Summary
When it comes to fantasy,Lord of the Ringsis one of the greatest franchises in the genre, andThe Lord of the Rings: Return to Moriais bringing yet another story to life that takes place within Middle-earth. The beloved book series by J.R.R Tolkien has been adapted into an enormously successful film series and various video games. Through the years, many fans of the franchise have been able to experience Middle-earth in various games, butReturn to Moriais promising players a completely new lookat the iconic world that fans have come to love.
AlthoughLord of the Ringshas been a beloved franchise for decades, there has been a new uptick in popularity when it comes to the Tolkien’s creation. With a recent Amazon Prime television adaptation and a potential revamp of the films,Lord of the Ringshas been brought back into the spotlight.Return to Moriais set to come out soon, which means the game has a chance to be a new hit in theLord of the Ringsfranchise. Taking a survival crafting approach,Return to Moriafocuses on the Dwarvesas they work to reclaim their home of Moria held within the Misty Mountains, and it will likely be a fresh look into Middle-earth.
RELATED:Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria Releases New Screenshots
Return to Moria Will Be a Fresh Look at Middle-earth
There have been some wildly successfulLord of the Ringsgames, likeShadow of Mordor, butReturn to Moriais looking to offer players something different when it comes to the world of Middle-earth. One of the unique aspects ofReturn to Moriathat is likely going to set it apart from the otherLord of the Ringsgames is that this particular title is focusing on what’s underground. Thanks to its focus on mining and crafting,Return to Moriatakes place completely below the surface, and this will offer a fun opportunity for many fans to see a different side of Middle-earth.
Other games inspired by the franchise have explored underground,like the ill-fatedGollumgame, but it seems like this may be the first game in theLord of the Ringsfranchise where the main gameplay is not only reliant on the underground mines of Moria, but the entire overarching narrative relies on it as well. There have of course been levels that take place in these mines, but Moria has mostly been set aside as a specific set piece and not as its own character. Allowing the location and setting in a game to become its own character can help make a game feel more alive, and it seems likeReturn to Moriamight be able to do just that.
SinceReturn to Moriais a crafting survival titlethat follows the Dwarves reclaiming their homeland in the mines, Moria is clearly crucial to the entirety of the game, and this could be an exciting look into an area of Middle-earth that usually isn’t explored as deeply as some fans would like. One of the most notable glimpses of Moria was inFellowship of the Ringwith some of the film’s most important scenes taking place in the mines, but being able to explore this area in a game could be a dream for many fans who love the Dwarves and want to learn more about their home.
AftertheGollumgame flopped,Return to Morialooks like a more promising title forLord of the Ringsfans to look forward to. The crafting and survival elements sound like an exciting way to experience Middle-earth, and making the Dwarves and Moria essential to this game only make sense, given the crafting elements. There’s no telling what secrets Moria will hold, but bringingLord fo the Ringsinto the survival crafting genre is a great way to showcase an underrated Middle-earth location.
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moriawill be available in 2023 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S
