The Game Initially Disappointed Me, Yet Proved to Be Necessary for My Playtime Experience
Tales of the Shire: A Relaxing Journey Through Middle-earth
Step into the picturesque village of Bywater, where life moves at a leisurely pace in the game Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game. This charming life-simulator offers a refreshing departure from epic quests and ancient evils, inviting players to immerse themselves in a cozy Hobbit lifestyle.
The heart of the gameplay revolves around gardening, cooking, and inventory management, each mechanic designed to promote a relaxed, narrative-driven experience.
Gardening in Bywater
Gardening in Tales of the Shire involves planting seeds and watering them daily on a small scale compared to typical farming simulators. As you progress and level up related in-game clubs, upgrades become available that extend your gardening space.
A Culinary Adventure
Cooking is the most complex gameplay mechanic but remains accessible and relaxing. Initially, cooking involves combining a few ingredients in simple ways using basic tools. As players progress, new kitchen tools unlock, enabling short minigames that affect the food's texture, which impacts the quality and rewards of dishes. The aim is to find the "sweet spot" in the texture minigame, requiring careful timing and ingredient handling to maximize the dish’s quality.
Managing Your Inventory
The game includes an inventory system that expands as you upgrade clubs related to gardening and cooking, allowing more space for storing ingredients and items. Players gather items through foraging, gardening, fishing, and trading with NPCs, integrating inventory with these core activities. Foraging involves picking up items like fruit, mushrooms, plants, and nuts found around the village; these can be sold or used in cooking.
The economy operates as a barter system, with shops accepting goods players collect or grow, making money less of a critical progression factor.
Tales of the Shire prioritizes a cozy, laid-back Hobbit lifestyle with an emphasis on routine, relationship-building, and creative cooking rather than complex simulations or high-stakes challenges. The simple, satisfying loops of gardening, cooking with minigames, and inventory management reinforce the relaxed tone of the game.
The game includes tutorials for activities like cooking, using a map, and planting crops. Tales of the Shire is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC.
Players may find initial frustration due to treating the game as a task and focusing on the first quest. However, resuming play on its own terms reveals a game that provides a cozy experience, helping players slow down and appreciate the journey. The first major quest in the game involves settling an argument about the technical definition of a village.
The art direction of the game evokes feelings of a watercolor or oil painting. Tales of the Shire focuses on simple Hobbits with simple problems, offering a refreshing departure from the grandeur of Middle-earth's epic battles. The game includes meeting the main villagers and befriending them, as well as references to other familiar areas within The Shire and a quick meeting with Gandalf.
Cooking in the game has very few timed elements and is almost impossible to fail, making it an enjoyable and stress-free experience for players. There is no easy way to track ingredients needed for a dish in Tales of the Shire, encouraging players to experiment and discover new recipes.
Overall, Tales of the Shire offers a unique and relaxing gaming experience that invites players to embrace a slower pace and immerse themselves in the charming world of Middle-earth's Shire.
In the captivating universe of Tales of the Shire, players can delve into the realm of home-and-garden, unwinding by tending their gardens and experimenting with various culinary adventures. As one progresses, the acquisition of books filled with gardening and cooking knowledge will enrich the gaming experience.
Additionally, beyond the garden and kitchen, Tales of the Shire offers entertainment through interacting with various characters and exploring references to other intriguing areas within The Shire, providing a multi-layered experience that engages different aspects of one's lifestyle.
