Highlights

• Tales of the Shire brings a cozy life simulation experience to the Lord of the Rings world, focusing on the peaceful side of J.R.R. Tolkien's universe.
• The game's release date remains a mystery, allowing Weta Workshop time to fine-tune visuals for a fully baked, adorable art style that stands on its own.
• Weta Workshop should take care not to rush the game, ensuring it lives up to the iconic Lord of the Rings franchise and avoids the fate of recent disappointing adaptations.

Tales of the Shire is an exciting new adventure set in the world of the iconic Lord of the Rings franchise. When it comes to Lord of the Rings, most games based on the franchise focus on the battle for Middle-earth, but Tales of the Shire focuses on the cozier aspects of J.R.R. Tolkien's world as players get to take on the role of a Hobbit.

Although Tales of the Shire promises some comfy-looking life simulation gameplay, it's not an easy time to be an upcoming Lord of the Rings game. After the Gollum game was hailed as one of last year's biggest flops and Return to Moria was met with mixed reviews, Tales of the Shire has a lot of expectations riding on its shoulders. This low bar could be a blessing for Tales of the Shire, but the game is also playing it smart by not revealing its release date just yet.

Tales of the Shire's Release Date is a Mystery

So far, all that is known about Tales of the Shire's release date is that it is scheduled for launch sometime later this year. The first reveal trailer for the game showcased some exciting potential, but one of the biggest concerns surrounding Tales of the Shire is regarding the game's overall visuals. Tales of the Shire boasts great features, but the visuals indicate that the game may need a little bit more time in the oven.

Tales of the Shire's Visuals Leave Much to be Desired

Tales of the Shire appears to feature an art aesthetic that is incredibly common within the cozy life simulation genre. From Stardew Valley to Animal Crossing, many games in this genre tend to have a simplistic, yet adorable, art style. Tales of the Shire definitely leans into this, but there is also an unfinished quality to the game's appearance that is hard to ignore. The cuteness of Tales of the Shire can't be denied, but neither can the strange lighting and sometimes muddy visuals that can make it difficult to decipher where objects begin and end.

Thanks to its gameplay, Tales of the Shire is already being compared to Stardew Valley and other games in the genre, but the artwork and aesthetic stand on their own. Such a unique art style deserves to feel fully baked, and this is one of the main reasons why Tales of the Shire's secretive release date is a good thing—not having a set release date allows the game's developers time to fine-tune the game's visuals, so it can look its absolute best when the game finally launches.

Tales of the Shire Shouldn't Rush Things

It is exciting to imagine all the cozy and wonderful things players will be able to do in the Hobbit town of Bywater once Tales of the Shire is ready, but Weta Workshop should try hard to avoid rushing the game. Weta Workshop is renowned for its work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, making the game that much more exciting.

Despite Weta Workshop being partially responsible for bringing the Lord of the Rings trilogy to life with Peter Jackson's history-making films, this is the first time the studio has attempted to develop a video game, and it needs to be handled with as much care and patience as possible. The most recent Lord of the Rings video games have been rather disappointing, and it would be a shame to see Tales of the Shire meet the same fate.