There are quite a few games set in the universe of “The Lord of the Rings”. Soon, another one will be added. However, in Tales of the Shire, you will not experience adventures but, in all likelihood, lead a peaceful life.
What kind of game is it? Tales of the Shire is a new game from the universe of “The Lord of the Rings”. It is being developed by Weta Workshop itself, the creative studio behind the Middle-earth license. The studio was significantly involved in Peter Jackson’s film adaptation.
Private Division is the publisher of Tales of the Shire. This publisher has released titles such as The Outer Worlds and Hades, and is also handling the upcoming No Rest for the Wicked.
Tales of the Shire was announced in autumn 2023 and is expected to be released later this year. However, those hoping for action-packed adventures in Middle-earth will likely be disappointed. It seems that the new game leans towards a significantly cozier experience.
The Peaceful Life as a Hobbit
What is the game about? So far, there is only a teaser trailer, which you can see above. In it, a woman draws in a book and is then called out of her house.
According to the aesthetics, it appears to be a hobbit hole, and the woman seems to be a hobbit lady. Apparently, we will play as a resident of the Shire.
Private Division describes the game only with the following words (via publisher’s website): “Your cozy hobbit life awaits you in Tales of the Shire. The heartwarming ‘The Lord of the Rings’ game will be released in 2024 for console and PC.”
The keywords “cozy” and “heartwarming” suggest that swords, shields, and wands will stay at home this time. Yes, even the hobbits themselves seem to stay home instead of embarking on a dangerous adventure.
Tales of the Shire could therefore become a real cozy game and remind players of genre heavyweights like Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing. A game in which we indulge in the daily life of a hobbit with all its advantages. Plenty of food and the occasional pipe weed included.
The cozy game Palia is currently going in a similar direction, but is also facing some challenges.
What do the players think? Under the trailer on YouTube, many players have hope that the franchise could finally regain its former glory in the video game sector. The Lord of the Rings has produced some classics like “Battle for Middle-earth” but also led to one of the biggest flops last year with “Gollum”.
- @LimocinSinFe writes on YouTube: “Please don’t be bad! It would be a great farming game with exploring the surroundings in 3D and beautiful graphics, making us feel like hobbits.”
- @AaronHooley trusts the development studio: “Anyone who has watched the DVD extras of The Lord of the Rings knows that Weta Workshop doesn’t do half-measures!”
- @dingusrevoler believes: “I’m saying this will be an Animal Crossing with hobbits.”
- “Will this be better than Gollum?” wonders @vndragonslayer1.
Only when the developers show more of their game will we know more. Right now, players just hope that the license will also thrive as a video game again without producing further lemons. The latter should be left to the hobbits of Tales of the Shire. There will also be some news in 2024 for The Lord of the Rings Online.
