hates_tuna The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria Review

Let's start by acknowledging Return to Moria had a rough start. What you read from critics in 2023 was 100% accurate. However now that we are 2 years in, I will say that the game is so much better, and I enjoy it quite a bit. It is a survival game. Kill the bad guys and search everywhere to find the thing, and the thing allows you to get a new resource, which allows you to get a make new weapons, which allows you to kill monsters and move to the next area to start all over. It's a simple mechanic, but if you like games such as Valheim I think you will like Return to Moria. The execution is the key, and I think RoM does it very well. Plus it feels like a Lord of the Rings game. The storyline and the backstory hooks are enjoyable to read or listen to. It is set a few years after the defeat of Sauron, and the dwarves are trying to reclaim Moria. But a spell backfires, and you get trapped inside the mine alone (or with your friends) and need to find a way out. So now you're exploring the ruins of the once mighty dwarven stronghold. I love the art styling, and the details put into the architecture of various dwarven settlements. The goblins & orcs are pulled right out of the movies, and you can hear them arguing or fighting amongst themselves. Well, until they spot you, and try to swarm you. Mobs take the form or roaming monsters or warbands, stationary mobs guarding an area, encampments that you have to tear down, or the dreaded Hordes. Just like in the movies, if you make too much noise fighting, building, or mining resources, you can trigger a horde. Hordes are absolutely terrifying early on, and can even be a problem later if you aren't paying attention. My favorite part is building up a base. I have spent entire evenings doing nothing but tearing down & rebuilding my own base to make it more functional, or to fit in a new forge, to just incorporating new decorations I found. I find it relaxing. Co-op is also fun. Up to 3 friends can join. Mostly it's just me and Dan having a good time. I tend to rush in with sword, axe, or maul swinging, while he stands back and shoots arrows or bolts. Scouting & mining are also a lot easier with 2+, as is fighting off those hordes. The final thing I will say is I really appreciate the dev team continuing to support the game. The could have abandoned the game, but instead fixed the issues folks were complaining about, and have even added a bunch of new features, most of which are quality of life. I also appreciate the fact that they created the ability to run dedicated servers, which makes multiplayer easier.