The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria – How to survive in the Fourth Age

The Lord of the Rings is certainly one of the most famous literary works in the world; however, with the exception of few old movies, the brand has rarely been used in videogames, with the most recent Gollum release which unfortunately did not get the desired results.

This time, the developers of Free Range Games, together with publisher North Beach Games, try to integrate a survival formula into the lore of Middle-earth. The story of Return to Moria is set in the Fourth Age, just after Sauron’s defeat and the ring’s destruction.

In this period of peace, the dwarves take the opportunity to regain the mines of Moria, lost after the awakening of the ancient Balrog of Morgoth. Led by the brave Gimli, the Dwarves venture into the darkest paths of the Underground, collecting resources, building and fighting for survival.

Rediscovering Moria

Once the campaign starts, we will immediately have the opportunity to create and customize our own Dwarf. The Character Editor is unfortunately very basic and does not have many aesthetic options to choose from.

After creating our character, we can decide whether to start a single player game or online through co-op. Soon after, we will embark into our first great expedition, but due to an accident, we will be separated from Gimli and we will continue this great adventure alone (or with other players and friends). 

We have a straightforward objective: to gather resources, build camps, refine our equipment, and venture deeper into the mines, trying to reunite with Gimli and uncover the past of the Dwarves, specifically the company guided by King Thorin Oakenshield, one of the protagonists from The Hobbit.

Return to Moria is a mix of exploration and pure survival. Starting with a simple pickaxe, we will craft weapons and unique equipment (axes, bows, armors, helmets, backpacks and more). Other survival mechanics are present in the game, such as hunger, sleep and the need to stay near the light to avoid losing sanity and health.

These are standard mechanics that we often see in many other survival games and that certainly do not shine for originality. Creating and upgrading our equipment will allow us to explore dangerous places, infested with goblins, orcs and other evil creatures.

Unfortunately, the combat system is rough and poorly finished, both in terms of animations and artificial intelligence, the latter appearing really terrible. Every map is procedurally generated, so each mission can be different even if played several times, except for some plot-related points that are always the same. Replayability is therefore high and it increases more thanks to the ability to play online together with other players.

Although the environments are really well made, visuals leave a lot to be desired. The graphics look already outdated, with enemies’ models lacking details. The optimization is decent, even if there are still several bugs and glitches. It’s surprising to note that almost all the music is absent. Instead, we’ll often hear the ambient background and sound effects, which are good enough.

Return to Moria is fun to play with friends

The experience of Return to Moria, which alternates between survival, exploration, and combat, is clearly designed for multiple players. As a fact, it’s easy to get tired by playing alone, especially during the backtracking and resource farming phases. It is therefore recommended to play with friends, with whom to build and defend our camp and plan our expeditions. 

The game’s cooperative structure makes it especially suitable for streamers, who will likely encounter unexpected and fun situations that can engage their audience.

marcoleo

I’m a passionate guy who loves videogames, movies, anime and comics. I like to talk about videogames and share my opinion with the world.