Shadow of War has multiple regions, from Minas Ithil and its Gondorian architecture, to the lush jungles and dense vegetation of Nurnen. Fan of Tolkien lore will likely balk at the artistic liberties that Monolith took to craft the story, however it should be taken to stand on its own legs. It doesn’t exactly go as planned and things soon escalate out of control, as Shelob, Gollum, the Nazgul, and even Sauron himself are drawn into the mix. Picking up where Shadow of Mordor ended, Middle-earth: Shadow of War has Talion and the wraith, Celebrimbor, forging the New Ring to fight Sauron. Luckily, despite the tremendous liberties the game takes with the Lord of the Rings mythos, it’s still an enjoyable romp through the shadowy land of Mordor. For now, Middle-earth: Shadow of War is the best fix Tolkien fans can get. If we’re lucky, Hollywood might make movies based on the first War of the Ring.
It’s highly unlikely we’ll ever return to the Fourth Age of Middle-earth.
