Publisher North Beach Games and developer Free Range Games have delayed the PlayStation 5 version of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria from its previously planned October 24 release date to December 5, and it will now both physically and digitally on the same date. Additionally, the PC version, which will launch via Epic Games Store on October 24, has gone gold. The Xbox Series version is still planned for release in early 2024. The game will cost $39.99 / €35.99.
Here is an overview of the game, via North Beach Games:
The story of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria takes players beyond the books and into the Fourth Age of Middle-earth, the fantastical world created by J.R.R. Tolkien. Summoned to the Misty Mountains by Lord Gimli Lockbearer (voiced in-game by actor John Rhys-Davies), players band together as a company of Dwarves tasked to reclaim the lost spoils from the Dwarven homeland of Moria—known as Khazad-dum or Dwarrowdelf—in the depths below their very feet. Their quest will require fortitude and teamwork, delving deep into the Mines of Moria to recover its treasures and in the hopes of one day restoring them to their former glory.
In The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria players will create their own custom Dwarf before venturing into the cavernous mines of Moria alone or together with a company of fellow Dwarves online. Each adventure into the depths will bring unique challenges and opportunities through the use of procedurally generated environments, creating nearly endless possibilities as players seek the deepest delves of the Dwarves. As they venture ever deeper, the Dwarves will need to ensure their metal is ready to meet the dangers that lie within, crafting resilient armors and finely honed weapons capable of protecting against and defeating all manner of goblin, arachnoid, or more mysterious foes they may encounter. Excavate the mysteries of the Misty Mountains, extract precious metals prized by Dwarves, rebuild and refire forges that have long since gone cold, and learn the secret of the Shadow that lurks within.
Recently, the developers shared a first look at the in-game Dwarf Creator, which allows players to create and customize their own unique Dwarven character for their playthrough in The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria. The Dwarf Creator gives players numerous options to customize their Dwarf however they see fit, including distinct choices for beards and hair, accessories and jewelry, facial features, tattoos, scars, body type, and even the Dwarf’s origin, voice, and personality type.