LotRO: Mines of Moria - Review @ IGN

woges

SasqWatch
Original Sin Donor
Joined
October 26, 2006
Messages
2,080
Location
UK
Another good review for Mines of Moria.
There are three new areas in The Mines of Moria: the Mines themselves, and the bordering zones of Eregion in the west and Lothlorien in the east. Though the two outside zones have their own content, the real star here is the Mines. This vast, sprawling zone is easily one of the most impressive MMO environments we've ever explored, both in terms of overall layout and mood. The scale here is simply ridiculous and it's a credit to the art and technology teams that they've created a space that really feels like a giant underground kingdom. Even in the most open of areas, of which there are many, you never lose the sense that there's an entire mountain just hanging over your head.
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.
More information.
 
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
2,080
Location
UK
I`ve been playing LoTRo since it first came out, and although i`ve taken a couple of breaks for one reason or another, each time i come back, i feel like i`ve come home. There`s something about LoTRo, that keeps me interested. The Mines of Moria is a brilliant piece if work from Turbine... and whilst its not everyones cup of tea (the actual mines i mean), you can see the devs have put an awful lot of time and effort into it.

I myself was sceptical at first, and maybe part of me still is -- the thought of spending 7+ levels (you cand spend around 3 levels in the massive new Eregion zone before you enter Moria) - inside a dark, and oft -maze like dungeon doesn`t exactly ill me with a sense of adventure. Having said that, i`ve been questing along, and i have to say, some of the zones are quite breathtaking, and differ greatly from other zones in the mines.

The new Legendary items... weapons etc, that you can level up as you go along, you can add all manner of buffs to them, and change them at a Forge, if you are`nt happy with what you`ve done. Quite a superb way to add to the game. Some mobs can even drop consumables that can add 1,000 -2,000 xp points to your weapons level, to help you level it up quicker. You can find lengendary weapons, identify them, put them on AH, or just break them down for new stuff to put in your own weapons.

I`ve not done much with the 2 new classes admitedly, but i have a low level Warden, who seems to have quite a `differen` feel than the standard characters.
With a super community, and countless `free` add-on areas -- aside from the many new regions Turbine will pruduce for future expansions, this game as a long way to go.
All in all, they made it even better than it already was.


Plater
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Messages
7
Location
UK
Back
Top Bottom