Return to Moria - Lore Review/My Thoughts
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- Return to Moria was released the other day, and after playing through a few zones, I wanted to offer my thoughts and review! Thank you all so much for watching, let me know your thoughts on the game below!
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I'm glad that we're getting a game that isn't set in the late third age for once
On another note its nice to get a game that emphasizes a certain culture
doesn't shadow of war technically count lol?
@@lelouche25 Shadow of War let us experience more depth of orcish culture it was still tied to their military industrial complex
Gimli: “let us go to the Mines of Moria! My cousin … would give us a warm welcome
..malt beer!
About that.....
I never understood why they changed that part of the story
Malt has become an old person thing. RIP malt beer.
"Royal" not warm
Thanks for the review. It seems like it's meant more as a postcard for Tolkien lore fans, which balances out the heresy that was Gollum.
I’m always hesitant with new stuff that gets released because my greatest fear is for LOTR to become like Star Wars, meaning a corporation that churns out content for content’s sake with no care for the established lore. That being said, if this is more of a love letter to the works of Tolkien and less of a cash grab like Gollum seemed to be, I’m all for it
Which makes no sense because the better the content the more money it makes.
except a lot of the star wars games are really good and expand on the universe in great ways. have you played either of the Jedi Survivor games?
Star Wars has been fine imo, there are a few unspeakable tragedies (imo Kenobi and ep 7-9 - which yes having 3 mainline movies be flops sucks) BUT mando, andor, rogue one, rebels/clone wars, the jedi survivor games, have all been huge, awesome, world building successes. In the year 2023 I don't expect every piece of content that comes out to be good, in fact I expect things to suck and be disappointing - that seems to be the nature of our society and media in general these days. But getting some masterpieces in addition to some junk is absolutely worth it over getting no content at all
@@daniell1869I played a chunk of Jedi Fallen Order and I thought it was decent. Definitely not on Force Unleashed levels in my opinion though. I was more referring to things like Book of Boba Fett, which feels like it was thrown together in a board room meeting by executives who hadn’t even bothered to read a wiki article about Boba Fett. That kind of forced content has become incredibly common with Star Wars and Marvel, and I think LOTR fans should fight tooth and nail to ensure it doesn’t infect this franchise too
@@henrystiefel7317I think you’d be hard-pressed to argue that anything to come from Disney Star Wars is even approaching “masterpiece” levels barring maybe Andor and pieces of Rogue One. My argument is that the “something is better than nothing” mentality is what got us here in the first place. LOTR is at the absolute peak of both literature and cinema, and to allow it to descend to mediocrity because “at least we’re getting something” is a mockery to the author and the franchise’s legacy.
I think it's quite fun. I like the concept of retaking Moria in the 4th Age. I think its pretty cool for what it is. Its not an amazing survivor game but it's pretty good in a simple way.
Valheim on release was the best version of valheim. Whenever they really dove in on the whole you gotta farm and cook nonstop, that killed it for me.
Valheim has server modifiers now so you can adjust the resource drop rate if you want, which makes it less of a grind.
The game is a million times better playing with friends. I got about 12 hours in with my friend group and it was amazing, we had so much fun. I then started a solo journey and playing alone is a much worse experience (not bad, just not as good). It also helps if you/your friends are major LOTR fans. We actually all met and became a gaming group in LOTRO back in 2007 in a dwarven kinship. So starting there, to now a decade and a half later journeying through Moria in this game while RP'ing as our LOTRO dwarves, has been awesome. It is by far the best "dwarf" experience I've had in a game.
Were you on Laurelin server?
@@Jureonable Arkenstone
That is so wholesome! That must have been a really special experience.
As a man who loves dwarves and survival games, I am currently cautiously optimistic. I will be waiting for a Steam release before I get it, however, if it does eventually come to Steam. If not, well...that's life.
Why would you only by from Steam?
@@bradylewis9698 All of these stores and exlcusives are obnoxious. This is the third game I've purchased on EGS, other two being Fallen Order and Metro Exodus. I played neither of those at all, regretted buying them there too. I've played about 6 hours of Moria so far, which is more time than I've played of any other EGS store game owned or given for free. It's just a crap move by EGS to take this game away from Steam for assuming 6-12 months minimum, as an exclusive. I'm actually glad I got it, because it's great so far, but having it on a storefront I don't want to own it on, that sucks. I had to choose between playing now, or waiting. I'm moving house next week and wanted to chill for a few days between work, so I begrudingly chose EGS now to hangout, play and relax for yesterday and today before I head back to work and move house/re-settle.
