Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™VSOf Ash and Steel
Which is the smarter buy right now? We crunched all the metrics.
Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™
Better Deal· Steam
Of Ash and Steel
Better Deal· SteamToo Close to Call
These games are very evenly matched across all metrics
Head-to-Head Metrics
Direct metric-by-metric breakdown · no weights applied
Not the best time to jump in. Prices tend to drop, and this one hasn't hit its sweet spot yet.
Worth keeping an eye on. Currently sitting in a decent spot, but not quite a must-buy just yet.
Statistics Over Time
Synchronized historical data for both games
Player Count Trends
— Concurrent players over timeReview Score Trends
— Positive review ratio over timeReview Volume Trends
— Total reviews accumulated over time
Score Breakdown
Side-by-side value analysis for each game
Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™
Quality
Most players came away satisfied — more positives than negatives.
Value
Price too high for what's offered — better options available.
Popularity
Declining player base — could be a problem for multiplayer-dependent games.
Of Ash and Steel
Quality
Polarizing title that works well for its target audience but may frustrate others.
Value
Average price — a good time if there's an active discount.
Popularity
Low popularity — few active players and little community discussion.
Game Details
Release information and metadata
System Requirements
PC minimum and recommended specs
Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™
Recommended
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10 Creators Update
- Processor: AMD FX-8350, 4.0 GHz / Intel Core i7-3770, 3.4 GHz
- Memory: 12 GB RAM
- Graphics: AMD RX 480, 4 GB or RX580, 4GB / NVIDIA GTX 970, 4GB or GTX1060, 6GB
- DirectX: Version 11
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 70 GB available space
- Additional Notes: X64 required
Of Ash and Steel
Recommended
- OS: Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
- Processor: Intel Core i7-10700 / AMD Ryzen 7 3700x
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 / AMD Radeon RX 6700
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 45 GB available space
- Additional Notes: SSD required
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better: Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ or Of Ash and Steel?
Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ and Of Ash and Steel are extremely close, with nearly identical results across all metrics. Both are excellent choices.
How is the comparison calculated?
The comparison winner is determined objectively by counting which game wins more individual metrics in the head-to-head table — no weighting is applied. The GameValio Recommendation shown separately is our own suggestion for each game, based on a weighted score that combines quality (reviews), popularity (player counts), and affordability (price vs value) into a score out of 100. These are two different things: the comparison is objective, the recommendation is GameValio's opinion.
Is Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ worth buying over Of Ash and Steel?
Based on the metrics, Too Close to Call won the direct comparison. However, also check the GameValio Recommendation for each game and the price comparison table to make the most informed purchase decision.
Which game has better player reviews?
Review score trends and volume over time are shown in the charts section above. The game with consistently higher positive ratios has stronger community reception.
Which game offers better value for money?
The affordability score and price comparison table above highlight the best deals. Of Ash and Steel currently scores better on value relative to its quality and price.
Analysis updated: Jun 18, 2026, 12:23 PM UTC