The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria has been moved from the previous Spring 2023 launch window to this Fall, as announced by developer Free Range Games and publisher North Beach Games at Summer Game Fest 2023. The upside is that the console launches on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X will now be simultaneous with the PC debut (on the Epic Games Store).
The only survival crafting game set in Tolkien's Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria takes place in the Fourth Age when Lord Gimli Lockbearer summons a daring group of dwarves to finally take back the long-lost kingdom of Khazad-dûm.
The game's version of Moria is procedurally generated to ensure that no two playthroughs are the same. To survive the perilous dwarven underground, players will have to be mindful of hunting for food, gathering resources, and managing their sleep, temperature, and noise. A dynamic light system allows them to keep the darkness at bay while also paving the way forward into the dark unknown.
Of course, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria features plenty of fights against the Orcs that inhabit Khazad-dûm, and the official fact sheet also teased that the Shadow lurking in the deepest recesses of the kingdom may eventually be encountered. Base building is available from scratch or as additions to the existing architecture and environments.
With each successful Expedition, old mines may be uncovered. Reigniting their forges will provide access to their resources. Once you establish a mine, you can unearth their resources, such as iron, silver, quartz, and the fabled Mithril. Beware, though, as mining can be loud, alerting enemies to the dwarven operation.
There will be plenty of legendary dwarven armor, weapons and tools to loot and craft, and the developers also teased new technologies and 'fantastical machines'. Likewise, players may find magic items like swords that glow in the proximity of Orcs (this should ring a bell, right?) or amulets that enhance certain stats.
Last but not least, a detailed dwarf character creator should satisfy the customization needs of most players.
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria will be playable solo or cooperatively with up to eight players. Check out the new gameplay trailer (narrated by award-winning actor John Rhys-Davies) that aired at Summer Game Fest 2023 above.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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