To start with the good - combat is fluid and dynamic, with a range of simple inputs that yield more and more complex outcomes as you progress. No matter how tough the target, you'll eventually get to a point where you'll have at least one way to damage even the most frustrating Orcs (some of whom have a frankly obnoxious level of "that doesn't work on me, and neither does that, and neither does that... and neither does that... or that... or that" defensive abilities that turn the otherwise cinematic and enjoyable combat into a tiresome slog regardless of whether I have a countermeasure or not). And speaking of the Orcs, they're the biggest draw in the game for me. I find myself rooting, not for the grim protagonist who is also possessed by the grim secondary protagonist, but for the Orcs, Uruks, and Ologs that I've recruited along the way. They have personality, they grow and adapt and learn, and some of them even even seem to have some level of college education based on their speeches. The banter among trash mobs is also fantastic - I even overheard two Orcs having the fandom's "do Balrogs have wings" argument. Which leads me to one of the negative points. If you don't like gameplay interruptions, this is probably not the game for you. The deluge of mission complete screens, region status updates, and introductory speeches for the NPCs has made up something close to 20% of my play time. When you get to certain stages of quests, the game will stop you entirely until you follow an on-screen prompt. It's my single biggest complaint about the game. After that ever-present stream of interruptions, my next-biggest complaint is stability. When it was released, the game was one of those that demanded the newest, shiniest hardware. My rig is no battle bot, but it's not on the low end either, and I still usually get at least one crash for every few hours played. So, do be aware of that before buying. In the end, do I recommend it? Yes.
