Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria has shown new gameplay. The survival game in the LotR universe lets you play as dwarves reclaiming their former home. MyMMO editor Benedict Grothaus is excited about the new images.
What is Return to Moria?
- In the new survival game from Free Range Games (Oddworld: Soulstorm, The Callisto Protocol), you play as dwarves in the universe of Lord of the Rings.
- Gimli himself sends you to Moria to explore various mountains alone or in co-op with 8 players and search for treasures.
- The game features the legendary craftsmanship of the dwarves in the form of crafting and base building, as well as exploration and a special sound system designed to prevent you from waking ‘something in the depths’.
This is what the gameplay shows: In the latest gameplay from Summer Game Fest 2023, the creators have shown in a video for the first time how exactly Return to Moria plays. What excites me as a survival fan especially: there is terraforming!
You can see how a dwarf actively digs through stone with a pickaxe, creating a tunnel and uncovering huge, ancient structures. Another builds bridges over chasms, and together a group creates a small mining post with beds, chests, crafting stations, and storage.
The community has already compared Return to Moria with Deep Rock Galactic, but to me it looks rather like a mix of Minecraft and Conan Exiles, especially because of the combat system and the enemies.
Dodge rolls, various weapons, and enemies like krakens, spiders, and trolls promise exciting battles that are typical in a tough survival game. This makes it even more fun to explore the area and experience adventures together. And that’s one of the reasons why Conan Exiles is still so popular today.
Return to Moria coming in 2023 for PC, Xbox, and PS5
The first gameplay convinced me in a minute, and now I find Return to Moria even better. There is now more information about the game’s release. Return to Moria is set to be released in autumn 2023 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and on the Epic Store for PC.
While the somewhat older graphics may disappoint some potential fans on YouTube, I don’t mind at all. Valheim shows that gameplay is more important than appearance, and so far Return to Moria looks like absolutely fantastic gameplay.
A survival game relies on having a lot to explore and build, not only to ensure survival but also to make it enjoyable. Being able to play as strong dwarves, the best blacksmiths in the world, sounds even more exciting to me.
I consider it highly likely that Return to Moria will land on our list of the best survival games come autumn:
