![]() ![]() Skipping movie theaters for the past year has been a minor sacrifice in the grand scheme of the pandemic, but that never prevented me from fantasizing about a return to my local Alamo Drafthouse. For a couple of hours, we can sit in a dark and air-conditioned room, have a beer or a decaf coffee, and share a communal experience without having to actually do the anxiety-inducing labor of chatting with strangers. Should I really be surprised that, in 2021, folks are ecstatic to be watching movies together again? Of course not. So each Wednesday throughout the year, we'll go there and back again, examining how and why the films have endured as modern classics. ![]() And the crafting and survival mechanics upon which the game is based means you need to manage your progress carefully.2021 marks The Lord of the Rings movies' 20th anniversary, and we couldn't imagine exploring the trilogy in just one story. There’s also the nature of the procedural generation, which adds variance to each playthrough. So any run may be slowed by orc attacks, forcing the player to stand and fight or flee. Just like in The Lord of the Rings, in Return to Moria orcs are a constant threat, and are attracted to sound. It’s at this point that the player can decide to run back to the beginning of the game, which takes place at the Doors of Durin and attempt a Fellowship Moria run. Once you’ve done that, Return to Moria turns into a sandbox, letting the dwarves go anywhere. As you play through the story, you learn the nature of this force and how to counteract it, unlocking the ability to break through these progression blockers. ![]() A mysterious force blocks the dwarves’ progress. When you start Return to Moria, you can’t simply walk from the Doors of Durin (West Gate) to the Dimrill Gate (East Gate). Speaking to IGN in an interview at gamescom 2023, Free Range Games game director Jon-Paul Dumont said internal testing had timed a Fellowship run at over two hours of real time, depending on how things go with those pesky orcs, and how well equipped the player - or players - are. Procedurally-generated environments fill in the spaces between the likes of the Endless Stair, the Crossroads, the Chamber of Mazarbul, and Durin’s Bridge, allowing for the sheer scale suggested by the books and films to be realised in video game form. The game’s version of Moria is enormous, and includes all the landmarks you’d expect and where you’d expect them to be. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |