Summary
Tales of the Shireis an upcoming game set in the same universe asThe Lord of the Rings.LotRis in large part about the delicate but honest Hobbits, andTales of the Shirepromises to give players the authentic experience of being one. Players will finally have the opportunity to visit the titular Shire, and simulate living there in a cozy and quiet life.
Tales of the Shireis already set to make dreams come true in that regard. However, developers would be wise to go the extra mile in exploring thiscozyLord of the Ringslife sim. The small stature of Hobbits is perhaps their most iconic trait, and would be the perfect opportunity to add an extra bit of charm into the game.
Tales of the Shire Should Embrace the Full Hobbit Experience
The Shire is iconic for a number of reasons besides its status as the home of the Hobbits inThe Lord of the Rings. First and foremost, it’s simply a cozy place to live. Despite Middle-earth having a great number of looming threats, especially thanks to thewars raging throughoutThe Lord of the Rings, the Shire is secluded from much of that danger. Rather than engaging in battle against the forces of evil, Hobbits tend to their farms all day.
Until the reign of Sauron becomes a legitimate threat, the biggest issue Hobbits have to deal with is each other. Because of their tendency to never step foot outside of the Shire, they are all too quick to stick their noses into the business of their neighbors. This is where a Hobbit’s small stature could begin to make its way intoTales of the Shireas a core mechanic.
Hobbits Can Be Crafty and Cunning
Considering the tiny size of Hobbits, they’re extremely well suited to sneaking around.Tales of the Shiredefinitely looks idyllic, but its titular location isn’t without its share of small town secrets. Offering players the opportunity to snoop around on the friends they make next door seems like a natural extension of the game’s premise.
Relationships may be integral toTales of the Shire, but it is by no means a stealth game, and there are plenty of other directions the game’s developers could take with the Hobbits and their features. For example, exploration could be greatly expanded upon. Hobbits are small enough to fit into just about any crawl space imaginable, natural or otherwise.
Say the player wants to forage for a particular vegetable not already in their farm: perhaps they could find a unique patch of mushrooms through a small opening in the roots of a nearby tree. Perhaps a structure has been collapsed by age, and the player needs to navigate crawling through the rubble. After all, they certainly wouldn’t be able to step over it.
Hobbits Are Charming Beyond Belief
Hobbits are belovedfor reasons other than their size. However, the biggest benefit of leaning into the Hobbits' stature is the sheer charm that it would present. InThe Lord of the RingsandThe Hobbitalike, the franchise gets a lot of comedy value out of characters struggling to interact with Hobbits thanks to the immense difference in size.
Gandalf is perhaps the greatest friend to Hobbits outside of their community. Coincidentally, he is also very tall, even by human standards. This difference was a major source of charm for both viewers ofThe Lord of the Ringsand Gandalfhimself. Despite the Shire being secluded from much of Middle Earth, players shouldn’t be limited to interacting solely with other Hobbits. Characters of other races could eventually visit, and emphasize how distinct the life of a Hobbit really is.
Tales of the Shireis set to allow players to live the daily life of a Hobbit. This shouldn’t stop at a cozy environment and casual conversation with neighbors. Hobbits offer plenty of opportunities for a charming gaming experience through their characterization alone. IfTales of the Shireleans into the most iconic trait of Hobbits, it could become that much more special forfans ofThe Lord of the Rings.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.
