There are a fair few games based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The latest to arrive comes from Free Range Games and North Beach Games in the form of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria for PS5.

A Dwarven survival crafting game, you lead a band of dwarves deep into the fabled Mines of Moria to reclaim them. For fans of the books, the game’s narrative is set during the Fourth Age of Middle-earth. You’ve been summoned to the Misty Mountains by Lord Gimli Lockbearer, tasked with recovering treasures from the Dwarven homeland.

The Lord of the Rings: Return Screenshot

Lord of the Rings on PS5

As any Lord of the Rings fan knows, the Mines of Moria were abandoned for good reason. As you venture into the depths – which are procedurally generated – you’ll find all manner of goblin, arachnoid and monstrous foes in the darkness.

To be successful you have to craft and loot legendary Dwarven armour, tools, weapons and structures. The journey is filled with old mines to resurrect, refiring their forges to yield their untouched resources.

And while you can adventure alone, the game supports online cooperative multiplayer. Up to four players are supported on PS5.

“We’ve been playing tons of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria on PlayStation 5 and we’re stunned at how beautiful it looks on big screen 4K TV’s,” said Game Director Jon-Paul Dumont in a statement. “We’re looking forward to seeing gamers’ reactions to how well the game plays on PS5. PS5 players will be greeted with version 1.1, so they’ll get to enjoy all the recent additions and improvements we’ve made to the game from the start of their journeys.” 

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is available both digitally and physically today for PS5. It retails for $39.99 USD. A PC edition was released via the Epic Games Store in October. An Xbox Series X|S expected in early 2024.

Categories: Entertainment Games