The fantasy world imagined by JRR Tolkien becomes a video game and the result goes beyond surprise: Tales of the Shire It’s a dream come true. Weta Workshop, who created virtually everything you see on screen during Peter Jackson’s filmsproposes to enjoy the genuine experience of living like a hobbit and among halflings. To experience their way of making even the routine entertaining and, why not? to live life in sips. The formula is similar to Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley, but the result feels like something of its own. Like something truly special.
Tales of the Shire It is a journey to Middle Earth that we discover through the novels and adaptations of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Not all of it, mind you: our own hobbit hole is in Bywater in the Shire. To give you an idea, we’re the village next door to Hobbiton. In other words, we may not be neighbours to Frodo Baggins, but we can buy vegetables from Farmer Coto. And, in the process, we might even try to sell him a fork. Because hobbits crave peace, but one way or another They end up in hilarious trouble.
In fact, the great merit of Tales of the Shire is that, despite having a cartoon aesthetic, everything that is shown and exists in this game overflows with a special care without deviating one bit from Tolkien’s authentic vision: each game is an exquisite reflection of the customs of the hobbits, vindicating their taste for comfort, their attachment to simple things and, above all, reflecting their very special way of seeing life.
In fact, I can already tell you that you won’t need to read Tolkien’s work and much less watch the movies to enjoy everything that Tales of the Shire has to offer and adds to its fantasy world. But of course, fans get an even more special treat: if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to live in The Shire, you’ll find the definitive answer in this video game. Which brings us to the big question: how do you think this entertaining story begins? Let’s just say a certain mischievous wizard gave us just the right push.
In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit
Hobbit holes are synonymous with comfort. It says so in the first paragraphs of The Hobbit They are a perfect reflection of the halfling way of life. The funny thing is that ours is upside down: the door is blocked, the desk drawers don’t close and the pantry is almost empty. A nightmare for any hobbit! But don’t worry, it won’t take long to clear away the cobwebs, put everything to your liking and have enough food to satisfy more than a dozen dwarves.
The protagonist of Tales of the Shire is a character that we can make to our own taste, with one condition: he is a hobbit. His appearance is similar to that of a small child, but his pointy ears and huge bare feet with a little fluff on the instep give him away. And yes, you can even choose how much fluff you will have, but the editor is only a little bit deeper than in other games of this style.
Everything shown and present in Tales of the Shire exudes special care and is also respectful of Tolkien’s authentic vision.
What are we doing in Delagua? Let’s say we were sleeping in the sun, enjoying the Shire’s climate, when a tall stranger with a long white beard and worn-out grey clothes suggested we come to the village. A place that, I can tell you in advance, is perfect for anyone to put down roots: its waters are crystal clear, its landscapes are wonderful and it is inhabited by hobbits, so it is impossible to get bored and there is always an excuse to prepare a feast.
In Tales of the Shire We will be staying in the house that once belonged to a neighbour who was particularly loved by the other hobbits. In fact, her house had been neglected for too long, but the idea is that little by little we will turn that beautiful home into something of our own, even though the only things we will carry in our pockets are a few suits and the map of Bywater that the old stranger left us very recently. Don’t worry, you won’t need anything else to start and there is still enough left in the pantry to prepare a stew for your first friend in the village.
Compared to other games that follow in the footsteps of Animal Crossing, Delagua is very large. It has its own hills and slopes down to the river, as well as natural paths that are a pleasure to get lost in. Just as you imagine from the books and movies, the houses are fully integrated into a paradise-like landscape with lots of interesting little corners and characters with small pretensions and a lot of generosity.
Luckily, even when we are newcomers it is impossible to get lost in Tales of the Shire: Although the map only appears in the menus, we are guided through a system of little blue birds that land on posts, ledges or trees depending on where we mark that we want to go or our objective. And that’s where the real fun of the game begins.
