One of the most important yet unsung pillars of the cozy game genre is the player-character. For total immersion, acozy game’s player-characterneeds to be a completely blank slate, one that the player can project whatever they desire onto them with no friction or pushback from the game itself, whether that’s making the character as close to themselves as possible or doing something a little more experimental with the character creator.Tales of the Shirestays true to this cozy game tenet, at least for the most part.
In most cozy games, the player-character is essentially an empty canvas with virtually no backstory or prior role in the game’s world. Their arrival in town usually marks the start of their entire existence. Occasionally, it’ll be briefly mentioned that the player-character came from somewhere else, but it’s rarely something that’s routinely brought up during gameplay.Tales of the Shirediverges from this trend a little, tying its player-character to a very specific Middle-earth location, and in the process, connecting them to the events ofThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy.
How Tales of the Shire’s Player-Character Connects to The Lord of the Rings
Tales of the Shire’s Player-Character Comes From Bree
Tales of the Shireopens withGandalf the Greygently prodding the player’s Hobbit character awake. After customizing their Hobbit, players head into another cutscene, with Gandalf revealing that he knows that the player-character came from the Prancing Pony in Bree. Though it’s a completely innocuous line, it’s one that will mean quite a bit to long-time Tolkien fans.
Located in the region of Eriador and justwest of Weathertop, Bree is a sizable town that’s unique in that it’s home to both Men and Hobbit residents. By the time of the Third Age, it was the only known settlement that saw such co-habitation between the two races. With Bree being situated on the Great East Road, it became a popular rest stop for travelers, and the Prancing Pony became a well-known inn among the rangers who patrolled the surrounding lands.
To get to the Shire, a Bree citizen needs to pass the Prancing Pony, jump aboard the Bucklebury Ferry, and cross the Brandywine River.Tales of the Shire’s player-characterreminisces about this journey a few times during the game’s main and optional quests.
How Bree Connects Tales of the Shire to The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
InThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, upon discovering that Frodo Baggins is in possession of the One Ring, Gandalf tells the bewildered Hobbit that he’s off to ask the leader of his order for advice and to meet him at the Prancing Pony in Bree. Frodo sets off withLord of the RingsMVP Samwise Gamgeeat his side, and the duo are quickly joined by fellow Hobbits Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck.
Now a small but mighty adventuring party, the Hobbits make their way to Bucklebury Ferry, narrowly avoiding some Ringwraiths in the process. The crew cross the Brandywine, enterthe Prancing Pony, and find Gandalf nowhere in sight. But they do encounter Aragorn, who conceals them during another Ringwraith attack. The group’s time in Bree is short, but it’s an engaging sequence that now acts as a fun connection betweenThe Lord of the RingsandTales of the Shire.
The player-character’s Bree-based origins also connectTales of the ShiretoThe Hobbit, as Gandalf meets Thorin Oakenshield in Bree to discuss the Quest to Erebor.
