Middle-earth: Shadow of War
Intense overall intensityWhat's in it
Constant melee and stealth combat against orcs and Uruk enemies with heavy blood spray, brutal sword and dagger finishers, and stabbings.
At launch the game sold real-money 'war chests' (loot boxes) containing orc followers and gear, later removed in a 2018 update.
Combat and execution finishers include on-screen decapitations and severing of orc limbs.
Orcs are shown and referenced drinking grog and getting drunk in their camps.
The story centers on war, corruption by a Ring of Power, death, and Talion's slide toward domination and tyranny.
Orc enemies use crude insults and mild coarse taunts during banter and combat.
A female character appears in revealing attire; there is no other nudity or sexual content.
Giant spiders (Shelob), spectral wraiths, and undead-tinged imagery create occasional creepy, tense moments.
Talion fights and can mount or kill beasts such as caragors, graugs, and drakes as a standard combat mechanic.
The launch endgame grind and optional loot-box purchases were criticized as nudging players toward spending, though purchases were never required.
Who can reach your kid
What it is
Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a third-person open-world action RPG set in Tolkien's Mordor, where you play the ranger Talion, bonded with an elven wraith, forging a Ring of Power to raise an orc army against Sauron. Gameplay is built on melee and stealth combat that is frequently bloody, with brutal finishing moves that include decapitations and dismemberment of orc enemies, plus fights against large beasts. Content is dark in tone (war, corruption, death) with occasional creepy imagery from giant spiders and wraiths, some crude orc humor, and depictions of orcs drinking. There is no sexual content of note beyond a female character in revealing attire. At release the game included real-money loot boxes selling orc followers and gear, which were later removed.
How it's framed
The game frames violence as heroic war against Sauron's forces, rewarding kills, domination, and army-building, while its narrative treats Talion's growing use of the Ring's power as a morally ambiguous, corrupting descent rather than a clean triumph.
Details
- Developer
- Monolith Productions
- Publisher
- WB Games
- Released
- Oct 9, 2017
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