As someone who has purchased this game on EGS, VoiceAnon's criticsm is 100% reasonable and relevant - I wholeheardtedly agree.
@@bradylewis9698 If it was on, say, Good Old Games, or was sold on its own, I would get it, but I doubt that will be the case. I absolutely refuse to buy anything from Epic, for a number of reasons.
@@bradylewis9698 Some people don't want to support awful companies like Epic with their money.
Only the worst type of cretin will forego playing something they want to play because it isn't on their preferred launcher. Cutting your nose off to spite your face, sure you would have been taught that when you were younger.
I genuinely appreciate this review. You gave a lore perspective, and a survival game perspective. Enjoying a game doesn’t make it a 10/10. Mediocre games can still be fun for whatever reason.
"Enjoying a game doesn’t make it a 10/10. Mediocre games can still be fun for whatever reason." 🍺
Agreed, me and my friends are having a blast. And having played Lotro it's kinda fun to see other takes on moria
I’m having a blast with it. It really regards exploring and diving deeper into the mines. It’s just fun to be in middle earth again.
Love the mines of Moria. Love the Dwarves!
Rock and Stone, brother!
You eventually get to room that are really huge that you can mine out hollow. So you can dig tunnels in those rooms. Also It's way better with friends
I’m 30 hours in. I can’t stop playing it. 🤘
I’ll wait and hope for a steam release
This game is phenomenal. I’ve but about 15 hours into it so far, and it’s been freaking incredible. Fun, funny, creative, easy to get into
The game is fun with a group of buds who like being dwarves, and don't take the game too seriously. You're absolutely on point with your analysis though. It's a decent LOTR dwarf rpg with survival aspects.
I have been excited for this game all year and so i will buy it. GLORY TO THE DWARVES
Great points and breakdown! I''m not a gamer but I'd be down to give this a shot. I liked playing 7 Days to Die so I think I could enjoy it.
I'm so excited for this game and can't wait to play it!
Same!
I’ve enjoyed what I’ve played so far and kinda like the simpler survival mechanics especially as a solo player but I do hope they will be able to add more to the game overtime. Game definitely has issues but I’ve liked it lol
The game works much better as a multiplayer. Multiplayer combat allows for some players at the front to block/pushback with shields, whilst those behind charge up a heavy attack or use ranged weapons. As a single player being outnumbered in combat (maneuvering whilst blocking/pushing back and waiting for a strong attack opportunity) can be tedious or rewarding, depending on your patience. It is certainly true to say that if you can master the discipline of single player combat then two player combat becomes noticeably easier, then each extra player a little easier still.
Single player doesn't offer the depth of combos or play styles seen in many other single player games. This could be part of it's attraction for some, but it is definitely enough for the development of multiplayer tactics. For instance, some non-hostile mobs dash away when you get close, making it difficult to land a killing blow. Two or more players working together can cut off escape routes and methodically kill their quarry.
Single player death leaves all your gear at/near where you died. In multiplayer you can chose to re-spawn (like in single player, back at your last bedroll used) or wait to be revived at the location of where you were KO'd. There is potential for your gear to be trapped by tough enemies, which can be frustrating and encourage a more cautious approach.
I'm only a few hours into the game (just unlocked a larger backpack, which is a game changer), but these game mechanics have high potential if the devs continue to support the game. Who knows, in a couple of years they may add further races as DLC, each with their own set of pro's and cons (disclaimer: I don't have insider knowledge, but when a game does well then this sort of thing can happen).
The atmosphere generated by the character's option to sing whilst mining is fantastic and really helps with the immersion. The lyrics to the songs are relevant and entertaining.
Gather a few friends together, listen to "Diggy diggy hole", grab a tankard of your preferred beverage and off you go!
I am shocked there hasn't been more games exploring the different regions and cultures of middle earth. Literally infinite possibilities. I know LOTRO covers a lot of stuff, but there's different genres of games that could be explored as well.
Solid review. I have almost 500hrs logged in Valheim and i could do with a new survival game to play with my friends.
I thought I recognized his voice! I'm so glad he came back for this. I may need to actually try this out.
I've been awaiting your review with great anticipation as I know that, in general, your opinions tend to not be far from my own.
It's a game that I would like to play but I'm not in a position to just throw money at it unless I'm certain I'll play it for hundreds of hours. My health means these days I struggle with new stuff (medication issues). I think that I will be waiting a while to see what tweaks the game receives and to see if multiplayer improves your view of the game. 😊😊🎉❤❤❤🎉😊😊
Thanks for the support Mark! I’m sorry to hear about the medication issues, I hope things get better. Best wishes to you and your health, my friend! Hoping multiplayer is going to be sweet!
