Home’s where the hearth is.
(Pencilthat cosy Hobbit gamereleasing next year into your diaries.)
You venture forth to find the rest of the expedition, uncovering the secrets of Moria along the way.
It’s a combination that works so well, you wonder why nobody thought of it before.
The dwarves are renowned for their mining and metalworking skills, making them great protagonists for a survival-crafting game.
Yet this is a game with problems.
Within each of these regions, however, there is plenty of freedom to explore.
The environments are gorgeous and surprisingly varied considering the entire game takes place underground.
Some of the locations were so unexpected that I couldn’t help but gasp when entering a new area.
I found myself gleefully fangirling over hobbit crockery, and reverently observing some of the more sombre locations.
You explore one place down in the oppressive depths, then are lifted back up again to somewhere brighter.
Respite comes, too, in the form of setting up camp and building cosy hideaways in the darkness.
For this reason, food planning becomes vitally important.
Moments of lightness are also found through singing - another staple of Tolkien’s books, of course.
(It’s also a clever form of distraction when mining ore veins.)
The process of discovery just becomesbetterwhen you have someone else to experience it with.
Naturally, we climbed down to investigate.
We then had what can only be called an ‘unpleasant encounter’ with a lumbering fiery beast.
Terrified and screaming, we dashed back up the ladders again.
Only one of us made it.
The building system also leaves a fair bit to be desired.
Balancing issues also become a problem at certain points of the game, particularly when playing solo.
I have never heard the word “brutalise” so many times in a week.
The same post reveals further usability improvements to come for things like inventory management and gathering items.
For fans of Middle-earth this is worth experiencing, particularly if someone else joins you for the adventure.
So if you’re willing to forgive the jank: add friend, and enter.
