62
MONSTER
Game analysis
Monster Scorecard
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Story and Narrative
Expand for full analysis
67
Critics are divided on The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. Some praise its connection to Tolkien's world and immersive storytelling, while others criticize its lack of depth and uninteresting narrative. Positive aspects include beautiful settings and references to the source material, but negative aspects include a linear storyline and shallow execution. Players should weigh these mixed opinions before diving into the game.
SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR STORY
Story Score
67
Positive (80-100)
23%
Mixed (50-79)
74%
Negative (0-49)
3%
Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the story and narrative.
TL;DR
story and narrative
Critics are divided on The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. Some praise its connection to Tolkien's world and immersive storytelling, while others criticize its lack of depth and uninteresting narrative. Positive aspects include beautiful settings and references to the source material, but negative aspects include a linear storyline and shallow execution. Players should weigh these mixed opinions before diving into the game.
Gameplay Mechanics
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58
Critics have mixed opinions about The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria gameplay. Positive aspects include accessible mechanics, addicting progression, and engaging survival crafting elements. However, negative points highlight clumsy combat, repetitive gameplay loop, and tedious resource gathering. Overall, the game offers a familiar survival crafting experience with strengths in lore integration but weaknesses in combat mechanics and repetitive gameplay.
SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR GAMEPLAY
Gameplay Score
58
Positive (80-100)
10%
Mixed (50-79)
68%
Negative (0-49)
23%
Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the gameplay mechanics.
TL;DR
gameplay mechanics
Critics have mixed opinions about The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria gameplay. Positive aspects include accessible mechanics, addicting progression, and engaging survival crafting elements. However, negative points highlight clumsy combat, repetitive gameplay loop, and tedious resource gathering. Overall, the game offers a familiar survival crafting experience with strengths in lore integration but weaknesses in combat mechanics and repetitive gameplay.
Graphics and Visual Design
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63
Critics have mixed opinions on the graphics of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. Some praise the beautiful environments and attention to detail, while others criticize the lack of sharpness, technical issues like clipping, and a lack of customization options. Overall, the game's visuals have strengths like immersive atmosphere and consistent architecture, but also weaknesses that detract from the experience.
SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR VISUALS
Visual Score
63
Positive (80-100)
23%
Mixed (50-79)
65%
Negative (0-49)
12%
Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the graphics and visual design.
TL;DR
graphics and visual design
Critics have mixed opinions on the graphics of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. Some praise the beautiful environments and attention to detail, while others criticize the lack of sharpness, technical issues like clipping, and a lack of customization options. Overall, the game's visuals have strengths like immersive atmosphere and consistent architecture, but also weaknesses that detract from the experience.
Music and Sound Design
Expand for full analysis
67
Critics had mixed views on the Sound Design and Music of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. Positive feedback focused on John Rhys-Davies' voice acting as Gimli and the singing, enhancing immersion. However, some critics criticized the lack of background music, with concerns about bland music and repetitive dialogue. Despite differing opinions, the sound design contributed to the immersive atmosphere of the game, with both praise and criticism from reviewers.
SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR SOUND DESIGN
Sound Score
67
Positive (80-100)
24%
Mixed (50-79)
67%
Negative (0-49)
10%
Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the music and sound design.
TL;DR
music and sound design
Critics had mixed views on the Sound Design and Music of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. Positive feedback focused on John Rhys-Davies' voice acting as Gimli and the singing, enhancing immersion. However, some critics criticized the lack of background music, with concerns about bland music and repetitive dialogue. Despite differing opinions, the sound design contributed to the immersive atmosphere of the game, with both praise and criticism from reviewers.
Voice Acting
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74
Critics praise John Rhys-Davies' voice acting in The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, with many highlighting his compelling performance as Gimli. The inclusion of different voice options like Khuzdul is lauded for enhancing immersion. While some mention repetitive orc lines and a bug affecting dwarf voices, overall, the voice acting is deemed a strong asset that enriches the game's Lord of the Rings atmosphere.
SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR VOICE ACTING
Acting Score
74
Positive (80-100)
50%
Mixed (50-79)
50%
Negative (0-49)
0%
Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the voice acting.
TL;DR
voice acting
Critics praise John Rhys-Davies' voice acting in The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, with many highlighting his compelling performance as Gimli. The inclusion of different voice options like Khuzdul is lauded for enhancing immersion. While some mention repetitive orc lines and a bug affecting dwarf voices, overall, the voice acting is deemed a strong asset that enriches the game's Lord of the Rings atmosphere.