@MenoftheWest Thanks Yoystan, it's appreciated. Fingers crossed for your multiplayer adventures. 🙂🙃❤️❤️❤️🙃🙂
I'm excited go for it brother's you are blessed we all are do it 🙏 I stand by your side ✨️ 🙏 ❤
I think I'm gonna wait a little bit before getting this game - Let it get a couple of updates and stuff first! It looks fun though
Really excited for this game, but I’ll probably wait for a sale to pick it up.
I hope in a future DLC they'll add a section where we see the Nameless Things, deep inside Moria.
U didn’t dig deep enough I see.
As I am a single player only I will wait for (deep) sale on this one. As suspected it seems to be yet again one of those yes-you-can-singleplay-but-you-should-really-coop-to-optimally-enjoy kind of games. However I do love dwarven Tolkien lore and it seems the devs put a lot of thought on that respect so I do want to give it a try eventually.
I am not a survival game player (played Conan but mostly because it was conan :) ) would you consider the survival aspect easier (and that is why not as good as others)? I would be picking this up for the Dwarf and Moria experience rather than as a survival game so to be honest easier would be better :)
Good question, my friend! I would say it’s definitely easier due to its more linear path.
All that matters to me is that they didnt butcher any lore. Thats a great start
I'm definitely excited to see what they do in the future. There is allot of potential in the premise of this game and the genre. I've been playing it since yesterday and its really fun.
I mean at $40 I'd love to explore Moria. I love casual games (this sounds VERY casual) and I love LOTR. I am a little concerned that the mining/building isn't a little more free roam but oh well
I've put in 10 hours to the game upon release and I feel like I've barely scratched the surface to this game still. It's incredibly challenging if you solo this, especially if you don't play survival games often. The combat is not as satisfying as a lot of people want it to be, but this is a survival game and combat is not going to be the highlight of this game. However, it is still fun to fight enemies in my opinion and hopefuly the bigger enemies i face are even more fun to go up against. I will say this for all my Lord of the Rings fans, if you enjoy the concept of exploring the vast mines of moria and want an adventure with bits of lore here and there, this is rhe game for you.
Also I'm not sure how in depth the building is overall but I'm hopefully that there won't be very many creative restraints when building your base and etc.
I really recommend playing with friends! It's so much fun with a fellow group of middle earth lovers
Considering i bought this on Steam Sale, i definitely hot a great deal in this title.
I think I’ll give this one a pass, middle earth to me is much more about forests and rivers and plains than mines and caverns. Though it is nice to see a respectful Tolkien adaptation to balance out the utter HORROR that the fandom has been forced through these past few years…
I appreciate the video yoystan but I am a console pleb haha
It is more fun with others. I do agree that it has a way to go to meet the level of Valheim, but it has only just launched. I'll be excited for when more updates come and hopefully servers/mod support later on. I'm a huge Dwarf fan so I'm a little biased, but because of that, this game just hits all the right notes to be a really great Dwarf experience. I do find it more liner, so I'd treat it as more of a story survival game(if such a genre exists).
I'm just happy they decided to give the spotlight to the dwarves who are probably the most overlooked group in the entirety of the canon so it's a bit bold to build an entire game around them
Good review. Thanks
I like it very much so far and I've only gone to the bit where u find the shortcut to the mines, I have so much to explore and craft and build I'm taking my sweet time, it's fantastic
Thanks for the review! Huge LotR fan, and I got hooked on all things Dwarvish when the Steam version of Dwarf Fortress came out. Even got into Deep Rock Galactic, when I don't generally play FPSs. If this isn't up to Valhiem's standards, though, not worth buying a new gaming PC just to play it. The mighty 1050 Ti in my amazingly good "most bang for the buck" system doesn't make the cut. 🙁
A very solid review here, Im not much into survival games, but thats not really the point here is it? We are exploring one of the greatest, if not the greatest, mind you, Realms of Middle Earth. The environment storytelling is telling enough and if you put a stamp for 9/10, lore wise, than to me is good enough an excuse to dive into Middle Earth, if any is needed.
One thing is for sure: if we give it projection by playing it, chances are it will get updated and it will get better. Just something to think about.
Cheers mate! Great content as always!
Game looks fun! Wish I could afford it
Love that in the books Legolas wants to tour Moria if they complete their mission destroying the ring.
