I absolutely adore Shadow of War. It’s a fantastic action RPG that takes the Batman: Arkham’s series’ combat and turns the notch up to 11, delivering brutally gory gameplay that is even stronger with the complex and enticing Nemesis System. Even as we approach the eight years since the game’s launch, I look back in admiration, which is why I recommend you grab the full experience for just $3 on your Steam Deck.
Diving into Uruk camps, slicing apart their army, and using mind control on their powerful captain to make them do your bidding is exactly why Shadow of War remains my favorite action game of the last decade. Even as someone with little interest in the Lord of the Rings franchise, Monolith Productions’ duology is still a pair of Steam Deck games I love – and, unfortunately, we’ll likely never have another one.
After playing a hundred hours on Xbox, before playing on PC and the best handheld console with Steam Deck, I’ve fallen in love with Talion’s grand adventure over and over again. You play as the aforementioned (and not so undead) ranger Talion, who is infused with the spirit of the elf lord Celebrimbor. Following the first game’s events, you lose the new Ring of Power – your only hope at defeating Sauron – as a growing crack forms between Talion and Celebrimbor.
Shadow of War’s canon-breaking narrative serves as a vehicle for what makes the series unique: the gameplay. Despite having a very familiar combat system, the brutality and rapid pace of Talion’s elven-powered abilities make the gameplay resemble an action movie you can play. However, amid the bombastic fights lies strategy game-level planning, where you try to capture different Uruk captains for your side and rise through the ranks as you build an army.
The Nemesis System is what makes all of this strategy function, but it also makes for some very interesting events in this Steam Deck game. Your Uruks can suddenly betray you, leading to dramatic encounters where you’re filled with surprise and rage. Sometimes, you’ll even find those that you previously killed are returned to life and ready for revenge, bearing the scars of your last encounter. It makes the world feel alive, more than any other game I’ve played.
If you want to find out why I love this game so much, you can grab Shadow of War Definitive Edition for just $3.09 / £2.39 on CDKeys. That gives the full Shadow of War experience, including the standard game and four expansions – two of which expand upon the story found within the base game, while the other two will give you more clans of enemies to fight against.
Honestly, this is a game perfect for a small screen or grabbing the best Steam Deck dock and watching the action unfold on a larger display – either way, Shadow of War is a delightfully gory time that, if you’re into the best ARPGs, will give you a very memorable experience.