Is This The Lord of the Rings Video Game That Fans Have Been Waiting For? (Return To Moria Review)
0Free Range Games' The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria offers an intriguing premise focused on one of the series' most iconic locations, wrapping it in a survival sandbox hack-and-slash structure akin to titles like Valheim. The set-up is strong, and the atmosphere, especially as your Dwarf ventures deep into Moria's caverns, feels epic.
However, that aura of fantasy mystery is interrupted by shallow combat, iffy mechanics, restrictions on where you can mine, and some awkward building mechanics. The action just can't live up to the lore, and trying to build within the game's stingy rules can be annoying.
The distinct lack of polish and limited animations also don't help matters. It's a shame because, with better gameplay, Return to Moria could have been something special. For now, it has to settle for being comfortably mediocre.