Summary
Tales of the Shireis the next cozy life sim game on the horizon with an unsurprising amount of anticipation paving the way for its impending arrival. Set in J. R. R. Tolkien’sLord of the Ringsuniverse,Tales of the Shiresees players taking on the role of a Hobbit in the growing village of Bywater.Tales of the Shirewill have plenty of featuresfamiliar to fans of cozy games. As Hobbits, players will be able to decorate their own Hobbit hole, plant and harvest vegetables, cook delicious meals for themselves and the other residents of Bywater, fish and forage for ingredients, and more.
Based on what has been revealed so far,Tales of the Shireseems to takeLord of the Ringslore heavily into consideration, so some of what players experience in the game may not be what the franchise’s more casual fans may have come to know through other media like the films by Peter Jackson. That being said, there is a universal truth about Hobbits thatTales of the Shireneeds to ensure it acknowledges if it aims to truly immerse its players in a lore-accurate representation of the world ofThe Lord of the Rings.
Tales of the Shire Needs to Make Sure Its Players Never Want to Leave the Shire
The Lord of the Rings' Hobbits Are Known for Their Sheltered Life
Aside from the adventures of some ofThe Lord of the Rings' more famous Hobbits, likeFrodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee, Hobbits aren’t known for particularly desiring to leave the Shire.
They are as sheltered as they come, and intentionally so, as they are perfectly content with where they live and what they have. This is even made evident by Samwise Gamgee inThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, as he has hardly left the Shire before he says, “If I take one more step, it’ll be the farthest away from home I’ve ever been.” This is actually very typical of Hobbits and accurately reflects their love for the Shire.
Tales of the Shire Needs Its Player-Hobbits to Want to Stick Around
In a world as massive as Middle-earth,Tales of the Shireplayers might eventually feel inclined to venture beyond the Shire in search of bigger things once their adventures in Bywater reach their peak. Like Bilbo Baggins, they might long for a “very long holiday” to see the mountains.
However,Tales of the Shirewill want to avoid this by making players want to stick around for the long haul. Otherwise, as fascinating as it is, this cozyLord of the Ringsexperience might leave some players wanting more.
One of the best waysTales of the Shirecan ensure its players never want to leave is by allowing players to make it feel like a second home for themselves. This means there will need to be plenty of customization options and the limitations will need to be few and far between. This could include a multitude of customization options available for Hobbit hole decoration and Bywater itself. Very little is known about the extent ofTales of the Shire’s customization, but it would do well to include loads of it.
Another wayTales of the Shirecould make Bywater more appealing than what might lie beyond is by not limiting exploration to too small an area. As long as the game’s explorable area is large enough, players may not even think twice about leaving, as there would be more than enough cause for continued exploration within Bywater and its immediate surroundings. That being said, there is always the potential forTales of the Shireto add moreiconic Shire locationsin future updates, but it should still provide a sufficient experience to give players that same homebody feeling that Hobbits have.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.
