Reviewed: January 9, 2009
Reviewed by: Mahamari Tsukitaka

Publisher
Turbine

Developer
Turbine

Released: November 18, 2008
Genre: MMORPG
Players: Online
ESRB: Teen

8
8
9
9
8.9

System Requirements

Gameplay-wise, LotRO mostly sticks to the classic MMO formula: players create customizable character avatars and move them around in a virtual Middle-earth shared with other online players that they can interact with, as well as non-player characters like townsfolk and merchants, and, of course, creatures that can be defeated. Numerous quests can be picked up from various characters and then carried out, whether by a player’s individual devices or grouped up in fellowships of up to six players. There are also a number of requisite, more challenging instance dungeons, some designed for six-man fellowships, and some for raids of up to four full fellowships. To any veteran MMO player, these basic gameplay features won’t be new, but LotRO certainly manages to carry them out very well, all the while maintaining the delightful flavor of some of Tolkien’s most famous works.

As the first expansion to an already excellent game, Mines of Moria adds new character classes, new locations (including, most notably, the iconic dwarven Mines of Moria and elfish Lothlorien beloved of Tolkien readers everywhere), new quests, new story chapters, and new customizable legendary weapons. LotRO may have been new to me when I began playing it for this review, but after experiencing the sheer variety and richness of content available in the game and its expansion, I can honestly say that Mines of Moria stands out as one of the most enjoyable MMOs I’ve played to date.

That’s not to say, however, that there isn’t a lot of choice and flexibility out there for players to indulge in. Other than the main storyline quests, there’s a huge number of assorted arbitrary quests to choose from, many of which provide supplemental backstory and add a lot of depth to the game. Mines of Moria continues this hybrid approach to storytelling and gameplay, compelling players to earn their way into Moria and beyond, while allowing free exploration within the areas thus far unveiled.

If there’s one thing that LotRO and the Mines of Moria expansion excels at, it’s accommodating different play styles. The linear aspects of the game allow for deeper immersion into the main epic plot, while the non-linear aspects encourage players to be adventurous, to get a better feel for Middle-earth as they wander freely as far as the current chapter lets them roam. Additionally, alongside the fellowship and raid quests, Turbine made sure to make most quests (including many plot-vital instances) winnable in solo play, so that players can enjoy the game whether they play well with others or not. The end result is an engaging massively multiplayer game that simultaneously captures much of the personality and depth of a good single-player role-playing game along with the cooperative community aspect of an MMO.

As for the community, the general population of gamers on LotRO—at least on the two servers on which I played, as well as on the LotRO website forums as far as I’ve seen—seems to be perhaps slightly more mature than what I’ve encountered while playing many other MMOs. In-game, player chat is neatly organized into channels like OOC (Out-Of-Character), Trade, LFF (Looking For Fellowship, for forming groups with other players), and Advice, and I found to my relief that very little irrelevant personal chatter leaked into the public channels. Every player that I’ve met or played with on LotRO this past month has been reasonably friendly and polite, and the general atmosphere is casual and comfortable.

All of these aspects of Mines of Moria, however, should already be familiar to those players who have already been playing LotRO. Besides continuing the storyline from Volume I, the expansion also increases the character level cap from 50 to 60, adds a new crafting tier, and brings in two new character classes, the Rune-keeper and the Warden.

The Rune-keeper is a caster class capable of both healing and elemental destruction magic—with the caveat that each spell cast attunes the character one way or another, thus amplifying or eliminating a given spell’s effectiveness. For instance, a Rune-keeper who has just called down bolt upon bolt of fire and lightning during a given encounter may not be able to then summon up a potent heal. Even with this limitation, though, the Rune-keeper class provides a great deal of adaptability for a variety of situations and is a welcome addition to the existing character classes.

