Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria

There’s pressure on MMO developers to get their dungeons right, but imagine the crunch on Turbine to nail literature’s darkest, deepest, and most revered subterranean world (sorry, Batcave). As the first full retail expansion pack for LOTRO, Mines of Moria opens up the long-dormant Dwarven capital of Khazad-dum and its surrounding areas, drawing the player into the struggle to re-establish Dwarven supremacy beneath Middle-earth.

As your legendary weapon approaches higher levels, it’ll become a mobile quest hub (any missions that stem from it vary based on the type of arm you forged, too). Because your lance is going to be handing you side-quests, we should think of legendary items more as companions than common loot, says LOTRO’s Executive Producer, Jeffrey Steefel. They’re also a source of solo play for high-level characters nearing the end game, and for Steefel, that’s a big deal. “We think that’s huge. It’s a whole new dynamic for elder players to be able to do something really cool, really extensible, that they can do with people or without people.”