Your review sums up my expectations. Im definitely buying when it releases for xbox.
I really like this game. Im not much for survival games but this got me hooked on good at the moment. At the moment im playing alone.
I'm up to kazadum now and the boss there.
I hope the game keeps getting better and more fun as time goes on
Greetings!
Thx a lot for your insights. Bought the game on release, but haven´t had the time to play yet - being Halloween-festival in lotro and whatnot.
Thank the gods that the game seems to be ok - lorewise.
But sadly I have spotted a certain influence of the RoP desaster - beardless and black dwarves? - again?
I hate to be that kind petty, but that does NOT fit the lore. But on the other hand, it IS the 4th age, so perhaps the fashion is changing.
But nonetheless I´m excited to give the game a try - as soon as I have convinced some of my LOTRO companions to join me in the long dark of Khazad-dûm.
Really great channel. Like it a lot.
Elen síla lúmenn’ omentielvo.
I'm 50 50 on it at the moment. Maybe when it's 20 or 15 I'll give it a go
Thanks for the review! I'll have a look at the game with more interest now. Considering this review, what do you think about doing a review on The One Ring 2e RPG content by Free League? I find the included adventures and material for world building very intriguing and have enjoyed playing the few sessions I've played.
Would like an update when you finish
Damn we haven’t had a “knock it out of the park” Middle Earth game since Shadow of Mordor…why can’t we have nice things lol
And that was pure fanfiction thats why I loved it as well
I'm loving the game at the moment, definitely feel that its designed to be played co-op though, the single player experience is mediocre at best. I've just got me and 1 buddy playing now, trying to recruit others to make a merry little dwarf band 😅
You nailed it!
The game has a lot of charm, and is way better with friends, but the games liniar desighn is repetative and there isnt much to do aside from the main story.
Playing alone some of the combat can get to be tedious. But I've been enjoying it so far with about 12 hours in game
I have a deep fondness for dwarves of every fantasy setting, but I think I’ll wait for it to come to Xbox; give it more time to bake.
Now we just need a game about dwarves taking back the Deep Roads in Dragon Age!
The dev said the game goes "full sandbox" once you finish the storylines.
Its lacking a "Rock and stone" button
all the gameplay i have seen looks like valheim with an underground lotr skin on it - is there anything that makes it stand out aside from LotR in the name?
I'll prob do a full playthrough after 6 months of updates. It's alright atm, but it's just not a full package yet.
I won't bother checking it out if it stays off of steam.
Epic exclusivity immediately killed my interest in this game, which is sad because it does look really fun!
It's ok that these small devs are making their big bags of free money from epic in exchange for 1 year exclusivity. When it launches on steam it will have all the bugs worked out.
I believe Devs understand and have awareness of themselves of the game they made. For what it is 40 Dollars are worth of their efforts not much to call them pretenders not less to call cheap game ;)
I know it's off the lore but I wish they'd make another Shadow of War IMHO the best Middle Earth console game ever made
This Game is a dream comming true for me 🎉
Personally, I find it just as compelling as Valheim. It's not quite as free as Valheim, but it's not meant to be that way. It's focused on reclaiming a homeland rather than creating one for the first time, and the added story and lore make up for it imo.
Do you meet the creepy nameless things in this game? If so I wonder how the dwarves are able to defeat them given the powers these creatures possess.🤔
I think survival was the perfect choice for a Lotr dwarf/Moria game.
Can you choose and customise your character?, i hate premade characters being forced on me ..
If only this game has better building mechanics and sandbox experience like chilling mining gather different resources crafting better gear from rare ore you mine, but there is nothing much to do after some time playing. You get bored no more goals. They are dwarves I picture them differently lol.
Unfortunately it is much more of a fighting game than a survival game. Way too much fighting and respawning enemies and to little exploration and immersion. Also, one of the first lines we hear from our character is "too dark for my dvarf eyes".... not exactly correct lore-wise, since dvarves can see in the dark, even in pitch dark.
I dont know what i am doing wrong but i get permantly sieged where you put your First bed. no Chance
I’m liking it so far. I know I may be in the minority and my biased for LOTR.
This is no mine, it’s a tomb.
It looks like a console game to me, by which I mean your character is stuck on rails, rather than true exploration in games like Skyrim or The Witcher 3. If you're going to make a Tolkien game then A) do it in the first age which is far more high fantasy than the more mundane third age, and B) give us the freedom to explore where we want. Imagine a TES/TW style of freedom of exploration in Beleriand. The reason these LoTR games don't do well is because they're the wrong IP matched with the from Genre.
