TheLord of the Ringsfranchise hasn’t had the best run recently. 2023’sGollumwas infamously panned by both critics and fans,Return to Moriawas received a bit better but was far from a hit, and the recentLord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimanime moviefailed to live up to the lofty expectations left by its live-action predecessors. Now, all eyes are onTales of the Shireto deliver the win theLord of the Ringsfranchise needs right now.
A cozy Hobbit life-sim is a great use of theLord of the RingsIP, butTales of the Shireneeds a lot more than just a great premise to sell copies and be the critical hit the franchise needs.Tales of the Shirehas released a handful of gameplay trailers over the last year or so, most of which have focused on specific activities like gardening, cooking, and customizing the player’s Hobbit home. But very little has been revealed about what players will be doing outside of those activities, and that’s ultimately what will make or breakTales of the Shire.
Tales of the Shire’s Open-World Exploration Will Ultimately Make or Break It
Tales of the Shire’s Exploration Needs to Feel Worthwhile
Mostcozy life-sims' gameplay loopis split into two equally important halves. The first half is the game’s exploration phase, where players need to venture out to gather resources, harvest crops, complete daily tasks, and socialize with nearby villagers. The second half of the gameplay loop sees players use those gathered resources to upgrade and customize their home or the surrounding area.
Based on itsgameplay trailers,Tales of the Shireis going to deliver a similar gameplay loop, and it needs to ensure its exploration phase feels suitably rewarding.Tales of the Shireneeds to ensure players are gathering resources that are genuinely useful for the loop’s second phase, and that those resources refresh at a consistent and clear rate, thus encouraging players to return day after day.
Tales of the Shire’s World Needs Plenty of Variety
But the repeated rhythm of that two-part gameplay loop can get stale pretty quickly if players are just completing the same activities over and over again. Only a handful of open-world activities have beenconfirmed forTales of the Shireso far, those being gardening, fishing, foraging, and heading to social spaces like a nearby market.
Currently,Tales of the Shire’s open-world activitiesmight not offer enough variety to keep fans engaged for very long, especially as countless other life-sims already offer very similar experiences.Tales of the Shireneeds to have some more distinct open-world activities that really embrace the game’s Middle-earth setting. For instance,Tales of the Shire’s Steam page mentions “discovering secret glades and lost treasures of the Shire,” which could hint at some kind of fantasy scavenger hunt that players could chip away at every day.
Tales of the Shire’s Steam page also mentions “ever-changing weather that affects daily routines and seasonal surprises based on time of year.” Hopefully these evolving weather and seasonal effects will have a significant impact on gameplay, presenting the player with unique challenges and opportunities depending on the season. For example, it might be fun if the player needed to find a different way to gather fish during the colder months when the lake is frozen. Little tweaks like this could helpTales of the Shire’s activities to not lose their luster over time.
