Mini Review: Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game (PS5) – One Cosy Game to Bore Them All

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As a gaming enthusiast, I can’t help but be thrilled about Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game! This captivating simulator, developed by the talented minds at Weta Workshop, offers a delightful peek into the peaceful life of Hobbits in the enchanting world of The Shire, as described by JRR Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings. In other words, I get to immerse myself in a cozy Hobbit existence, right smack in the heart of Middle-earth!

Once you’ve designed your unique character, you find yourself in Bywater, a realm where swords are inconsequential, and instead, the primary challenge lies in assembling the essential components for a remarkable second meal, akin to an epic feast.

Just as you might anticipate in a comfortable game such as Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley, the gameplay style is laid-back and not overly demanding. The game includes storyline advancements referred to as ‘tales’, but the majority of the gameplay revolves around building friendships and enhancing relationships with other Hobbit characters, often by extending meal invitations to them.

Characters in the game have preferred dishes and taste preferences that you must accommodate, and enhancing relationships grants access to additional recipes to gather.

Your Hobbit-home (or house) and garden are encouraged to be beautifully customized for a unique living environment. However, beyond preparing meals, fishing, and cultivating your own produce, the gameplay can feel quite monotonous and lacking in variety.

The amount you can prepare meals relies on when vegetables become ripe in the game, taking multiple days. During this time, your ability to modify your home and garden serves as decoration, unlike games like Animal Crossing that allow for customization across the entire map.

As a gamer, I’ve got to admit, the graphics of this game are an acquired taste for me. They manage to bring out the vividness of The Shire, but they can be overly bright and rough in texture, which is quite distracting. The visuals may be basic, but the performance isn’t top-notch – it struggles and there’s noticeable framing when my character runs. The music is alright, but I wish the characters had voice acting to make them more engaging.

The portrayal of certain aspects of a Hobbit’s lifestyle, such as gardening and cooking, is present; however, activities more commonly associated with Hobbits, such as drinking ale and smoking pipe-weed, have been omitted because of the age restriction.

Although the game world is appropriately large for its genre, it lacks features like tree climbing, swimming, or interacting with your personal furniture. Non-playable characters (NPCs) are stationary and won’t engage in conversation, making the experience feel less immersive. Additionally, since it’s a single-player game, you can’t socialize or collaborate with friends, which is unfortunate as it could have added an enjoyable layer of interaction.

In summary, Tales of the Shire offers an intriguing foundation, yet might disappoint many players by not delivering enough content. While its Hobbit-centric themes could attract enthusiasts, there are superior cozy games available, making this game primarily stand out due to its association with Tolkien’s works.

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2025-07-28 19:06