Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ vs Ryse: Son of Rome
Which one is worth buying now, with today's prices and each game's recommendation.
Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ wins 11 of 15 head-to-head metrics. Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ is $0.74 cheaper.
Metric by metric
The winner of each row gets a ✓. No row weighs more than another; the recommendation is calculated separately.
| Metric | Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ | Ryse: Son of Rome |
|---|---|---|
| GameValio scoreRecommendation: Worth It × Maybe | 72 | 68 |
| Quality | 72 | 76 |
| Value | 83 | 74 |
| Popularity | 41 | 37 |
| Current Best Price (USD) | $2.69 | $3.43 |
| Steam Review Score | 88.9% positive | 87.5% positive |
| Average Concurrent Players (14 days) | 2.2K | 69 |
Where to buy
The 3 cheapest stores for each game
Side by side over time
Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™Ryse: Son of Rome
Details and requirements
| Item | Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ | Ryse: Son of Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | October 9, 2017 | October 10, 2014 |
| Developers | Monolith Productions | Crytek |
| Publishers | WB Games | Crytek |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| OS (minimum) | Windows 10 Creators Update | Windows® Vista 64-bit / Windows® 7 64-bit / Windows® 8 64-bit |
| Processor (minimum) | AMD FX-8350, 4.0 GHz / Intel Core i7-3770, 3.4 GHz | Quad Core or Six Core CPU (6+ logical processors) |
| Memory (minimum) | 12 GB RAM | 8 GB RAM |
| Graphics (minimum) | AMD RX 480, 4 GB or RX580, 4GB / NVIDIA GTX 970, 4GB or GTX1060, 6GB | DirectX 11 graphics card with 2 GB video RAM |
| DirectX (minimum) | Version 11 | Version 11 |
| Network (minimum) | Broadband Internet connection | — |
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ or Ryse: Son of Rome?
Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ won the comparison against Ryse: Son of Rome based on the head-to-head metric breakdown. Check the metrics table above for a full side-by-side analysis.
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 Ryse: Son of Rome?
Based on the metrics, Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ 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. Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ currently scores better on value relative to its quality and price.
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Analysis updated: Oct 24, 2026, 02:03 PM UTC