Shadow of War is bigger and longer than its predecessor, basically too long or rather too slow? Progression takes forever. And it completely outstay its welcome with its limited and always the same short gameplay loop. In contrast, the first game, Shadow of Mordor, is more enjoyable, especially once you unlock enough combat skills. You literally become a hot knife cutting through hordes of buttery Orcs. To the point where you want even more Orcs to spawn and run towards you. Unfortunately, this feeling is lacking in Shadow of War, even with everything unlocked. At some point the Orc Chiefs become outright annoying and you may want to avoid fighting them. Because they turn into pure Gimmick Fights that repeat constantly. This Chief can't be killed in melee, the other one needs to be attacked from behind only, that one needs stealth attacks or ranged attacks. Because they have complete damage immunity otherwise. There are ways around it of course. But it becomes a hassle after a while, because its a repeating loop. Additionally, all the mini games have time limits and are a low point in the game. They feel like cheap design choices and can be annoying to play through. Instead of meaningful side quests that contribute to character development or lore, the game relies on these repetitive time challenges. Overall, if you enjoy high scores and challenges, you may find these aspects of the game fun. However, for others, they may detract from the overall experience.
