The world of The Lord of the Rings has already seen many game adaptations. But Return to Moria brings a whole new perspective to Middle-earth.

When it comes to fantasy games, The Lord of the Rings is one of the biggest franchises in the genre, and The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria brings a new story set in Middle-earth to life. J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved series of books has been made into a hugely successful film trilogy and various video games. Over the years, many franchise fans have experienced Middle-earth in multiple games. But Return to Moria promises players a whole new perspective on the iconic world that fans have come to love.

Although The Lord of the Rings has been a beloved franchise for decades, the popularity of Tolkien’s creation has seen a resurgence, with the recent Amazon Prime television adaptation and possible remake of the films putting The Lord of the Rings back in the spotlight.

With Return to Moria coming out soon, the game has a chance to become the new hit of the Lord of the Rings franchise. Taking a survival crafting approach, the game focuses on the dwarves as they work to reclaim their home in the Misty Mountains, Moria.

Return to Moria takes a fresh look at Middle-earth

Lord of the Rings games have had some significant successes, such as Shadow of Mordor. But Return to Moria aims to offer players something different in the world of Middle-earth. One of the unique aspects of the game that will probably set it apart from other Lord of the Rings games is that this particular title focuses on what’s underground. Return to Moria takes place entirely below the surface thanks to its focus on mining and crafting. This will offer many fans a fun opportunity to see a different side of Middle-earth.

Other games inspired by the franchise have already explored the underground world. For example, the terrifically successful Gollum game. But it seems that this could be the first game in the Lord of the Rings franchise where the main gameplay is not only based on the underground mines of Moria but the whole overall narrative is based on it. Of course, there have been maps set in these mines before. However, Moria is mostly just a concrete backdrop. It was not a “character in its own right”.

Allowing the setting and environment in a game to become its own character can help make a game feel more alive, and it seems that Return to Moria may be able to do that.

As a craft survival game that follows the dwarves, Moria is clearly essential to the game as a whole. It can provide an exciting insight into an area of Middle-earth that is not usually explored as profoundly as some fans would like.

After the failure of the Gollum game, Return to Moria looks like a more promising title for Lord of the Rings fans. The crafting and survival elements seem like an exciting way to experience Middle-earth. Making dwarves and Moria indispensable to the game is only made more critical by the crafting elements. It is unknown what secrets Moria holds, but what we know of the game so far is very promising.

Source: YouTube