Which Middle-Earth: Shadow Of War Difficulty Is Best

Middle-earth: Shadow of War expanded on the gameplay mechanics found in its predecessor, Shadow of Mordor, in a number of ways. It also comes with three difficulties that can affect various aspects of these mechanics: Easy, Normal, and Gravewalker. Ahead of beginning the game (or replaying it), some players may be wondering which Shadow of War difficulty is best. However, it really depends on playstyle and personal preferences.

Shadow of War utilizes WB’s patented Nemesis system, which means enemies can learn a player’s moves and patterns thanks to AI. Essentially, this means someone’s interactions with NPCs and foes can affect the narrative and future encounters. And while the system has gotten a lot of praise since its debut, a player’s love (or hate) of the Nemesis system may ultimately decide which Shadow of War difficulty mode is right for them.

The Easy difficulty in Middle-earth: Shadow of War is meant to get players through the main story without too many problems. Protagonist Talion will still likely die frequently, but enemy encounters are much easier. The downside to this is that the Nemesis system isn’t fully utilized, so the enemy AI may not react as impressively as it would in other Shadow of War difficulty modes. Newcomers to the Middle-earth games – or people unfamiliar with  Shadow of War‘s Nemesis system – may opt to play in Easy until they learn more about the systems and how combat works.

Middle-earth: Shadow Of War Difficulty – Is Normal Or Gravewalker Better?

Normal mode in Middle-earth: Shadow of War is, of course, the standard difficulty level. Enemies are tougher than in Easy and will completely utilize the Nemesis system. This can be a great mode to start at, since players will get to experience everything the Nemesis system and this Lord of the Rings game have to offer in this Shadow of War difficulty mode. Overall, Normal stays fairly balanced between being challenging but sometimes forgiving. However, those looking for even more of a challenge – or who have played through the game before – may opt to try out the Gravewalker difficulty in Shadow of War instead. This will cause orcs to be smarter and adapt more easily and quicker to someone’s playstyle.

Gravewalker is the hardest Shadow of War difficulty, and it will require players to carefully think about strategic approaches to combat – and how best to tackle enemies. While Gravewalker is certainly fun, dying should be expected a lot, and it may prove to be too difficult for some users – and especially to new players and those unfamiliar with the Middle-earth games’ Nemesis system. Ultimately, it’s up the player to decide which Middle-earth: Shadow of War difficulty is right for them, although Normal mode makes arguably the best play to start.

About The Author

Austin King
(1232 Articles Published)

See also  The 9 Best Pixar Families, Ranked

Austin King is a Game Features Editor at Screen Rant. He’s the author of several books and hosts the Dragon Quest FM and JRPGs & Me podcasts. You can find him on Twitter @DragonQuaustin.

More From Austin King