The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Review
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Given the associations fans have with the book and the movies, it's commendable that Turbine has come up with a Moria that is at once both familiar and unpredictable. The dwarves' geometric stone work provides a sure sense of magnificence and history, with lots of little details that emphasize the disrepair and dustiness that have taken hold since the kingdom was originally lost. The areas controlled by the goblins are even more rundown and ramshackle, and this contrast works well to highlight the personalities and agendas of both races. Treasuries, libraries, throne rooms, waterworks and a host of other specific locations reveal that Turbine has tried to design Moria as a coherent, functioning kingdom, and not as an arbitrary collection of generic rooms.
The vast changes in scale and the sometimes twisted nature of the pathways and levels of Moria make it relatively easy to get lost on your way from A to B, and that provides a great sense of adventure and uncertainty. Winding your way down dark, narrow tunnels or climbing massive wooden scaffolding on the side of a bottomless chasm, you never really know what you're going to find around the next bend or on the next level. And what's particularly great about this type of design is that Moria often reveals stunning vistas that give you a far off glimpse of an interesting area with no clear path leading there. It's almost like the game is daring you to find a way to the new location.
And obviously, the confusing and daunting architecture is only one of the dangers in Moria. Players will encounter a number of terrifying and deadly creatures right from the start, from the goblins who can swarm on a player at a moment's notice to the deep claws who can literally toss players right off the edge. From there players will graduate to even tougher opponents and even encounter a number of bosses who have their own dynamic strategies that change during the course of combat. Trying to read your boss opponent to find out just how best to attack them while also dealing with their hordes of rank and file minions requires careful attention and coordination.
