Tales of the Shireis now poised to finally release in early 2025 and, from what can be ascertained via previews, has a lot going for it. For the game to really hit the nail on the head, though,Tales of the Shireneeds to stick by its cozy premise.
A cozy sim game setwithin theLord of the Rings' Shireis arguably a masterstroke of an idea. There’s a reason why the film set for Hobbiton, rebuilt forThe Hobbitfilm trilogy, remains today as a tourist destination; the Shire is a blend of idealized countryside living and pastoral fantasy. It’s an idyllic locale where simple folk live in harmony with nature—their houses embedded into the hills. Though beautiful and innocent, the Shire has enough rowdy pubgoers, nosy neighbors, and hard country labor to avoid the pastel trappings of other cottage-core settings, granting it just enough grounding to invite comparisons to real places in the world.
Tales Of The Shire’s Bywater Needs To Be Less Stardew Valley, More Animal Crossing
However, the Shire is set inthe wider world ofLord of the Rings, and there could be some temptation there for Weta Workshop to explore more dramatic material inTales of the Shire. From the footage available, it’s clear that the game is set ways off from the Shire’s scouring (an event at the end of the book trilogy where the Shire is partially destroyed). On the other hand, Gandalf is confirmed to be in the game, playing an introductory role in the opening. Though this is nothing unexpected, Weta should be wary of straying from the cozy veneer presented thus far.
Tales Of The Shire Should Let Players Relax
Tales of the Shire’s cozy aspectshave been put front-and-center in marketing in previews, with the game sporting a picturesque, storybook art style and plenty of menial, cutesy tasks. This is ideal for the Shire, as the location is embodied by its isolation; it’s an escape from the complications of the bigger world. It’s that innocence that first motivates Frodo to take up his quest, and its beauty reminds readers and watchers that this world is worth fighting for.
Therefore, it’d be a shame forTales of the Shireto delve into the grandiose. Thoughcombat works for a game likeStardew Valley, there should be no possibility for subversion inTales of the Shire; the innocent bliss of the Shire makes it more suited to the lack of plot enjoyed byAnimal Crossing. That’s not to say thatStardew Valleyisn’t open-ended itself, but even its fast-moving calendar could be too much pressure for the meandering hills of Bywater.
Though few expect itsShire to be attackedas it was inReturn of the King,Tales of the Shirecould still dive too greedily into Tolkien’s wider canon. Given what happened withThe Hobbitfilm trilogy, which saw a simple children’s storybook transformed into a huge epic, there’s still a chance that Weta runs a similar path here. Gandalf has already shown up in previews, but further references to elves, dwarves, and even orcs or Sauron himself could mess with the tone and the scope—especially for a location unaware of the outside world’s goings-on.
Tales Of The Shire Should Emphasize The Friendliness Of Hobbits
Tales of the Shire’s cutesy marketingis a good sign, as this is the tone the game would be best suited for. The title shouldn’t completely sand down the Shire (some NPCs should be in the vein of the pesky Sackville-Bagginses), but its cozy premise should emphasize the friendlier aspects of the Shire. Not only would this lend well to the fantasy many prospective players would be looking for, but it would aid the overall tone and gameplay loop.