Perhaps even more interesting is the Warden, a new warrior class that does especially well in solo excursions or as a tank in a group. Even more flexible than the Rune-keeper, the Warden’s arsenal of attacks comes from executing skills in combination to trigger finishing moves called Gambits. The exact Gambit activated is determined by the sequence of skills performed leading up to the finisher and can have a wide possible range of results, from improved damage and stun effects to self-healing or increased threat. If you’re familiar with Diablo 2’s Assassin class, you’ll find playing a Warden in LotRO to be somewhat similar.

Of course, taking advantage of either of the new classes means starting from the beginning and delaying an expedition to Moria, but from playing both classes, I’d say it’s worth the wait. They’re both very flexible and a lot of fun.

Players with a level 50 raring to go, however, are in just the position to taste the real meat of the expansion, the Mines of Moria—the dwarven realm of Khazad-dum, which the dwarves intend on taking back from the goblin hordes that now infest it. The expansion adds three main new areas: the eastern region of Eregion bordering Moria, Moria itself, and Lorien just beyond Moria to the east. The pre-expedition quests just outside Moria are a bit of a grind (mostly, possibly, because the promise of Moria is so alluring), but once the dwarven reclamation of Khazad-dum begins and you’re able to get inside that glowing door, things quickly ramp up and become much more interesting.

Moria’s impressive interior, as expected, is vast, dark, and most definitely atmospheric. Even the earlier quests will have players running between the lighted, safe areas and into unpredictable and twisting passageways that sometimes terminate unexpectedly in bottomless chasms or gaggles of murderous goblins. It’s easy to get lost (or surprise-shanked by orckind, for that matter) just getting from place to place—but all of this just adds to the appropriate ambiance of danger and excitement that should come from exploring an epic, evil-infested underground realm.

To help players beat back the goblins, though, is the new Legendary Item system. Unlike the typical epic item, Legendary Items aren’t just static, pre-generated pieces of high-level equipment. Instead, the player is given a base Legendary Item (like a bow or a sword) that he or she can then modify freely by choosing from a variety of characteristics and abilities and by adding stat-enhancing runes, settings, and gems. Even better, these items gain experience and levels as they’re used to defeat enemies, becoming stronger as their owners advance. And, as the cherry on top of it all, Legendary Items can even be given unique names personally entered by the player.

All in all, the improvements introduced by Mines of Moria are exemplary for expansion content, serving only to add even more enjoyment and variety to an MMO that stands solidly on its own.

That’s not to say that the other visuals aren’t excellent. From the tentacled Watchers to the lushly golden trees of Lorien, Turbine’s new additions to its virtual Middle-earth meet or exceed the high expectations set by Shadows of Angmar’s success and maintain a cohesive fantasy setting.

Chance Thomas (who also composed music for Quest for Glory V, The Hobbit, and other Lord of the Rings games) and Turbine’s lead composer Stephen DiGregorio continue to do an excellent job with the Moria expansion, adding at least 17 more mood-setting pieces to the game’s already remarkable soundtrack. (While I can’t help but wonder why it hasn’t yet been separately released as an album for purchase, Turbine has released the LotRO soundtrack as MP3s freely downloadable by LotRO players and non-players alike.)

The voice acting is, as before with Shadows of Angmar, well done. Rather than just include generic greetings for all the NPCs, Mines of Moria throws in a variety of voices for each race, as well as introductory commentary for instance quests and specially voiced dialogue specific to particular storyline quests. While LotRO may not be able to provide fully voiced-over dialogue because of the sheer number of characters and quests available, the smattering of plot-specific narration adds that touch of cinematic flavor that gives players a better sense of immersion and participation in the story.

At the time of this writing, the complete retail version (including both Shadows of Angmar and the Mines of Moria expansion) is going for $39.99, and the digital upgrade is currently being offered to existing players at $29.99. The monthly subscription fee starts at $14.99 (with the typical discounts if more months are prepaid at a time), and a one-time payment lifetime subscription option is available for about the equivalent of 20 months’ fees ($299). It’s not a bad deal, if you ask me.