Well, the highly anticipated Shadow of War may come under some heat after Monolith’s most recent announcement regarding the sequel. Monolith and WB Games have made some announcements regarding Shadow of War’s customization features and, most notably, how microtransactions are thrown into the mix. That word alone can rub some gamers the wrong way, but Monolith has explained their case as to what these transactions will entail and how they won’t be a necessity, but only a convenience.
With this new Nemesis System, there looks to be so much customization for players to forge their orc armies. A lot of this customization will be accessible from the game’s new Market, in which players can purchase Loot Chests, War Chests, XP Boosts and Bundles with Mirian and Gold. Now one thing to note is that Mirian and Gold can be earned strictly from playing the game.
• Loot Chests contain Gear (weapons and armor) of varying rarity. Equipping and upgrading these weapons and armor enhance Talion’s character abilities. Loot Chests can also contain XP Boosts that help level up Talion faster.
• War Chests provide Orc followers of varying rarity to help forge a strong army. They can also contain Training Orders to level up and customize Orc followers.
• XP Boosts are consumables that help level up Talion faster.
• Bundles package up Loot Chests, War Chests and Boosts together at a great value.
Mirian is an in-game currency that can be earned a bit more frequently from Mirian stashes and by other tasks such as; defeating treasure orcs, dismantling gear, and defeating Orc followers for gear. Gold is where the controversy may start, as Gold can be purchased from using real world money. However, Monolith was quick to assure players that Gold can still be earned by completing community challenges and awarded for completing specific milestones.
One assumption that many players will have regarding microtransactions is that content will be gated, but Monolith has let us know that will not be the case with Shadow of War: “No content in the game is gated by Gold. All content can be acquired naturally through normal gameplay.” Now, I have never been a fan of microtransactions, but only when content is gated as I stated before. As long as I can play the entire game without spending my own money, I can ignore the opportunity to spend my own real money. That being said, some games may keep throwing microtransactions in players’ faces (*cough* For Honor *cough*), so lets hope Shadow of War’s Gold exchanges are offered sparingly.
For any more information regarding Shadow of War’s Market, visit their Blog for details. Shadow of War is set to launch on October 10th for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
