The developers of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria have spoken about the importance of the role of light in the gameplay and what the crafting feature will be.

Game developers Free Range Games have given us a detailed insight into their upcoming game, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. The sneak peek occurred during a live stream on the Nerd of the Rings YouTube channel. Information on the dwarf-focused story and game mechanics were the highlights of the discussion. We also got some Return to Moria concept art and screenshots.

Corey Olsen was the Tolkien expert for this game adaptation, which focuses on the dwarves of the Fourth Age, including Gimli, who must survive the discovery of the revelations of Moria.

The narrative team behind the game had to do a lot of research into the story of Moria. They delved deep into the narrow account Tolkien provided for the dwarves to connect the dots. This allowed them to create a more rounded interpretation of the characters.

In addition to screenshots and concept art, much more information was revealed. With a dwarf-focused Lord of the Rings game, many have speculated about the possibilities of what exactly the gameplay will consist of. Unfortunately, no gameplay footage was shown during the interview. However, key gameplay details were revealed. It was mentioned that “no two adventures will be the same” in a “procedurally generated” morality setting. Players can choose to adventure with online friends or through a solo campaign.

Throughout the game, the dwarves will attempt to reclaim their ancestral home and discover exactly what led to the destruction of the once glorious dwelling.

Light and darkness in Return to Moria

One of the game’s fundamental mechanics is the management of light and shadow. As players dig deeper into the mine, they may awaken the danger lurking in the darkness. The darkness can affect the protagonist’s energy and desperation, hinting that Return to Moria will also feature the psychological control system that is becoming increasingly popular in modern games.

Noise also plays a part in the experience. While mining, players will have to be careful of the noise. Otherwise, they can expect enemies to attack from the dark. Players will also have to use up resources to make better equipment on the go. This will determine how much “power” players will have during the adventure. Cooking is also vital in overcoming despair. So a successful experience requires more than just watching the light and shadows.

It will be interesting to see how ‘The Tolkien Professor’ Olsen and the team’s research comes to life in the game as we learn more and more about the dwarves and Moria.

As the stories of the dwarves have become more prominent in recent adaptations of Tolkien’s work, the story of the dwarves of Middle-earth will be a breath of fresh air for fans and a nice break from the usual stories of elves and men. Hopefully, this upcoming Lord of the Rings video game and The Lord of the Rings: Gollum will showcase even more Middle-earth and show that the franchise has more to offer the gaming world.

Source: Nerd of the Rings (YouTube)

Another screenshot of two dwarves wading through water in the Misty Mountains…

2/4 pic.twitter.com/keK0sl1V2v

— The Nerd of the Rings (@nerdoftherings1) October 25, 2022