Lots of IPs see their popularity wax and wane over time.Lord of the Ringsis no exception; while the start of the 21st century was marked by a lot of hype for the franchise, thanks toPeter Jackson’sLord of the Ringsfilm trilogy, enthusiasm for the franchise has died down since the laterHobbittrilogy appeared and struggled to earn the same acclaim as its predecessor. Now, however,Lord of the Ringsappears to be on the rise again, now that new video games likeLord of the Rings: Return to Moriaare getting announced little by little.
A game industry return to J.R.R. Tolkien’s influential fantasy world is naturally exciting for fans of the genre, butLord of the Rings: Return to Moriais a particularly interesting addition to the IP. While game studios have made many great depictions of Middle-earth, many of them overlap in major ways, which causes the IP to suffer somewhat from repetition in the video game department.Return to Moria,however, aims to deliver an entirely new Middle-earth adventure. If it ends up being a success,Return to Moriacould inspire developers to more aggressively push the boundaries ofLotRvideo game adaptations.
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The Problems With Lord of the Rings Games
The Lord of the Ringsis a classic story, so it’s no surprise that it has been adapted many times since it was first published. However, Tolkien only completed a few books in his franchise, meaning game developers have a limited number of completed Middle-earth stories to adapt. As a result,Lord of the RingsandThe Hobbithave been told and retold by countless video games over the last 40 years. Classic as these books may be, this repetition means that manyLotRvideo games have limited room for creativity in their storytelling, meaning other aspects of the game need to be very strong, or else the highly familiar story could quickly become boring for even the most dedicatedLotRfan.
Notably,Lord of the Ringsgamesalso happen to fall into the same few genres. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many adaptations of the franchise are RPGs, action-adventure games, or strategy games. All three of these video game styles capture the epic battles and grand adventures ofLotRnicely. However, it also meansLord of the Ringsgame developers have to work particularly hard to feel special within these well-trodden genres, while fans ofLotRare left with a little less variety in game adaptations than they might like.
There have been a few undeniably strong breaks from this general pattern. For one,Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordordid excellently to tell its own story through the eyes of the non-canonical Ranger Talion. For another,TheLord of the RingsOnlinehas thrived since it premiered in 2007, offering a strong multiplayer experience through custom characters. Still, these games fall into relatively familiar genres, and their stories often lean on the main events and characters ofLotR,meaning they aren’t exactly a clean break from the overall pattern ofLotRgames.
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Why Return to Moria Could Be Different
While manyLotRgames have similarities,Return to Moriastands out for a couple major reasons. The game’s story, for example, isn’t set within the bounds ofLord of the Rings' story at all. In this game, players take control of customized dwarves in the Fourth Age trying to rebuild Moria afterthe fall of Sauronand the overall conclusion ofLotR.In other words, it takes place well after all the major events in the Middle-earth mythos, meaning it has lots of room to tell a fresh story. It’ll likely still have some connections to the original story, as mentions of Gimli’s involvement indicate, but the time period is something special.
What’s more,Return to Moriaexperiments with a new genreforLotR. Free Range Games and North Beach Games' project is a survival crafting game. Players will have to gather resources, build bases, and search for ancient treasures in the depths of this lost dwarven city. Free Range does promise combat inReturn to Moria,but it’s clear that the survival crafting elements are at the heart of the game, tapping into the industrious nature ofLotR’s dwarves. Between its unique time period and its genre,Return to Morialooks like a remarkably refreshingLotRgame.
This matters for the future ofLotRgames because, ifReturn to Moriaproves popular despite rejecting several conventions ofLotRgames, it could encourage more developers to do the same. Future games might journey far beyondLord of the Ringscanon, whether that means expanding on the obscurest stories inTheSilmarillionor telling entirely new tales set in undefined parts of Middle-earth’s history. Developers could also try new things in terms of gameplay, like charmingAnimal Crossing-esque sim games about managing hobbit villages.
Stepping Out of Lord of the Rings' Comfort Zone
WhetherReturn to Moriaturns out to be a hit or not, Free Range Games' creativity deserves commendation. As timeless as Middle-earth’s greatest adventures are, the world holds far more potential thanThe Lord of the Rings' epic saga alone.Return to Moriacould be a healthy change of pace for the franchise, as couldThe Lord of the Rings: Gollum,Daedalic Entertainment’s upcoming project.Gollummay not break as far away from the heart ofLotRcanon asReturn to Moriadoes, but it at least tells a new story in the Third Age, and its dialogue-heavy, stealth-driven gameplay looks like a great change of pace too.
Return to MoriaandGollumeach only scratch the surface of Middle-earth’s outer bounds. The setting’s most far-flung locations and mysterious characters all deserve to make a mark on the game industry in one way or another. MaybeTom Bombadilwill get his own video game one day, or perhaps the sunken kingdom of Numenor will inspire a new series ofLotRgames.In the meantime,Return to Moriais at least a positive sign thatLotRgames don’t have to stick to the main story to be interesting. On the contrary, wandering off the beaten path may be the best way forward for the franchise.
Lord of the Rings: Return to Moriareleases in spring 2023 for PC on the Epic Games Store.
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