Scheduled for release in late March,Tales of the Shirehas already separated itself from other games based onLord of the Ringsby simply existing. As the only simulation game based on the long-enduring fantasy franchise,Tales of the Shirepresents new opportunities and ways to play with its source material. IfTales of the Shireis successful in exploring niche parts of the Shire, perhaps other obscure parts of the franchise can get their own video game adaptations.
Creating a simulation game set in the Shire feels like a no-brainer, as other simulation games based on popular franchises,likeDisney Dreamlight Valley, have proven to be immensely successful. However,Tales of the Shirestands out from otherLord of the Ringsgames in other ways than simply just its genre, something that should inspire the bold act of adaptingThe Silmarillionin game form.
Tales of the Shire’s Setting and Time Period is Surprisingly Telling
Tales of the Shireis specifically set in the town of Bywater in the period of time betweenThe HobbitandTheLord of the Rings. This makes cameos from characterslike Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Greyplausible. The Green Dragon Inn is also located in Bywater, which appears both inThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy and could even make it intoTales of the Shire. Yet, one of the most important historical events in Bywater does not take place duringTales of the Shire’s time period, but rather duringThe Lord of the Ringsitself.
The Battle of Bywatertook place in the titular town, ending the War of the Ring with the death and defeat of Saruman. Though he was killed traitorously by Grima Wormtongue, Saruman’s murderer would in turn be killed by the now free Hobbits of the Shire. This battle, notably, was not included in theReturn of the Kingfilm adaptation, despite being in the book.
While avidLord of the Ringsreaders will recall this victory, its exclusion from the films means thata decent portion ofTales of the Shire’s playerbasewill not know the importance of Bywater. With the Green Dragon Inn likely acting as an important location inTales of the Shire, which casualLord of the Ringsfans probably don’t recall as well also, it’s clear that Wētā Workshop and Private Division are dedicated to exploring parts of Tolkien-verse that don’t get as much public attention.Tales of the Shiresets a precedent for another part of Middle-earth’s storied history to be further explored within a video game adaptation –The Silmarillion.
The Silmarillion May Finally Get its Time in the Spotlight
Unlike other key works by J. R. R. Tolkien,The Silmarillionhas never received an adaptation as the rights have never been sold. This collection of stories detailing the War of the Exiled Elves, which takes place prior toThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Rings, was published posthumously.The Silmarillion’s narrativeis difficult to adapt, or even make sense of, because of this, as Tolkien’s son attempted to piece together a narrative based on his father’s notes with the help of collaborators.
This makesThe Silmarillionquite a difficult read, as major plot points are loosely connected.An adaptation ofThe Silmarillionwould be difficult to create because of this, unless developers focused on specific areas or events in the collection. For example, focusing on the various myths inThe Silmarillionis one route adaptations could take. This condenses the amount of material that developers would have to cover in the adaptation process and leaves less room for confusion among players.
One could argue thatTales of the Shireis successful at introducing less popularly known aspects ofLord of the Ringsto audiences because it is a simulation game. While this may be true,Tales of the Shireitself could act asa gateway for its playerbase to delve into the lore of Middle Earth if it references other niche aspects of its world, such as the myths told inThe Silmarillion. AdaptingThe Silmarillionwould be daunting for any medium, butTales of the Shireproves that such a risky undertaking could be worthwhile for video games at some point.
