

The elvish locations, meanwhile, were simply stunning. Guess I still did better than Gandalf, though. I did not learn my lesson, and went back down again to tango with the Balrog. Having relaxed in The Shire, I then explored Moria, and got absolutely wrecked when I poked my nose into the lower depths and encountered dozens of goblins. A little walking will take you to the town of Bree - suitably dark and foreboding - while the hobbit homes feel small and cosy. Naturally, I went straight to The Shire, and was welcomed by a charming birthday party with lanterns and classic round-door hobbit homes. Once in Middle-earth, you'll find yourself in a long corridor full of beautifully-crafted doors leading to various locations from Lord of the Rings.

After encountering a couple of technical difficulties with the teleport spells, I found it easiest to take the fast-travel option.

So, how do you get to Middle-earth? You have two options: either grab a Middle-earth teleportation spell from Farengar in Whiterun, or simply walk there by finding the "Lord of the Rings" door in the west of the map. Players can also craft Mithril armour, and Maldaran told me the latest version introduces even more craftable items, along with new spells to learn.

You can re-enact the Battle of Helm's Deep, fight goblins in the mines of Moria and even battle the Balrog. The remarkable one-person project, made by 26-year-old Maldaran from Germany, allows PC players to explore many of the most famous locations in Lord of the Rings, including The Shire, Lothlorien and Rivendell. The Elder Scrolls V Middle-Earth began back in 2014 and has seen several updates, but Maldaran told me the Redone version adds new content, solves bugs, re-works the portal corridor and streamlines all the past versions into one neat package. Ever thought you could do a better job than Legolas at the Battle of Helm's Deep? Well now you can prove it, as the final version of this incredible Lord of the Rings Skyrim mod has just been published.
