Summary
TheLord of the Ringsremains one of the most popular and beloved fantasy franchises ever created, with demand for new gaming experiences within the realms of J.R.R Tolkien’s Middle Earth and beyond standing the test of time. TheLord of the Rings: Return to Moriaby Free Range Games could potentially offer fans a wealth of promising new content that expands upon the franchise’s lore, history, and story, with a unique take onLord of the Ringsvideo games with its survival crafting offering, a seemingly perfect fit for Dwarves, the Masters of Stone.
As a game set inthe Fourth Age ofLOTR,The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moriatakes place 70 years after The One Ring is destroyed, with the exciting reprisal of John Rhys Davis reprising the role of Gimli, heading a group of dwarves to reclaim Moria. While Tolkien’s works focus mainly on what happens during the rise of Men, less is known about what happened to other races during this era, like the Dwarves, setting the stage forThe Lord of the Rings: Return to Moriato add more to the history and lore of the Dwarves after the death of Sauron. Yet, it also looks to reveal more insight into Dwarven history from past times in various intriguing ways.
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Exploring Dwarven Mysteries In The Lord Of The Rings: Return To Moria
Following theannouncement ofThe Lord of the Rings: Return to Moriaback in June 2023, the developers have since released further details about what to expect exploring Moria, including a recent developer Q&A on the game’s YouTube channel. InThe Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, exploring the Mines of Moria means digging to discover and build new pathways and structures, and even singing to unlock new areas. However, exploring also means unlocking more mysteries and secrets, with noise being a significant survival mechanic, as making noise in Moria can mean awakening new foes from the darkness.
For many fans, the menacing Balrog may come to mind, first awoken by the Dwarves and appearing when the Fellowship explores those same Mines inThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Of course,Gandalf defeated the Balrog inLotRso it won’t appear here, but the developers have confirmed another creature lingering in the shadows. While specifics are unknown, it’s possible this new unnamed foe could shed more light on Moria and Dwarven history, such as why it seems such an ill-fated place with so many hostile creatures.
Digging Up The Past With Legendary Items In Return To Moria
Although fans can see more ofwhat happens to the Mines of Moriaand discover more of its secrets,The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moriaalso looks set to reveal more about the Dwarves' past in various ways. For instance, players can unearth treasures from the past through collectible and discoverable items, such as Legendary Dwarven armor, tools, weapons, and structures from different Ages. It could be fascinating to see how these may add to the lore and history of the Dwarves, especially if there are new locations to discover not yet seen in theLotRbooks, movies, or games.
After thepoorly-ratedLord of the Rings: Gollum,The Lord of the Rings: Return to Morialooks like it could be a unique and promising experience. It could takeLotRvideo games to fresh, new places and potentially offer further historical insight into the franchise as a whole.
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moriareleases digitally on October 24 for PC and PS5. An Xbox Series X/S release is due early 2024.
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