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The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria

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The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria
Developer(s)Free Range Games[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
Publisher(s)North Beach Games[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
Director(s)Jon-Paul Dumont[2][8][7][6]
Artist(s)Bradley Fulton (art director)[8][7]
Writer(s)Farrha Khan (narrative designer)[7]
SeriesMiddle-earth
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
Release2023[1]
Genre(s)Survival, crafting[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
Mode(s)Single player, cooperative multiplayer[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is an upcoming 2023 US survival-crafting video game developed by Free Range Games and published by North Beach Games set in the fictional world of Middle-earth created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It is set Fourth Age of Middle-earth after the events of The Lord of the Rings and follows a company of dwarfs led by the character Gimli as they try to retake their homeland Moria and restore the long-lost ancient kingdom of Khazad-dûm.[6][1][2][3][4][7][8][5]

Gameplay

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is survival-crafting game featuring procedurally generated environments in the form of the mines of Moria, many of which are totally dark. Players have to excavate resources such as iron, gold, quartz, gemstones and Mithril of three mountains and craft tools, weapons, armor, structures and resources.To survive players must hunt and harvest food, manage their sleep, temperature, will and noise levels and battle orc hordes, cave trolls and other creatures that reside in dark areas. Players can also build bases, uncover various ancient items including swords that glow blue when orcs are nearby, maps, crafting plans and magic amulets and recover old mines and rebuild forges and halls. They also encounter various pathways which are blocked off with runes. The game also deals with the history of the dwarfs, the different dwarf clans and the effect of Sauron's death on the orcs and has been described as post-apocalyptic.

The dwarfs can be diversely customized and own ones can be created in a custom character creator.

Next to the single player mode one player can also host "their own Moria" to allow up to eight players to join an online cooperative multiplayer.[6][1][2][3][4][5][7][8]

Development

The game is licensed by Middle-earth Enterprises.[6][1][9] The developer, California-based[10] Free Range Games, were inspired by the games 7 Days to Die, Stranded Deep, Subnautica, Valheim and The Forest.[2]

The team did extended research, held team book clubs and consulted with the Tolkien experts Corey Olsen, T. S: Luikart and David Salo, who also developed new Khuzdul phrases. They first assembled a small team of expressive concept artists, under art director Bradley Fulton to create 2D concept art.[7][8] Game director Jon-Paul Dumont said, that they wanted the game to "recreate the grounded, real-world setting of Middle-earth" and that they "combined these two ideas: expressive character designs with realistic materials, lighting, and animation to create a world that feels real, inhabited by characters full of life."[8] It also features a soundtrack of songs written and inspired by Tolkien.[4]

Release

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria was first revealed along with a trailer[9] on June 10, 2022, at the 2022 Epic Games Summer Showcase. It will be released exclusively for Microsoft Windows on the Epic Games Store. The game was original planned to be released in spring 2023[1][2][3][4][5][8] and is now rescheduled for later that year.[6] According to Dumont a release for consoles and mobile devices is planned though uncertain.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e North Beach Games (June 10, 2022). "The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, the Only Survival Crafting Game Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth™, Revealed During Epic Games Summer Showcase" (PDF). www.returntomoria.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Craig Pearson (June 13, 2022). "The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria's announcement reveals a multiplayer survival game". Epic Games. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Bankhurst, Adam (June 10, 2022). "The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria Is 'the Only Survival Crafting Game Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth'". IGN. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Christopher Livingston (October 25, 2022). "The Lord of the Rings survival game has dwarves reclaiming a post-apocalyptic Moria". PC Gamer. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Cripe, Michael (June 10, 2022). "The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria Is a Co-Op Survival Game Set in the Fourth Age". The Escapist. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria™". Epic Games Store. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Nerd of the Rings (October 25, 2022). "LOTR: Return to Moria Video Game EXCLUSIVE Sneak Peek!". YouTube. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Brian Crecente (October 25, 2022). "Digging into The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria development". Epic Games. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  9. ^ a b The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria™ (June 10, 2022). "The Lord of the Rings™: Return to Moria™ – Official Announcement Trailer 4K". YouTube. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  10. ^ "Free Range Games". Free Range Games. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
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