In anticipation of the full game release, "Middle-earth: Shadow of War" by Monolith Productions has graced mobile devices with its own version of the game. The game will be available to both the Android and the iOS, and will have its own features and gameplay mechanics.
According to the Daily Sun Knocksville, fans of the "Lord of the Rings" will be delighted to see some familiar faces, like Gimli and Gandalf, on top of other characters from non-canon "Middle-earth: Shadow of War" characters such as Talion and Baranor. The main objective of the game is for players to collect as many rings made by the ring maker, and spectral companion to Talion and Celebrimbor, while the game drops hints of the main game's main story.
Collecting the rings made by Celebrimbor will allow players to upgrade the skills of their champions.
In a report by Gamespot, the game has a real-time strategy feel to it. The characters walk automatically in a linear path, and they can be controlled by dragging them towards or away from the enemies that players will encounter throughout the game. This is very similar to a real-time battle simulation, with a much focused scope. There are varying types of orcs that will require players to make use of specific champions' skills to better beat them.
The mobile version is a free-to-play game that was developed by IUGO Mobile Entertainment in conjunction with Warner Bros. Games, San Francisco, and Monolith Productions. According to Comic Book, the developers were able to integrate the mobile version's own Nemesis System, which is what distinguishes the game from others in the first place. Players will have a choice of recruiting the different orcs in the game or to eliminate them.
The game itself may be decent, but Phone Arena criticized the game's in-app purchase mechanics, saying that the progress is too slow for players who are not willing to shell out some money in order to get ahead. This means that it may force players to spend money, especially if they are not so lucky with the drops from hours of grinding.
