Survival crafting game The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria will expand to new platforms, with a Steam release on PC and its arrival on Xbox Series X|S, all on August 27th. The release will add full platform cross play, and additional content, including sandbox mode.
The game initially released last fall on PC via the Epic Games Store, and later, PlayStation 5. When the Steam and Xbox versions arrive this month, The Golden Update will add a number of updates and improvements, including full cross-play. Since the game allows for co-op, now you'll be able to play with others across existing and new platforms.
On all platforms you'll have access to cross-play and be able to host a game, invite, or join someone on any other platform. Once the game launches on Steam, that platform supports eight-player sessions, so you can host up to eight player co-op sessions that others can join regardless of what platform they are playing on.
Sandbox Mode will let you explore, try things, and otherwise play in a nonlinear mode that takes advantage of the procedural generation system in order to give you control over how you play. Expect minimal guidance or tutorials, and the procedural generation takes care of layout, difficulty, and other ways that each playthrough in sandbox mode will be different. The mode was previously only available on the beta of the Epic Games Store PC release.
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The Lord Of The Rings: Return To Moria Review
There's also new content in the update. It's a survival crafting game, so of course there are new recipes. There are 14 new weapon and armor recipes that include a Gondorian Shield, Barôkamlut, and Wolf Skin Hat. You can only find these when you are using Sandbox Mode, but you can bring objects back into campaign mode. Expect new building parts and decorations for the home, and a number of changes to improve building overall.
The update also adds difficulty settings, new music, and the ability to pause the game if you are playing offline.
