Tales of the Shire Review (PS5)
Summary: A cozy gaming, niche snapshot into the life of a Hobbit, and done well. Presentation and execution can use a little work, but overall a solid encapsulation of a day in the Shire.
3.8
Second Breakfast
“In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit.”
Tales of the Shire is WETA Workshop’s attempt to capture this classic opening Lord of the Rings opening line via an affordably priced cozy gaming package. As someone unfamiliar with the cozy gaming genre yet obsessed with Lord of the Rings, I was eager to give this niche title a proper look. And into the Shire we go!
Today is a bit different in the Shire, as a new arrival popped into town from Bree – via Gandalf no less! – a Hobbit trying to make the best of what used to be old Ruby’s home. It’s seen better days, and here’s to hoping the new resident can revive its charm. “You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”
Being Hobbits, as Bilbo declared, means “we are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner! I can’t think what anybody sees in them.” Thus, Tales of the Shire proudly has no evil orcs to fend off, nor escapades in forgotten lands to foresee. This is true cozy gaming, wrapped in an art and overall presentation so whimsical to not even lightly approach Terry Allen homage.
Character customization is Hobbit perfect, from dozens of unique physical aspects and attire to surnames literally corresponding to actual Shire clans. Since we’re all Hobbits here, fishing, gardening and cooking reign supreme. Relationships are forged on skillets and pans, where cooking invites matching Shire residents’ personal preferences are the greatest currency. Exploring all ends of the Shire will unlock additional cooking ingredients, as will gifts via enhancing relationships. A slew of mini quests likewise unfold more Tales of the Shire options, all presented in a fun and easy to grasp manner.
Hobbit hole mainstays are there to interact with, to include writing desks, gardens, pantries, elaborate cooking setups, post boxes and more. Similarly, every NPC is lifted from Tolkien’s book series, down to trade of preference. (You fool of a Took!) If you’re a true Lord of the Rings fan, attention to authenticity is smile worthy. It’s a delight wandering across the Shire and into and out of each Hobbit domicile. All are uniquely featured, as are the slew of bridges, pathways, fishing points, and New Zealand terrain. Over time (and with accrued revenue), every aspect of your Hobbit hole can literally be customized. WETA Workshop’s skillful touches are apparent everywhere.
Presentation is via a gorgeous hand drawn style, which allows the whimsical aspects of the Shire to truly come across. Following birds literally points to appropriate directions within a quest, and Hobbits saunter, react, and respond, well…like Hobbits. Note there is no voiceover in Tales of the Shire, with everything represented via text boxes only. Soundtrack resembles Howard Shore’s classic notes, but a lot softer sans dramatic trademark orchestral booms. The famed ‘The Shire’ composition is sadly no where to be found either.
Being a cozy game, Tales of the Shire is not on a timer albeit a bit over-linear as certain quests open up additional abilities and cooking options. Thus, progression intended as loose can feel a bit forced at times. Also and with no omnipresent directional map, bird guides can be a bit confusing inducing unnecessary wandering. Also, not every quest is as logically solved as intended, but that does force more exploration which isn’t always a bad thing.
Most aspects of Tales of the Shire are completed in Day/Night cycles, with starts and stops occurring when your character goes to sleep. Once more, this can feel a bit staccato in both the absence of a timer yet a finite time to accomplish specific tasks before others can be completed. Once in the flow however, foraging, fishing, gardening, exploration, cooking, sharing meals, enhancing relationships and gifts all flow together in a nice pattern. It just takes some trial and error – also patience in allowing the game to breathe across days and quests – to get there.
Tales of the Shire is apt to have its critics. It’s not an especially deep game engine, the graphical style will not be for all, the absence of any voiceovers can produce monotony, and being a Hobbit can be mundane. Also, some quests feel forced and longer than they needed to be. Moreover, even with semi-tutorials, not everything is properly explained. Finally – and even in selecting a personality – the protagonist isn’t all that interesting or truly unique.
Still, if you’re keen and willing for a cozy game snapshot into being a Hobbit, Tales of the Shire executes as promised. This is a perfect offering for portables (where short game sessions are more the norm), as every Tales of the Shire game day will unlock new goodies to play with.
Final Thoughts
Tales of the Shire is a Hobbit lifestyle cozy game Tolkien would be proud of and WETA Workshop clearly loved. Hardcore gamers may be confused by the seemingly inane life of Hobbits, also its limited presentation aspects. Still, if you’re a Lord of the Rings fan wanting something truly different, this is a welcome change of pace. Note I experienced zero performance/glitch issues on the PS5 Pro (as other platforms weren’t so lucky).
About the Author
Paul Stuart A gamer for over 30 years with 400+ reviews across four sites literally spanning the globe, Paul Stuart has an unhealthy obsession with Assassins Creed, God of War, and all things WETA.
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