This is not another farming simulator, but a Lord of the Rings game
Tales of the Shire The game encourages us to live each day in a special way. There is no Tom Nook to collect rent, but the game does get us involved with our neighbors, to lend them a hand, to organize banquets for them and, of course, one way or another there is always someone who ends up messing us up. The tasks are not complicated either, mind you, since sometimes it will be enough to solve a riddle and other times it will be enough to track down a lost book or to get special ingredients to meet the tastes of our next guests.
Tasks that will never be a burden for the player, but rather something fun to do while forging friendships. Because the hobbits will go barefoot, but they are extremely civilized and even better hosts. Aspects that shine with their own light in Weta’s game.
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to live in The Shire, you’ll find the definitive answer in Tales of the Shire.
In fact, most of the inhabitants of Delagua are good-natured, although there is a bit of everything: a miller who is a bit stingy, a peddler with too much verbosity and even a dwarf called Nefi in charge of the forge. But I can tell you in advance that we won’t need swords and I haven’t come across any goblins or anyone to fight with. Among other things, because The Shire and the hobbit holes are synonymous with tranquility, and the way to enjoy at our own pace and however we want. Tales of the Shire also follows that same path.
As far as gameplay is concerned, instead of relying on top-down view or a classic system, the controls Tales of the Shire It almost passes for a platform adventure game. And our hobbit can’t jump, that is. Unless, of course, he has to cross a rocky path to cross a river. However, the version we had access to had several performance issues. We hope that the final game will be much smoother, because getting lost in Delagua is a real delight.
It’s funny that our character moves and reacts based on the personality we give him: he can be happy, extremely relaxed, a little angry… Whatever we choose, the body expressions both when speaking and when moving or running demonstrate the special care that Weta has put into the entire project and each of its details, offering a simple and friendly look. And yet, the most interesting thing of all is the town of Bywater itself. Both for how large and welcoming it is, and for how much it captures and embodies Tolkien’s world.
In Delagua it is impossible to get bored. Firstly, because you always have some task or errand pending, but also because incredibly simple things like walking, fishing, picking berries or taking care of our garden end up being a delightfully enjoyable experience.
However, as a setting it also has enormous richness: in addition to having different areas of interest, such as Lake Delagua or the Green Dragon Inn, and places where it is a pleasure to get lost, it has its day and night cycles (our neighbors have their own schedules) and even different climates. Contemplating the sunrise down the hill or being stunned by the landscape while trying to squeeze the most out of your daily goals is something that has surprised me in each of my games.
That said, don’t worry if it’s raining and you need to find blackberries for a pie or mushrooms for a stew. If you’ve sent out invitations for a special lunch the next day and your guests have confirmed their attendance, you’ll get what you need and can go to sleep peacefully: Weta thinks of everything and, just like she guides us with birds for missions without the need for a map, it will be enough to follow the butterflies to find those ingredients that we do not grow at home. Although, of course, we can also buy them.
There is still time for the launch of Tales of the Shire And as we mentioned, there are still aspects to be ironed out, such as offering a fluid gaming experience. However, I can tell you in advance that we played from a PC and it is one of those games that suits Steam Deck wonderfully. Not because of its views or its friendliness, but because of the advantage of being able to continue playing at your own pace in those little moments of the afternoon or just before closing the day.
Despite everything, the version we were able to play of Tales of the Shirecourtesy of Private Division and Take-Two, was limited: there were inaccessible areas, so I couldn’t tell you the final size of the little town. And although the initial impressions are phenomenal, we will have to wait a little longer for the final version. One that, I can tell you in advance, I look forward with great impatience.
Tales of the Shire Release Date
Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game will be put on sale on March 25, 2025 on Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam. We don’t know if there will be special editions or pre-release demos, but one thing is clear: if you’ve ever wanted to get to know Tolkien’s universe from the inside and have spent countless hours on it, Animal Crossing y Stardew ValleyWeta Workshop’s game already has what it takes to become your next obsession. And don’t rule out that it will end up being your favorite game.
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