Free Range Games has introduced the second update to the dwarven survival game The Lord of the Rings: Return To Moria. This update brings a brand new game mode, along with building and combat improvements, as well as many new furnishings for players to decorate with.

The Sandbox mode generates a smaller world than the Campaign, which allows players to traverse the world horizontally much faster as fewer random rooms are connecting the important halls. Moving between biomes is not limited to story moments like obtaining Durin’s axe, so you can freely move around and build to your heart’s desires. Sandbox worlds also have unique recipes, weapons, armor, biomes, and environment locations that are not found in the story mode. 

The developers have been hard at work reworking all pre-placed buildings and redesigned them to the world grid. This allows players who want to build off these structures or revamp them to do so more easily. Stability when building tall houses has been improved, and now we can make a megabase without it collapsing as fast. The restoration hammer has got a massive boost in speed and will now repair walls more quickly, while shortcuts for the building and deconstructing modes have been added for controller players. My personal favorite part of the update is the addition of bookshelves, monuments, carpets, banners, crystal lamps, and other decorations.

Free Range Games are trying to improve the feel of combat by tweaking the knockback on weapon combos, charged attacks, and shield bash. A perfect block now has a longer stagger and will knock back smaller enemies, but it no longer blocks the durability degradation of shields. VFX and SFX have been improved when fighting the monsters of the depths, as have the runic weapons and attacks to make them sound more mystical.

Will you be trying out sandbox mode? Let me know in the comments.