The Lord of the Rings:
Return to Moria Review

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria (2023) is an adventure game set in Tolkien's Middle-Earth fantasy world. You explore the vast ruins of the mines of Moria, fight off orcs, goblins, and other monsters, and build a base as you restore the kingdom to its former glory. The endless exploration of the dark and mysterious landscape, fast-paced combat, and deep customisation, creation, and crafting make for an involving and deeply personal experience.

Set in the Fourth Age of Middle-Earth, a first for any Tolkien game, in the years after The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Lord Gimli commands your Dwarven company to reclaim the lost kingdom of Moria, the heart of the ancient Dwarven world, from the darkness and evil that's ensnared it since it was abandoned in the Second Age. You explore ancient passageways, rickety mines, and the vast and cavernous halls of the city of Dwarrowdelf. As you gather resources, you construct a base where you can build weapons and items you use to defeat the monsters lurking in the depths. By mining jewels, relighting the ancient forges, discovering ancient and magical artefacts, and bringing light back to the darkness, you restore the kingdom to its former glory.

Gameplay revolves around exploring the vast world to collect and mine for resources which you then use to craft weapons and utilities needed to defeat the hordes of monsters you find. The map is procedurally generated, which means that each time you play, the world will be different, making each playthrough a unique experience, as do the multitude of customisation and upgrade options for your character and their tools. You can use the rock and ore you mine to create a living area for yourself, with extensive customisation to the look of the items you can place. Playing online with friends and family allows you to explore, fight, and build as a team, or alternatively, each focus on the aspect of play that you find most engaging.

The result is a unique play experience which gives you the freedom to play however you choose, be it by building and restoring huge Dwarven settlements, fighting off the huge armies of orcs that patrol the depths, or exploring the wonders of the caves with friends.

Our examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria 12 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 4 weeks ago.