Technical Performance
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44
Critics have mixed opinions on the technical performance of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria on PC. Some praise its smooth gameplay on high-end systems, while others criticize severe bugs, glitches, and performance issues that hinder the overall experience. Developers are working on a major patch to address over 100 bugs, but the consensus is that the game falls short of expectations in terms of technical performance.
SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE
Tech Score
44
Positive (80-100)
0%
Mixed (50-79)
45%
Negative (0-49)
55%
Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the technical performance.
TL;DR
technical performance
Critics have mixed opinions on the technical performance of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria on PC. Some praise its smooth gameplay on high-end systems, while others criticize severe bugs, glitches, and performance issues that hinder the overall experience. Developers are working on a major patch to address over 100 bugs, but the consensus is that the game falls short of expectations in terms of technical performance.
Replay Value
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59
Critics are split on the replay value of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. Positive reviews praise its progression mechanics, exploration, building aspect, and challenge, making it appealing for fantasy fans. However, negative feedback points out lackluster gameplay, bugs, repetitive combat, and clunky inventory management. While some find the game offers replay value for survival and Tolkien fans, others criticize its lack of innovation and appeal to a wider audience.
SCORE DISTRIBUTION FOR REPLAY VALUE
Replay Score
59
Positive (80-100)
19%
Mixed (50-79)
62%
Negative (0-49)
19%
Based on analyzing reviews that specifically scored or critiqued the replay value.
TL;DR
replay value
Critics are split on the replay value of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. Positive reviews praise its progression mechanics, exploration, building aspect, and challenge, making it appealing for fantasy fans. However, negative feedback points out lackluster gameplay, bugs, repetitive combat, and clunky inventory management. While some find the game offers replay value for survival and Tolkien fans, others criticize its lack of innovation and appeal to a wider audience.
Overall Verdict
62
MONSTER
OVERALL SCORE DISTRIBUTION
Monster Score
62
Positive (80-100)
25%
Mixed (50-79)
58%
Negative (0-49)
17%
Based on analyzing all available reviews that scored and critiqued the game.
TL;DR
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria receives mixed reviews. Critics praise its fun for fans of survival games and Middle-earth lore, but criticize its lackluster gameplay, technical issues, and repetitive elements. While it captures Tolkien's essence, the game falls short in delivering a truly engaging experience, making it more suited for die-hard fans of the franchise.
62
MONSTER
Reviews
57 reviews found90
Impulsegamer
Nov 9, 2023
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
The game is steeped in the history and lore of Middle Earth, and is worth playing for fans of the franchise and the crafting genre.
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80
GameSkinny
Oct 30, 2023
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
Return to Moria is a solid entry in the survival genre with unique gameplay mechanics and a Middle-Earth setting
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80
Softpedia
Nov 7, 2023
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria has potential but will only be loved by a small slice of the public.
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75
PC Invasion
Oct 30, 2023
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
Return to Moria is a satisfying survival sandbox game that offers a fun and engaging experience, particularly for Lord of the Rings fans and those looking for a more chill gameplay.
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75
CGMagazine
Oct 24, 2023
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
Despite some shortcomings in combat mechanics and visuals, Return to Moria offers a fun and exciting experience for fans of survival titles and Lord of the Rings.
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72
COGconnected
Oct 30, 2023
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
In the mixed-bag pantheon of Lord of the Rings-inspired games, Return to Moria acquits itself quite well. It has an enjoyable Lord of the Rings atmosphere, pleasant art and design, and familiar gameplay loops. However, it can be opaque, not incredibly imaginative, and can be difficult.
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70
Gamereactor UK
Oct 25, 2023
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
Despite some issues, the game is a good return for The Lord of the Rings video games and offers a complete experience from day one.
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70
GameStar
Oct 31, 2023
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
The game is recommended for fans of Middle-earth, but the reviewer had a lot of trouble with it.
67
Vandal
Oct 27, 2023
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is a decent game that respects Tolkien's work and is enjoyable with friends. However, it doesn't stand out in any particular aspect and may be forgettable for those who are not fans of Tolkien or the survival genre.
65
GameGrin
Oct 24, 2023
AI-generated summary • May contain inaccuracies • See full review for precise details
The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is a decently fun time, with enjoyable gameplay that outweighs the issues. It offers a unique take on a sandbox survival game.
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