I've been playing now for about 12+ hours and it seems very repetitive, like extremely. It's just about finding the latest type of ore to make stronger weapons to fight stronger of the same enemies...nothing new here besides being LOTR which is great.
I wanna play a female Dwarf!!! I want to play it sometime, not yet, gotta study and finished my UNI year!!!
Feels Fun!!!
See you at the LiveStream...Marion Baggins Out and Studying Hard!!!
Also you played the Forest Games too, one of my favorite non ME related Played it with his Friends, but he does know about Middle Earth!!!
I'll pass, as I play solo and would like some A.I. companions. Also, I am not into crafting so much anymore.
how does it compare to Shadow of Mordor?
Totally different genre of game , survival games don't have complex combat mechanics
@@RichardPhillips1066 I'm talking about lore. This video is called lore review.
@@purefoldnz3070shadow of war was complete fanfic it’s a good game don’t get me wrong
@@andrewramsdale much better fanfic than Rings of Power for sure
Mortismal? Is that you?
I come from Subnautica and i think its worth it... the LotR lore more than makes up for the short comings of the survival game angle. If you like LotR, $40 is a sweet deal.... If you like to rush thru games maybe pass.
Yo, imagine if there was a LOTR video game that had similar fight meachanics to God of War. That would make for a God-tier Game for a middle-earth setting game 🎮
I wanted to pick this game up and have been following it for awhile, but I have seen nothing but negative coverage of this game.
I prefer this invented lore than the shit of rings of powah haha.
Just play Minecraft and build your own Khazad Dum, or your own Nargothrond. Seriously Minecraft has more of the spirit of Middle Earth than any liscenced game I have played.
Basically, at a $40 price tag, you are paying for a mediocre $20 survival game and another $20 for the LOTR branding and theme
Doesn’t sound like a game I’d like. “You can sing and mine”….. TAKE MY MONEY.
I felt that you were a bit harsh on the review. You didn't even talk about the quality of life things the game has, such as if items are on a pallet or in a chest, you can pull from them when crafting so your inventory isn't borked. Valheim didn't have a trait system either, and the combat was a lot more basic.
That’s true to a degree, the quality of life thing was something I made a note about mentally, forgot to come back to it. That is great! Valheim didn’t have traits but they did have leveling for attributes (running, swords, etc.)
I was hoping this game would be like Valheim or Minecraft but it’s just big set pieces and no real freedom at all. To me that concept is very boring as that means when you complete it once there is no point in replaying it at all. Even though its a survivle game making it linear is such a stupid gamedesign choice…
I’ve put about ten hours into this game, it’s a pass. Valheim is way better and I’m expecting good things from enshrouded. Just a LOTR nostalgia really.
I played it for 4 hours, I expected a lot from it. It's good for the bits of lore. As a game it's indefensible, the combat, the exploration, the lack of innovation, it's clunky, the graphics are somewhat poor, it's not even fun.
Funny how none of the reviewers are actually covering this game. There's Def an agenda
It's a mid game, neither particularly good nor bad.
Shame really, because it could have been a pretty good game had the developer put more effort into several aspects which have been created with a lack of care.
But the Lord of the Rings theme is barely present in most parts. They could have removed the surprisingly few references and the game and nobody would have noticed really.
I'd give it a 5/10 in total, and I too am a Tolkien fan and played LotRO for many, many years.
id say its a good choice if you want some lotr, dont care for lort? dont play it. simple as
This game is to linear, unlike Minecraft or even ark you are driven from one area to the next. And then the next and the next .. and so on.. you can only dig in specific areas, like ark but they are far fewer areas in this game. I wouldn't consider it open world, the fighting is ok, the digging is blah, the singing is fine, the graphics are par with games from 3 + years ago, and the redundant sounds the bad guys make are annoying. Hunger and the need for sleep is every 3-5 minutes, which is to often. Playing with friends makes the game harder but that's okay if the game has the resources to support it. I've played 3 nights in a row and might not pick it up again I know I'll never do another play through as this game does have seeds but is to step by step that it wouldn't be fun just because you move the location over. You don't have to search for the next location it tells you where to go in the story.
Who is developing these recent LOTR games? Valheim was made by an indie team of like 5 people and it somehow looks more impressive than this game in literally every way...the people who said this looked like a low budget game from 2005 were 100% on the money
not only is it technically not proficient but the art style and gameplay seem to be derivative, uninspired and mediocre to bad to boot