Highlights
- Tales of the Shire will offer players activities like farming, cooking, and decorating, reminiscent of cozy games like Animal Crossing.
- The game’s setting in Bywater may find it taking place earlier in Lord of the Rings lore, potentially allowing it to feature classic characters. However, it could just as easily lean into original ones.
- Balancing fan service and originality, Tales of the Shire could introduce a mix of iconic and original characters for a unique gameplay experience. Making sure it does not go overboard on one type of character could prove important, though.
Weta Workshop’s upcoming cozy life sim Tales of the Shire sees players living out their lives as Hobbits in the idyllic village of Bywater, with plenty of iconic features made popular by other cozy games such as Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley. During their time in Tales of the Shire, players will participate in a variety of activities associated with the genre, like farming, cooking, decorating, exploring, foraging, and fishing. Furthermore, when they’re not busy with some important task, players will get the opportunity to interact with the residents of Bywater, some of whom have been confirmed to be “iconic characters” from the Lord of the Rings series.
It’s currently unclear what time period Tales of the Shire will be set in, though the game’s description states that, in this rendition of Bywater, the quaint village hasn’t been established as a part of Hobbiton. As such, Tales of the Shire could take place much earlier than casual Lord of the Rings fans are familiar with. If that’s the case, although Weta Workshop has confirmed that players will get to meet “iconic characters” in Tales of the Shire, it may not be any or many of the characters seen in the Lord of the Rings films. Instead, Weta Workshop may prioritize introducing original characters for players to meet and build relationships with. This puts Tales of the Shire at a major fork in the road, and one it should heavily consider before moving in one direction or another.
Related
Why Tales of the Shire ‘Keeping Its Secrets’ About a Release Date is a Good Thing
As of right now, Tales of the Shire has been quite mysterious about its planned release date, but this is ultimately a good thing.
Tales of the Shire Has a Tough Choice to Make With Its Characters
More Iconic Characters in Tales of the Shire Could Appeal to Lord of the Rings Fans
Fan service is one of the best things a developer can do in video game adaptations, especially when it comes to franchises as well-known as The Lord of the Rings. Including popular Lord of the Rings characters and Easter eggs for veteran fans to meet and find helps solidify it as belonging to the brand. In light of that, it would make sense for Tales of the Shire to focus more on some of the franchise’s more popular characters, as it would provide players with a more recognizable Lord of the Rings experience.
That being said, since it’s unknown what period Tales of the Shire is set in, it’s impossible to know what characters it could bring in that the average player would recognize. It seems almost certain that Gandalf will appear in Tales of the Shire at some point, though it’s unclear why he would be visiting the Shire in the first place unless Bilbo Baggins was around. In that case, the game could also feature Bilbo, even though Bilbo isn’t from Bywater. Still, perhaps he would visit Bywater on occasion in Tales of the Shire to have a drink at the Green Dragon.
More Original Characters in Tales of the Shire Would Allow for a Unique World and Story
While the appearance of iconic Lord of the Rings characters in Tales of the Shire would undoubtedly be welcomed, it might make even more sense to prioritize the appearance of original characters instead. Original characters would simultaneously result in a more unique world and would therefore provide players with a Lord of the Rings experience unlike any they have had before. The prominence of original characters would allow a bit more breathing room for an original story as well, which would increase Tales of the Shire‘s gameplay value as a result.
It’s impossible to know just yet which or how many iconic Lord of the Rings characters will be present in Tales of the Shire‘s cozy world, but the game will need to approach this fork in the road with plenty of consideration. Hopefully, it will find a way to strike a balance between fan service and originality.