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LOTRO: Siege of Mirkwood Preview - Part 1
Today we explore the outer regions of Mirkwood forest and what you can expect when you first arrive
Written by Andy Griffiths, 19 November 2009
It's only a matter of weeks before Siege of Mirkwood is released and as expansions go it's a hefty one. Turbine are finally offering players a chance to explore an area which has been corrupted and twisted by Sauron, as well as plenty of other new additions and tweaks. Today we'll be focusing on our opening impressions of the expansion and what gamers will find when they first arrive from the shores of Lothlorian.
Mirkwood's corruption hides more than Orcs and Goblins.LOTRO has always been one of the prettier MMOs, which is one of the many reasons why Mirkwood forest is so intimidating and refreshingly bleak.
What would Mirkwood be without spiders?From the banks of Mirkwood you can still see the forests of Lothlorian, but in terms of tone you couldn't be further away from Elven HQ. On arrival you're greeted with a camp of wounded and dying soldiers. Several of the opening quests involve you retrieving stolen supplies and healing warriors. There are plenty of NPC vendors to interact with and substantial camp walls protect the dwindling population from an enemy onslaught.
MMOZine Issue 25
For our latest Lord of the Rings coverage, click here to download MMOZine Issue 25 for free.Once you venture into the forest, there are many Orcs, Goblin scouts, magic entities and giant spiders patrolling the map, looking for heroes to slaughter. As you go deeper into the forest, the darker it gets and despite playing for several hours there was no sign of Dol Guldur tower on the horizon. Instead we saw plenty of ruins scattered around the gigantic map, but no sign of the expansions biggest asset.
Not a member of Eiffel 65.Every ruin we found was absolutely infested with enemies and, even when using our level 60, we struggled to make it past even the earliest gates. Travelling in a large group is a must at all times because you'll quickly get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of enemies. There's plenty of Elven lore to encounter and hardcore fans will love finding hidden records from when the forest was occupied by friendly forces.
Don't mess with sword-wielding Elves.During the special press event we were running on an exclusive server with an invulnerability perk, yet we still couldn't run to the giant tower which dominates Mirkwood forest. Every avenue was blocked by locked gates, busted bridges and varied terrain. Following the quest line is an absolute necessity and even if the arbitrary blockages weren't present, you'd still have to fight your way past insurmountable enemy numbers.
There's no doubt that the tower of Dol Guldur is the biggest draw in this substantial expansion, however Mirkwood forest has plenty to offer as well. We've only had a few hours with the expansion so far, but we've been impressed with the amount of new creative content which is on offer. This is unlike anything else we've experienced in Middle-Earth and tomorrow we'll be walking you into the home of a Ringwraith and the centrepiece of Mirkwood.
Lord of the Rings coverage available in MMOZine Issue 25 - click here to download it for free!
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