Lord of the Rings Online MMO News, Guides, and Features at Ten Ton Hammer

‘Tis the season, and all that, but if you’re a Lord of the Rings Online player there’s something else you’ve been enjoying for a few weeks that is sure to keep you entertained throughout the holidays. No, I’m not talking about a free pet hobbit for every subscriber; I’m referring of course, to the Mines of Moria expansion.

The original LotRO never captivated me. The story was good, but the game play felt lacking. This was the opposite of games like Crysis, where the game play was quite good, but the story was old hat. LotRO was the reverse. It was the anti-Crysis. Despite the fact that the fundamentals haven’t really changed, I did notice a lot of improvements in Mines of Moria.

Inspired art and detail.

Regions Arterrific
The most obvious step up comes in the art style. In earlier play sessions I had dismissed the game as somewhat cartoony, with a bit of grainy character. The new regions, however, are really quite inspired. The environment is crisp and immersive, and throughout my entire adventure to get into the mines, I was taken away by a very keen sense of adventure. The game is quite a tease in that regard, often giving you a glimpse of something really cool, but keeping it just out of reach to keep you playing a little longer. I haven’t been that willing to jump through that many hoops since grade seven when hormones became the latest craze.

I was thrilled to see the lake monster return in Mines of Moria. The encounter with that watery beast is one of the defining moments of the Lord of the Rings story. As I approached the entrance to the mines, and saw the dwarves staring over the Black Pool, I knew it was coming. The pool rippled, and the little plink and patters of skipping stones set an ominous tone rivaling one from the mind of M. Night Shyamalan. They were teasing me with foreshadowing. And I liked it. Sure enough, as I worked my way through the story arc, fed some dwarves and supplied fresh pickaxes, the tentacled fiend came out of the lagoon in all its superlative grandeur. It was a momentous gaming experience.

The tentacle beast returns!

The Straight and Narrow
Environments and multi-limbed monsters aside, the quest line is a little linear for a MMOG, and that’s somewhat true of the entire LotRO game. It’s not as open-ended as other titles available, as you are guided through a very specific story line. This is neither a good nor a bad point, but should be noted, as this type of game play will not suit everyone. If you’re the type of gamer to grind through quests, gaining experience as fast as you can to get to end game raid content, neither LotRO nor the new expansion are suited well to you. Similarly, if you don’t like to read, then I cannot, in good conscience, recommend the game, or this review to you.

As far as the questing goes, I found some of the side quests a little too difficult to solo. Normally this would have been fine, and I would have just asked a friend to join me on the quests. However, the problem was that the particular instanced region and quests on which I had been working were only available to players with the MoM expansion who hadn’t yet gained access to the mines. Once a player is in the mines, the introductory instance and its quests are no longer available. So, fair to say, it’s rare to run across anyone else who can go through the side quests with you. It isn’t game breaking, but it is a little frustrating. I was enjoying the story, but I was unable to complete a few tasks before I moved on, knowing I’d never have another opportunity to do them again, outside of leveling another character up to level 50.

The Legendary Interface

Goodies and Gumdrops
Turbine has added more to the game than just new adventuring content. There are also two new classes (the Rune Keeper and the Warden), and new ‘evolving’ gear. This has added a great deal to what has been missing from the game to this point – new goals and new content for end game players. The game had become victim to what troubles a lot of MMOGs; that is leaving the players with little to do once they’ve explored the world and reached maximum level. “Is that it?!” has become the mantra of many a gamer. Now with this new legendary gear, players will always have new ways of improving their character.

The mechanics behind the evolving equipment are fairly simple, but it can be a bit overwhelming to become accustomed. This is quickly rectified, as the introduction quest to gain access to the mines provides one with a legendary item, and the quest itself is a walkthrough on how the mechanics work. To simplify, the items gain experience along with you. As they ‘level up’ you can assign more stats to them to make them more powerful. You can also adorn the items with gems and runes to customize them even more. To top it all off, there are legendary titles available that you can affix to these items to make them truly unique. The whole system is comprehensible, and effective, and as it turns out, quite fun. It’s nice to get a level up on your equipment even after you’ve reached maximum level on your character. For a more detailed guide on evolving equipment, check out our Guide to Legendary Weapons.

The Skinny
In conclusion, The Mines of Moria are pretty linear, but there are enough side quests as you unravel the story to keep you sane. The art direction in the game is simply gorgeous and Turbine deserves kudos for that accomplishment. The story is involving, and most importantly of all, fun. It’s not a game for a MMOG purist who prefers their games to be 100 percent massive 100 percent of the time, but it is a game that will be enjoyed by fans of the Middle Earth lore, and fans of LotRO alike. Legendary items and two new classes add a lot of replay value and longevity to the game, which was quite needed.

(3.5 / 5 Hammers)