Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Good but glitchy adventure game; mild violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
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The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria
What's It About?
Fans of J.R.R. Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings novels and movies can now spend time as a heroic dwarf in this interactive fantasy adventure. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN TO MORIA challenges you to survive the deadly Mines of Moria, by exploring the dark caverns, crafting items, hunting for food, setting up camp, and battling threats big and small. Developed by Free Range Games and published by North Beach Games, this multiplatform game - playable on Windows PC, Xbox Series S/X, and PlayStation 5 -- can be played solo or with up to seven others online as a company of brave dwarves. Played from a third-person perspective, the game starts with you creating a hero (or heroine) from scratch, by selecting face, hair and body types, voices, and many other attributes. While trying to stay alive is your immediate task, your overall goal is to retake your homeland, restore the lost ancient kingdom of Khazad-dûm, and ultimately, uncover the secret of what looms deep within the enormous mountain. Without giving too much away, you'll also unravel the history of the dwarves, which is tied to other The Lord of The Rings storylines and key characters, such as Sauron. Throughout your quest, you'll use a pickaxe to dig through the mine, recover Dwarven landmarks, sing songs, craft tools, build structures, access magic artifacts, and unlock and upgrade new technologies to help you along the way. Note: all versions of the game more or less look and play the same.
Is It Any Good?
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is a very good -- but not flawless -- adventure game set in the Fourth Age of Middle-earth. Fans of the franchise will no doubt enjoy this fun game, with its deep references to the films and its characters and events. Excavation and exploration are what makes this game so sticky. But expect to be jolted out of the immersion from time to time, unfortunately, due to technical bugs and other issues.
While The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is meant to feel like an open game, there are a lot of limitations on where you can go, which can be annoying (including "invisible walls" that stop you from entering an area). Despite these shortcomings, the game is really fun and offers hours of gameplay. Play by yourself or host or join another game, when you want company. Especially for fans of The Long of The Rings, Return to Moria is still worth it -- warts and all.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how The Long of the Rings: Return to Moria is another way to explore J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy universe of Middle-earth. How do video game versions help expand your favorite movies, books and tv shows?
How does the violence in the game compare with the other versions of the story?
Game Details
- Platforms : Xbox Series X/S , PlayStation 5 , Windows
- Pricing structure : Paid ($29.99)
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : North Beach Games
- Release date : October 24, 2023
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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