you feel weak due to its masses and taunting enemies and badass at the same time -due to its ridiculously gory finishing moves.
Choices to engage combat are multiple since it is all open world. Run storming in, then retreat for healing OR use the wonderful stealth elements to quietly clear areas OR slowly build your own army by persuading orks to your side OR even use the Nemesis system to engage battles when your allies that freely roam the open world are present.
2 big and quite different looking open areas . Some but not too many special items you can pick up for extra XP and Lotr lore, but you don't need to. You can do the cool and always good generic side missions instead. When you reach the endgame some them become too easy and repetative because you literally just need to watch. Well.
Main story? It strongly motivated me right from the start and then ceased to matter. But it fits the setting of you being the lone wolf in Mordor. Special npcs I remember? One comrade (Celebrimbor), one wannabe badass ork and a funny dwarf. Oh yes, and a special appearance from a well known lotr character. Enough for my taste. I could not care less that the main story is somewhat short or predictable. Or the cringe factor in the btw still good looking cutscenes where my charakter is constantly being an asshole. Doesn't matter! I make my own story with my personal vendettas with the orks using the intrigues with the awesome and so unique NEMESIS system!
9/10
I highly recommend this game to anyone liking melee games. The one point that stands out is the unique and nice NEMESIS system.