On paper, a cozy little game set in the Shire sounds like a slam dunk for fans of The Lord of The Rings. The Shire is canonically a beautiful, peaceful, and inviting place, making a game that allows players to customize their own personal Hobbit hole seem utterly delightful. However, in practice, Weta Workshop’s new life simulation game, Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings Game, sadly falls short of its quest, reminiscent of Boromir's ill-fated journey. Published by Private Division, this game launched on July 29 for multiple platforms including Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.
Tales of the Shire invites players to step into the hairy feet of a Hobbit who has recently relocated from Bree to a smaller settlement in the Shire called Bywater. The ultimate goal is to complete various quests—known as Tales—by befriending the locals and improving the area until it officially qualifies as a village by Hobbit standards. The game incorporates standard elements of the cozy life-sim genre, such as NPCs to develop relationships with, a home to decorate, outfits to wear, and recipes to cook using ingredients gathered from the wild, grown in the player’s garden, or caught from Bywater’s various lakes and streams.
Upon starting, players create their own Hobbit character, but the customization options are somewhat limited. While there is a range of skin tones available, the overall character creator leaves much to be desired. Hobbits have always been depicted as unique yet charming creatures; however, in Tales of the Shire, they appear somewhat creepy, resembling a collection of troll dolls from the 1980s dropped into Middle-Earth. Additionally, the game’s environments are visually lacking, giving players a feeling akin to wandering through Old School Runescape, rather than the enchanting Shire.
The gameplay loop in Tales of the Shire is disappointingly shallow. Players can befriend Bywater’s residents by inviting them over for shared meals, utilizing grown and foraged ingredients to cook their preferred dishes. Unfortunately, the locals are not only unfortunate in appearance but also lack depth and interest. While players encounter Gandalf early in the game, he doesn’t remain for long, leaving players primarily interacting with a cast of forgettable characters. Fetch quests dominate the objectives, often becoming tedious multi-step tasks that seem to drag on indefinitely.
While the game attempts to inject humor into the experience, it often falls flat. For example, a quest involving a Hobbit who keeps getting sent back and forth between two residents may sound amusing, but experiencing it is far from enjoyable. Tales of the Shire imposes strict linearity, leaving no room for players to explore off-script. An instance of this occurred when I attempted to forage ingredients for a quest, only to find that my earlier efforts didn’t count, resulting in a frustrating scavenger hunt for new items.
A common theme throughout my playthrough was a lack of clear instructions. One quest directed me to equip a watering can but failed to provide guidance on how to do so. While the fishing minigame offered a tutorial, the game's help section was inconsistent, often leaving players guessing at necessary actions. Both farming and fishing lack the depth found in other titles, with minimal variety and no upgrades for tools or impactful weather events, aside from the occasional rainy day.
One aspect where Tales of the Shire shines is in home decoration. Players can choose from various wall, flooring, and ceiling designs for their Hobbit hole, and decor objects can be placed freely on flat surfaces. Unfortunately, the selection of decor objects is limited compared to other life-sim games, diminishing the incentive to fully utilize the object-placement system.
Overall, Tales of the Shire feels unpolished and raises questions about its intended audience. Fans of The Lord of The Rings may be disappointed by the flat dialogue and lackluster storyline, while enthusiasts of farming and life simulations will likely find the game lacking in variety, depth, and customization options. The Shire is celebrated for its warmth, beauty, and vibrancy; however, this game fails to capture that Tolkien-esque whimsy. Promising a Stardew Valley-like experience set in the rich world of The Lord of The Rings, it ultimately falls short on both fronts.
