Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria review (PC)

For those of you who haven't yet dipped your toes into the multi-facet and rather enticing Lord of the Rings Online waters and have walked past the shelf in your local games retailer countless times, picking up Mines of Moria, checking the box, and putting it back down again really owe it to themselves - not only to play LotRO itself - but to invest the necessary time in to being able to experience a superbly detailed, rich and fully accomplished expansion pack.

Now although that might be the longest sentence written in the whole world, it is somewhat indicative of LotRO itself - just without the longwindedness. It is a game that the more you put in, the more you get out. The options and quests are endless. The lore is so deep, well written and for the most part well acted from the NPCs that actually joining up with others and marching off to do some instances to get to those higher levels - and thus be tough enough for Moria - can feel like a wrench. As a standalone RPG, LotRO is excellent in itself, the fact that there's another world within that world once the massive multiplayer online part is explored is just a massive bonus.

Excellent Narative

Lord of the Rings Online is in fact one of the most narrative driven experiences I've had in a game. The aforementioned attention to lore and history matches that of BioWare on a good day. The Mines of Moria expansion not only carries on this torch, it dowses it with petrol. However, the first thing you notice once you reach the mines is how amazing it all looks. It's vast. You really get a sense of space and find yourself looking up trying see the ceiling whilst huge carvings of dwarves face glare at you from all sides. The lighting too, is a sight to behold. But don't hang about too long however, as Orcs and goblins are hiding in every shadow.

Turbine has added two new classes to Moria, The Runekeeper: someone who can perform magic by panting runes in the ground next to his or her self and either battering the enemy with elemental attack or healing oneself or members of your party. The other is The Warden who is simply a tough guy. You can string multiple attack patterns together consisting of punches and kicks and healing - it all comes together nicely.

Solo

The most important addition in this reviewer's opinion is the inclusion of the Legendary Weapon System. Basically, within Moria, you'll find pieces of a weapon that can be taken to a forgemaster - situated at every major town, along with a veritable bustling marketplace of traders and craftsmen - and have them turn it Legendary for you. 'Turning it Legendary' basically means giving the weapon a life of its own: it has its own levels (30 max), its own skills, traits and abilities. You can also begin to model your own character around the weapons themselves. Basically, the weapon behaves like a companion, and you soon find yourself becoming very reliant on it and dare I say it, rather fond of it.

One thing that would have been a suitable inclusion to Moria, and in fact the whole of LotRO, is the possibility of extended solo play throughout. Basically, you need to start teaming up with people from level 20 onwards. This is the point of MMOs in general, I know, but when a game offers such an intriguing solo experience, when the story becomes tailored around you and your character, being forced to share that experience can pull you out of the zone somewhat. In fact, I'd go as far to say LotRO would have perhaps been a better game without the 'O', as it remains one of the best RPGs I've ever played, and the Mines of Moria and all it's hidden depth and majesty only adds to what is an otherwise already superb experience.