The Hobbit And The Lord of the Rings are grand fantasy adventures laced with intense action, dramatic moments and complex characters. When it comes to video game adaptations, most try to capture the feel of the films, or make war central to Tolkien’s works. But what if we did away with all that and instead just strolled around a comfortable Hobbit village? Tales of the Shire is exactly that: a relaxed life simulation set between the two main stories.
We played this upcoming title at Summer Game Fest Play Days, albeit briefly. Located in Bywater, you enter the village as a newcomer and quickly meet your first resident, who will help you through the tutorials. At its core, this is a life simulation game in a similar camp to Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley, but there’s a real emphasis here on keeping things simple and stress-free.
Until then, the game runs on its own day/night cycle and seasons, and is balanced to ensure the player never feels rushed or pressured to get everything done every day. Developer Weta Workshop – the New Zealand team that brought Middle-earth to life in Peter Jackson’s films – aims for an idyllic, relaxing game with low-pressure objectives, and that atmosphere certainly comes across.
Almost immediately we are introduced to cooking, which proves to be an important aspect of Tales of the Shire. We suppose this is to be expected given the food-oriented hobbits. Preparing meals for other villagers is a way to increase friendships with them; serve the types of foods they all like and cook them well, and you’ll quickly grow closer to the furry guys. Creating more complex dishes obviously requires better ingredients, and expanding your kitchen and cooking methods will be part of the progression.
Next we got a quick look at character customization, which looks pretty robust. You can choose many options for your Hobbit’s clothing, different physical characteristics (including how hairy their feet are), and even their personality, which determines how they move. For example, a cheerful avatar will walk more smoothly than a grumpy one. You also give them a suitable Hobbity name. There are many built-in, officially approved first and last names you can browse through, or you can choose to enter your own; we enjoyed all the silly sounding nicknames so stuck with one of them.
Bywater itself features locations and characters that fans will be familiar with, such as the Green Dragon Inn and Farmer Cotton. The layout of the settlement has been rendered as accurately as possible according to the description in the books, and it is pleasantly higgledy-piggledy, in much the same way as you’ll remember from the cinematic interpretation of the Shire.
We then take a walk around Bywater and sample the fishing mini-game, which isn’t particularly complicated, but is a bit more complex than some other similar games. It is one of many activities; you’ll also spend your time gardening, foraging, and undertaking quests for other characters. You can join clubs for these different pursuits, improve your skills, get better equipment, and so on. This forms a large part of the game’s progression, in addition to improving relationships with the other characters and completing missions within the title’s four acts.
Our time with Tales of the Shire was short, but the charming presentation and relaxed gameplay promise a very relaxing experience. We’re curious to see how the game holds up during a full playthrough, as it seems relatively simplistic, even if that is by design. Be that as it may, fans of Tolkien’s work, or those who want to lose themselves in a cozy world, will definitely find something to like here.
Tales of the Shire will release on PS5 later in 2024. Are you excited about this sleepy life sim? Prepare a second breakfast in the comments box below.