The first skills you should unlock in Shadow of War fix a video game no-no

You bought Middle-earth: Shadow of War. You’ve heard that it’s even richer and more complicated than its predecessor, and you can’t wait to dive down the upgrade tree like an Olympian coming off the roll of honor. Stop!

Hold onto your horses because there is something you need to know before the game starts. It’s easy, and it’s a bit annoying that you even have to bother unlocking that treasure hunter Fitness.

fans of far away 3 You’ll be familiar with the annoying need to manually loot each enemy, which triggers slow, repetitive looting animations. I am sad to report shadow of warLooting also takes too long, requiring players to individually grab weapons, armor, or gems that fall to the ground in the heat of battle. Luckily, the game includes an ability that automatically collects items when your character steps on them.

However, this skill is the final unlock in the Wraith branch of the game’s skill tree, so you’ll need to unlock a few other skills to access it. Luckily, the game is generous with your skill points, so it shouldn’t take too long.

rollercoaster of emotions, I know.

Not the most pleasant way to start a new game, focusing on leveling up a character just so collecting basic items isn’t a chore. But the alternative is worse. Without the ability, you’ll eventually find yourself in a fight trying to grab an item and subjecting yourself to a fatal blow from archers or swordsmen. You’ll miss out on a rare dagger or precious trinket and regret spending your skill points on it. treasure hunter.

How boring. I appreciate that game developers need to create challenges for players to complete, which often needs to incentivize progress with rewards. shadow of war is successful in many ways, constantly rewarding the player with magical abilities that transform their character into a dragon-riding fantasy super soldier. These skills build on combat, taking a strong and fun core idea and adding it to it.

But I find it hard to imagine that auto-looting would be an equally valuable reward. It’s not an addition to something that already works. Looting is awkward without the ability. The decision comes down to whether you run or crouch, an ability you need to unlock. Sure I could add a challenge at the beginning, but what a sad challenge!

And so looting is a frustrating little hurdle at the beginning of a really long run. I encourage you to break it asap.