After launching first for the PlayStation platform and for the PC via the Epic Games Store, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is coming to the Xbox Series X|S as well as Steam. Developer Free Range Games and publisher North Beach Games announced the expanded releases of Return to Moria on Wednesday while confirming that the Golden Road update will drop alongside these releases to add new features like the wide release of a sandbox mode and new weapons and armor.
A survival-crafting game featuring the dwarves of Middle-earth, Return to Moria is a departure from some of the other Lord of the Rings games that we’ve seen in the past. It launched to middling reviews from critics back in December for the PlayStation and Epic Games Store platforms with a slightly stronger reception garnered from players, but the wider release and the new content will give players a new chance to check it out and form opinions for themselves.
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“The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria follows the Dwarves as they embark on a new adventure to reclaim their legendary home of Moria beneath the Misty Mountains,” Players will join forces to survive, craft, build and explore the iconic, sprawling mines. Courageous expeditioners will need to be vigilant as mysterious dangers await.”
All versions of Return to Moria will support cross-platform play, so those on the newer platforms will still be able to play with those who’ve already been active since December. Some of the features coming in the Golden Update include the ability to pause the game if you’re playing solo as well as more difficulty options and a sandbox mode that was at one point only on the Epic Games Store version of the game.
“Previously only available in beta via the EGS version of Return to Moria, the full launch of Sandbox Mode allows players across all platforms to experience independent exploration and experimentation throughout the mountain. This nonlinear mode unleashes the full potential of the procedural generation system, and the game world is generated with a wide variety of random seeds, meaning each playthrough can vary significantly in layout and difficulty. Because of its inherent unpredictability and minimal tutorials, this mode is recommended for players who are familiar with Return to Moria or other survival games.”
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria releases on the Xbox Series X|S and Steam on August 27th.
